CONCEPT Cited by 1 source

Consistent identifier naming

Definition

A data architecture principle requiring that the structure of primary identifiers is directly dependent on the modeling choice. This prevents confusion when joining tables and makes the modeling approach self-documenting in the schema.

Airbnb's convention (Source: sources/2026-06-09-airbnb-scaling-beyond-one-data-architecture):

• Separate models → product-specific IDs: id_experience, id_service
• Monolithic models → generic product descriptor ID: id_product_listing + a product type column: dim_product_type (differentiating Homes, Experiences, Services)

Purpose

• Ensures reliable table joins across the warehouse
• Prevents confusion about which product a row belongs to
• Makes the data model choice visible at the column level without needing documentation lookup

Seen in

• sources/2026-06-09-airbnb-scaling-beyond-one-data-architecture — one of three foundational principles for Airbnb's multi-product data warehouse