# Concepts & IDs

> How concepts and auto-generated IDs work in Black Ice.

**Category:** Core Concepts | **Tab:** features

---

Concepts are the central building blocks of your ontology. Each concept represents a single unit of meaning — a product feature, a pricing plan, a platform element — independent of any specific language.

## What is a concept?

A concept is a language-neutral entity with:

- A **unique ID** (auto-generated from the class prefix)
- A **name** (the canonical English label)
- A **class** (the type of thing it represents)
- An optional **description**
- One or more **terms** in different locales
- **Market availability** tracking term readiness per locale
- **Semantic relationships** linking it to other concepts

## Auto-generated concept IDs

When you create a concept, Black Ice generates a unique ID based on the class:

```
feat_00000001   →  First concept in the "Feature" class
plan_00000002   →  Second concept in the "Plan" class
plat_00000001   →  First concept in the "Platform" class
```

The prefix is derived from the first four characters of the class name. The number increments automatically and is padded to 8 digits.

**IDs are permanent.** Once assigned, a concept ID never changes — even if you rename the concept or change its class. This makes IDs safe to use as stable references in external systems.

## Creating a concept

Navigate to **Concepts** and click **Create Concept**:

1. Select a class
2. Enter a name
3. Add an optional description
4. Click **Create**

The concept is created with a source term matching the name you entered.

## Concept detail view

Opening a concept shows:

- **Basic info** — Name, class, description, concept ID
- **Source term** — The primary term in your source locale
- **Target terms** — Translations in other locales
- **Market availability** — Per-term readiness status across locales
- **Semantic relationships** — Connections to other concepts
- **Custom fields** — Any workspace-defined custom attributes

## Bulk operations

You can import concepts in bulk via CSV or Excel. See [CSV & Excel import](/docs/features/csv-and-excel-import) for details.