TLDR Web Dev · OPINIONS & ADVICE

YOU'LL REGRET USING NATURAL KEYS

blog.ploeh.dk6 min read

Summary from the TLDR Web Dev newsletter

“Natural keys” (pre-existing unique identifiers like chassis numbers or social security numbers) shouldn't be used in database design. This is because uniqueness is not guaranteed and there are often clerical errors, like errors in data entry or data conversion. Synthetic keys like UUIDs are always a more reliable choice.