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Accession Numbering

Configure how your organisation generates accession numbers. Navigate to Settings → Numbering (admin only).

Numbering formats​

The Archiver supports two standard accession numbering approaches:

Yearly with year prefix (resets each year)​

Numbers restart at 001 each calendar year, with the year as a prefix:

  • 2026/001, 2026/002, ..., 2026/150
  • Then on 1 January 2027: 2027/001, 2027/002, ...

This is the default format and aligns with most UK archives' practice. Accessions remain sortable by year, and you avoid four-digit accession numbers.

Sequential — no year prefix (continuous)​

Numbers increment forever, never resetting:

  • ACC-001, ACC-002, ..., ACC-999, ACC-1000, ...

Use this if your organisation prefers a single continuous sequence or if you're back-cataloguing material from multiple years and want a unified numbering scheme.

Configuring your format​

On the Settings → Numbering page:

  1. Choose your Numbering format from the dropdown:
    • "Yearly with year prefix (resets each year)" — default
    • "Sequential — no year prefix (continuous)"
  2. Set your Prefix (for continuous numbering) — e.g. "ACC" produces ACC-001, ACC-002, ...
  3. View the Example output below the dropdown to confirm it looks right

Changes apply immediately to new accessions. Existing accessions keep their assigned numbers.

Auto-filling vs manual numbers​

When creating a new accession, the platform pre-fills the next number in sequence. You can:

  • Accept the suggested number — click Next and the number is assigned. The counter advances.
  • Edit or clear it — useful for back-cataloguing or when you're assigning numbers from a different system. Manual numbers don't advance the counter.

If you accidentally skip a number, use the Starting number control (see below) to reset the sequence.

Starting number​

The Starting number control lets you set the next number the system will suggest.

Example: You've created accessions 2026/001 through 2026/008, but you want the next one to be 2026/012 (because 009, 010, 011 are reserved for a different batch). Set the starting number to 12, and the platform will suggest 2026/012 for the next accession.

Changes take effect immediately.

Duplicate numbers​

Accession numbers must be unique within your organisation. If you manually enter a number that's already in use, the platform will show an error and prompt you to choose a different number.

Back-cataloguing​

When entering historical accessions with existing numbers from a legacy system:

  1. Create the accession normally
  2. On Step 1, clear the auto-filled number and type your legacy number (e.g. 1987/042)
  3. Continue through the wizard

The counter won't advance — manual numbers are treated as overrides. This lets you integrate legacy numbering without gaps in your new automated sequence.

Export formats​

Accession numbers appear in every export format:

  • EAD3 XML — in the <unitid> element
  • Dublin Core — as dc:identifier
  • CSV exports — dedicated accession_number column
  • BagIt — in the bag-info.txt manifest

Questions?​

If you're unsure which format to use, "Yearly with year prefix" is the safe default — it's the most common approach in UK and Commonwealth archives.