surrogate key

A surrogate key is a unique identifier assigned to a piece of data in a database, independent of any meaningful information within that data. Think of it as a system-generated ID, like a unique number, used solely to distinguish each record. It helps organize and link data efficiently, especially when the actual data may change or is not unique by itself (e.g., names or addresses). Surrogate keys simplify database management, improve performance, and ensure consistency, serving as stable references that remain unchanged even if the associated data updates.