Custom document keys for NoSQL targets

Overview

Gluesync allows you to define custom unique document identifiers (IDs) for NoSQL targets, giving you full control over how documents are identified in your target database. This feature is particularly useful when you need to maintain specific document identification patterns or integrate with existing systems.

Key features

Compose document keys from multiple source fields
Add custom prefixes and suffixes
Define custom separators between key components
Reorder key components as needed
Apply to both new and existing documents

How it works

When enabled, Gluesync will use your custom key template to generate document IDs for all synchronized documents in NoSQL targets. This affects both new documents being created and updates to existing documents.

Configuration

To configure a custom document key:

Navigate to the target configuration in the Gluesync Web UI
Locate the "Document Key Configuration" section
Toggle on the Customize document key option
Build your key template using the following components:

Component Description Example

Component	Description	Example
Fields	Select from available source fields	`customer_id`, `order_number`
Separator	Character(s) to separate key components	`_`, `-`, `#`
Prefix	Optional text to prepend to the key	`doc_`, `cust_`
Suffix	Optional text to append to the key	`_data`, `_sync`

Fields

Select from available source fields

customer_id, order_number

Separator

Character(s) to separate key components

_, -, #

Prefix

Optional text to prepend to the key

doc_, cust_

Suffix

Optional text to append to the key

_data, _sync

Best practices

Ensure your key components will always have values to prevent null keys
Keep keys reasonably short for better performance
Use separators that don’t appear in your field values
Test your key format with sample data before applying to production
Consider the impact on query patterns and indexing

Examples

Basic example

Fields: customer_id, order_number Separator: _ Prefix: order_ Suffix: (none)

Result: order_12345_6789

Complex example

Fields: region, store_id, transaction_id Separator: - Prefix: tx_ Suffix: _gluesync

Result: tx_USA-NY-1001-998877_gluesync

Limitations

This feature is only available for NoSQL targets
Changing the key format for existing data may require a full resync
The total key length must be within the target database’s limits