RIDs

RIDs is an acronym used in multiple information technology contexts to denote different concepts. Because the meaning depends on the domain, RIDs can refer to relative identifiers, resource identifiers, or row/record identifiers, among other uses.

In Windows security and directory services, RID stands for Relative Identifier. A security identifier (SID) combines a domain or authority portion with a relative identifier that uniquely identifies an account, group, or computer within that domain. The RID is assigned by the domain controller and, together with the domain SID, forms the unique identity of the object. Some well-known RIDs are used for built-in accounts and groups in Windows environments, but the exact values can vary by system and version.

In web architectures and APIs, a resource identifier is a common meaning of RID. Here, an RID is a stable identifier used to locate a resource such as a user, document, or product via a URL or API endpoint. Resource identifiers are intended to be unique within a given scope and are often opaque to clients to decouple the resource’s identity from its representation or location.

In databases and data stores, RID can stand for a row or record identifier. Some database systems refer to a RID or ROWID as a value that locates a particular row on a data page or within a data structure. Such identifiers are typically used internally by the engine or by advanced querying features and may not be portable across systems or backups.

Because RID is context-dependent, readers should determine the intended meaning from the surrounding domain, documentation, or data model. In general, RIDs describe ways to uniquely identify or locate objects, whether within a domain, across an API, or inside a database.