How to Rename the ID Column in a SharePoint List?

Requirement: Rename the ID field in a SharePoint list!

We have a list with an ID column added to the view to provide a unique auto-number feature. The user wants to rename the ID field to “Change Request Number” as it sounds more appropriate.

The automatically generated columns in SharePoint lists include a unique ID field to capture reference numbers for each item added. While immensely helpful on the back end for site infrastructure management leveraging the ID values for relations between items and sites, the “ID” column name fails to provide descriptive context to end users.

Luckily, SharePoint empowers list owners to reshape the SharePoint interface for their audiences by allowing column renaming for clearer recognition. Read on to learn how to quickly and easily change the “ID” column’s title to a more meaningful moniker.
sharepoint rename id column

Solution:

Hidden columns such as “ID” and “Workflow Status” do not provide “Edit” options directly from the SharePoint web UI, and they don’t even appear on the SharePoint list settings page.

So, use this simple trick to rename any hidden column, such as ID:

  1. Navigate to the SharePoint/SharePoint Online site >> Navigate to the List >> Go to the List settings page
  2. Pick any column such as “Title”. You’ll get the Edit Column page.
  3. Change the Field parameter from “Title” to “ID” in the URL and Hit Enter. E.g., https://demo.crescent.com/_layouts/15/FldEdit.aspx?List=%7BB9BED485%2D889D%2D49D9%2DBDC1%2DD78EB4E06EB9%7D&Field=Title
    To
    https://demo.crescent.com/_layouts/15/FldEdit.aspx?List=%7BB9BED485%2D889D%2D49D9%2DBDC1%2DD78EB4E06EB9%7D&Field=IDsharepoint rename id field
  4. Now, you can rename the field by entering your new column title in the “Column name” field!
  5. Scroll down the column settings and click OK to save the changes.

The ID column in the list should now display with the updated column name you provided. The items within the list will continue to display the unique ID values. Here is my renamed ID column:
change id column name in sharepoint

You can also rename a field programmatically with PowerShell or C# Object model code. Here is my another article: How to Rename SharePoint Column Programmatically

Renaming columns is a small but impactful way for SharePoint administrators to customize the out-of-the-box platform to better meet organizational needs. While the unique ID column provides a critical backend utility for managing list items, the default name lacks user-friendly context.

You can adopt more descriptive titles aligned with internal taxonomy and naming standards by following a few simple steps to change the column heading in the list settings. Whether it’s “Entry ID,” “Item Number,” “Case ID” or another fitting header, the flexibility enables better intuition without affecting system performance.

Salaudeen Rajack

Salaudeen Rajack - Information Technology Expert with Two-decades of hands-on experience, specializing in SharePoint, PowerShell, Microsoft 365, and related products. He has held various positions including SharePoint Architect, Administrator, Developer and consultant, has helped many organizations to implement and optimize SharePoint solutions. Known for his deep technical expertise, He's passionate about sharing the knowledge and insights to help others, through the real-world articles!

13 thoughts on “How to Rename the ID Column in a SharePoint List?

  • Awesome. It worked perfectly. Thank you.

    Reply
  • Nice trick! At first seemed a good solution for my SharePoint 2013 project. After renaming some columns (inc. ID field) I got this error in some sub-views: “One or more field types are not installed properly. Go to the list settings page to delete these fields” in sub-views after renaming hidden columns (incl. ID field).

    Then started naming columns back to old names, and column data got lost 🙁

    Note to self: Make backup next time when trying this.

    Reply
  • You can not change Title to ID, ID is a reserved column name that can not be changed.

    Reply
  • Thanks much…Awesome

    Reply
  • Thank you, this worked for me! Is there a way to change the next auto generated number, or perhaps the format?

    Reply
  • Perfect. This is what I am looking for. Thanks for posting.

    Reply
  • good, there is one more way to do this one…

    Create new coloumn based on calculated coloumn

    In Formula field you need to type the below forluma to get the right Unique ID with new form name
    TEXT = Any name u want to give it to the ID column with string. eg – ABC1, ABC2, ABC3….

    =”TEXT”&[ID]

    This works perfectly, only challenge here is first time it will work second time onwards it will not work untill we open edit this coloumn and save it..

    it will updat for all the fileds… its easy solution any way..

    Md Rafi

    Reply
    • This doesn’t work and will start creating a error as soon as you create a new row. ID can not be used in any form as referral or formula in another column, at least not anymore.

      Reply
  • Exactly what I needed! Thanks!

    Reply
  • Excelente! Gracias!!!

    Reply
  • ¡Qué astuto! Gracias

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *