--- title: Setting Up Patient Identifiers description: Setting Up Patient Identifiers --- [Skip to content](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/setting-up-patient-identifiers#main-content) ![Wellifiy Logo Horizontal-1](https://support.wellifiy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Wellifiy%20Logo%20Horizontal-1.png?width=145&height=51&name=Wellifiy%20Logo%20Horizontal-1.png) Open main navigation Close main navigation How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Wellifiy Knowledge Hub](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub?hsLang=en-au) 2. [Getting Started](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/getting-started?hsLang=en-au) # Setting Up Patient Identifiers The **Identifier** is the reference code held against each patient record in Wellifiy. You can let your team enter it manually, or have Wellifiy generate one automatically each time a new patient is created. --- #### 📍 Where to Find Identifier Settings Go to: **Administration → Portal Settings → Identifiers** You'll see the **Auto-generated Identifiers** table, with a row for **Patient Identifier**. The table shows four columns: - **Type** — the record the Identifier applies to - **Enabled** — whether auto-generation is currently switched on - **Prefix** — the text placed in front of the number, if you've set one - **Next Number** — the number that will be used on the next patient created Access to Portal Settings requires the **Administration** permission. --- #### 🆔 Where the Identifier Appears The Identifier is visible throughout the Staff Portal wherever patients are listed or documented: - The **New Patient** modal, as an optional field when creating a patient - The **Patient Info** widget on a patient's **Overview** tab, and on the **Patient Profile** edit screen - The **My Patients List** on **My Dashboard**, both as a column and as a term you can search on - The header of a **Case Note**, alongside patient name and date of birth - The **Attendance Overview** panel in **Group Programs** Patients don't see their Identifier in the **Patient App** or **Patient Web Portal**. --- #### ⚙️ Turning On Auto-Generation 1. Open the ••• menu at the end of the **Patient Identifier** row 2. Click **Edit** 3. Switch on **Auto-generate Identifier** 4. Enter a **Prefix** *(optional)* — for example `EXP_` 5. Enter the **Next Number** *(required)* — the number to start from 6. Click **Save** Identifiers are built as the prefix followed by the number, so a prefix of `EXP_` with a Next Number of `434` produces `EXP_434`. Leave the prefix blank if you want numbers only. --- #### 🔁 How the Sequence Works Each time a patient is created and an Identifier is generated, the number increases by 1. The **Next Number** shown in the table always reflects what the following patient will receive. A few points worth knowing: - The sequence runs across your whole Organisation, not per Patient Group - It continues from the last number Wellifiy generated, so manually entered Identifiers don't move it along - Wellifiy doesn't check Identifiers for uniqueness, so your Organisation manages that if staff also enter Identifiers by hand --- #### 🚫 When an Identifier Isn't Generated Auto-generation only ever sets the *first* value, and only when the field is empty: - If the **Identifier** field is left blank when the patient is created, Wellifiy assigns the next one in the sequence - If someone has already typed an Identifier in, Wellifiy leaves it alone and the sequence doesn't move - Existing patients are not given an Identifier retrospectively — turning auto-generation on affects new patients only --- #### 📥 Patients Created Outside the Staff Portal The same rule applies however the patient record is created. If the Identifier is empty and auto-generation is on, Wellifiy fills it in. For **Bulk Import Patients**, the CSV template column is still labelled **MRN**, which maps to the Identifier field. Leave that column empty for a patient and they'll be given a generated Identifier on import. Populate it and your value is kept. --- #### ✏️ Editing an Identifier After Creation Once a patient exists, the Identifier behaves like any other editable field. Open the patient's **Patient Profile** edit screen, change the value, and save. This applies whether the Identifier was typed in or generated. --- #### 🔧 Changing the Prefix or Next Number Both can be changed at any time from the same **Edit** modal. - Changing the **Prefix** affects new patients only. Identifiers already assigned keep the old prefix - Changing the **Next Number** takes effect on the next patient created. Wellifiy doesn't validate the number you enter, so check it won't overlap with Identifiers already in use - Switching **Auto-generate Identifier** off stops Wellifiy assigning Identifiers, but leaves existing values and the sequence position untouched. Switch it back on and numbering picks up from where it stopped --- Next step: ➡️ *Create a test patient with the Identifier field left blank to confirm the prefix and numbering come through as you expect.* - [General](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/general?hsLang=en-au) - [Product Release Notes](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/product-release-notes?hsLang=en-au#main-content) - [January 2026](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/product-release-notes?hsLang=en-au#january-2026) - [December 2025](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/product-release-notes?hsLang=en-au#december-2025) - [November 2025](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/product-release-notes?hsLang=en-au#november-2025) - [October 2025](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/product-release-notes?hsLang=en-au#october-2025) - [September 2025](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/product-release-notes?hsLang=en-au#september-2025) - [August 2025](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/product-release-notes?hsLang=en-au#august-2025) - [July 2025](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/product-release-notes?hsLang=en-au#july-2025) - [Getting Started](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/getting-started?hsLang=en-au) - [Appointments & Booking](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/appointments-booking?hsLang=en-au) - [Patient Groups](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/patient-groups?hsLang=en-au) - [Forms, Assessments, & Docs](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/forms-assessments-docs?hsLang=en-au) - [Group Programs](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/group-programs?hsLang=en-au) - [Case Notes](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/case-notes?hsLang=en-au) - [Messaging](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/messaging?hsLang=en-au) - [Billing & Payments](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/billing-payments?hsLang=en-au) - [Content Management](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/content-management?hsLang=en-au) - [Patient Journeys](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/patient-journeys?hsLang=en-au) - [Activities & Check-Ins](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/activities-check-ins?hsLang=en-au) - [Troubleshooting](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/troubleshooting?hsLang=en-au) - [Contact Us](https://support.wellifiy.com/en-au/knowledge-hub/contact-us?hsLang=en-au) [![Wellifiy Logo Horizontal](https://support.wellifiy.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Wellifiy%20Logo%20Horizontal.png?width=145&height=51&name=Wellifiy%20Logo%20Horizontal.png "Wellifiy Logo Horizontal")](https://support.wellifiy.com/?hsLang=en-au) [mailto:hello@wellifiy.com](mailto:hello@wellifiy.com) Copyright © 2025,