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Content Manager URIs

The Content Manager uses a single URI (Uniform Resource Identifiers) for each identifiable Content Manager object. The URI uniquely identifies an item in the system.

In the Content Manager Explorer interface, you can see the URI of an item by checking the item's Info tab when you open it, or by rolling over the item with your mouse. A Content Manager URI is also known as TCM URI or native URI. A Content Manager URI is formatted as follows:

tcm:<PublicationID>-<ItemID>[--<ItemType>][-v<VersionNumber>]

A Content Manager URI always begins with the tcm: prefix, followed by:

Publication ID
the identifier of the Publication in which an item is contained. If the item is not contained in any Publication (for example, if the item is a User, or if the item is itself a Publication), this part of the URI is set to 0.
Item ID
a number that identifies the item.
Item type
a number that identifies the type of item. If none is specified, the item type "Component" is assumed.
Version number
a string prefixed by a "v" or "V" character that identifies the specific version of this item. If omitted, the version number is assumed to be the latest version.

The following are some examples of Content Manager URIs:

  • tcm:1-2 is a Component with reference ID 2 that is contained in Publication 1.
  • tcm:1-2-v3 refers to version 3 of Component 2 in Publication 1.
  • tcm:1-2-v0 refers to the dynamic (editable) version of Component 2 in Publication 1.
  • tcm:0-4-1 refers to Publication 4 (the number 1 identifies the type of the item as Publication).

Within a BluePrint structure, the Content Manager URI of a shared or localized item consists of:

  • the Publication ID of the child Publication
  • an Item ID that is identical to the item ID of the corresponding item in the parent Publication
  • an Item type that indicates the type of the item

The Content Manager URI of a shared item does not change if you localize it. For example, given a parent Publication with URI tcm:0-1-1 containing:

  • a Component Schema with URI tcm:1-1-8
  • a Component with URI tcm:1-2

a child Publication of this Publication, with URI tcm:0-2-1 would produce equivalent versions of these URIs:

  • the Component Schema, which is shared, has a URI tcm:2-1-8
  • the Component, which is localized, has a URI tcm:2-2

Content Manager URIs are location-independent. If you move an item from one location (for example, Folder or Structure Group) to another, the URI stays the same. Note, however, that Content Manager URIs do change if you migrate Content Manager items from one Content Manager instance to another using the SDL Tridion Content Porter application.