Identifiers

What is Google Maps business_id / Fid?

Three names, one shape: CSV column Fid, Agent API business_id, and “feature hex pair” all refer to a colon-joined hex pair like 0x…:0x…. It is not a Place ID.

Updated September 21, 2026

Also called: Fid · FID · business_id · feature hex pair · 0x:0x

What business_id / Fid looks like

Always a pair: left hex, colon, right hex. Both sides usually start with 0x. Never drop the colon or keep only the trailing hex from a review hash.

  • Valid: 0x89c25a31c4a7d4d3:0x6a0e8c8f2b1a9e7c
  • Same entity names: Fid (CSV), business_id (API/MCP), feature hex pair (converter UI)
  • Not the same: ChIJ Place ID, or a lone decimal CID

Where Fid / business_id appears

SurfaceName you see
Lead CSV / Online exportColumn Fid
Reviews & photos jobsbusiness_id accepted as place input (with Maps URL)
Agent HTTP / MCPplace field may be a Maps URL or business_id pair
Maps URL internalsOften as !1s0x…:0x…, ftid=, or #lrd=0x…:0x…

The right-hand hex often converts to the decimal CID. The full pair is still what APIs label business_id.

How to get a business_id / Fid

  1. Copy a Google Maps place URL (or a review deep link that includes the full pair).
  2. Paste into the Place ID & CID Converter and copy Feature hex pair.
  3. Or export leads—the Fid column is already filled for each row.

For reviews and photos, paste either the Maps URL or the 0x…:0x… business_id—one place per job.

How Fid helps lead workflows

  • Queue review or photo scrapes without reopening Maps when you already stored Fid
  • Match rows across tools that speak business_id instead of Place ID
  • Debug broken review links that embed #lrd= hex pairs
  • Keep a secondary key next to Place Id for partners who only send hex IDs

Common mistakes

  • Calling Fid a Place ID in Places API requests
  • Saving only one half of the pair from a #lrd= fragment
  • Creating separate glossary or CRM fields for “Fid” and “business_id” as if they differed
  • Confusing the converter’s “CID (hex)” (single hex) with the full feature hex pair

FAQ