{
  "id": 15815115,
  "title": "Ticket keys in Firestore: issued once, never reused after delete",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/ticket-keys-in-firestore-issued-once-never-reused-after-delete",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-20T23:10:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/panthpatel/ticket-keys-in-firestore-issued-once-never-reused-after-delete-4h4n"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ticket IDs and keys are split to allow tickets to move between boards. Each key, such as ENG-42, is stored in a separate document at the top level. When a ticket is deleted, its key remains as a tombstone and cannot be reused. Keys are generated once per ticket, not through querying the highest number, ensuring that a key can never be overwritten. Deleting a ticket retains the key, allowing old links to still point to the now-deleted ticket.",
  "summary": "I split the ticket id from the ticket key so that tickets could move between boards, and then I took moving tickets out of the product. The split stayed. A key like ENG-42 gets pasted into WhatsApp messages, emails, GitHub PR titles and other tickets, and every one of those has to keep pointing at the right ticket for as long as the link exists, including after the ticket is gone. I'm Panth, and…",
  "key_points": [
    "Ticket keys are stored in separate documents at the top level.",
    "Keys remain as tombstones after ticket deletion and cannot be reused.",
    "Keys are generated once per ticket, not through querying the highest number."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}