Side-by-side comparison
| Place ID | CID | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical shape | ChIJ… string | Large decimal integer |
| Best default for CRM | Yes | Secondary key |
| Places API / modern lookups | Yes | No |
| Many review / ludocid links | Sometimes via placeid= | Yes (cid / ludocid) |
| GMaps Lead Finder CSV | Place Id | Cid |
| Also related | — | Right hex of Fid |
Deep dives: What is Place ID? · What is CID? · business_id / Fid
When to use which
- Use Place ID to dedupe lead lists, call Places-style APIs, and keep CRM history attached to one entity
- Use CID when a partner sends cid= or ludocid links, or when validating legacy bookmarks
- Use Fid / business_id when queuing reviews or photos jobs from stored hex pairs
- Store all three when your export already includes them—storage is cheap; re-discovery is not
How to move between them
- Start from a real Maps place URL whenever possible.
- Paste into the Place ID & CID Converter.
- Copy Place ID for CRM/API, CID for deep links, and the feature hex pair for business_id workflows.
Common mix-ups
- Sending CID to an endpoint that requires Place ID (or the reverse)
- Assuming Fid is “just CID in hex” and dropping the left half of the pair
- Merging CRM records on business name when Place IDs differ (or ignoring Place ID when names match)