> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ishlabs.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Aliases

> Short id aliases the ish CLI mints for every entity, the canonical prefix table, and how they resolve.

The CLI mints a short alias for every entity it prints (`w-6ec`, `s-b2c`, `pt-a3f`).
An alias is accepted anywhere a full UUID is expected, so you can copy one from any
command's output and paste it into the next command. Resolution maps the alias back to
the UUID before the request is sent. See [global flags](/cli/global-flags) for how
`--workspace` and the other id-bearing flags accept aliases.

## Format

An alias is a type prefix, a hyphen, and the first three hex characters of the entity's
UUID with dashes removed.

```
w-6ec      # workspace 6ecf2857-1d7a-4f9c-85da-c2ac6c5c5346
s-b2c      # study     b2c1f0a9-...
pt-a3f     # participant a3f...
```

Aliases are deterministic: the same UUID always produces the same alias, across commands
and terminals. On a collision (two UUIDs sharing the same three-character prefix) the
CLI extends the second alias by one hex character at a time until it is unique, so a few
aliases run longer than three characters.

## Prefix table

| Entity            | Prefix | Example  | Concept                                                  |
| ----------------- | ------ | -------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Workspace         | `w-`   | `w-6ec`  | [workspace](/concepts/workspace)                         |
| Study             | `s-`   | `s-b2c`  | [study](/concepts/study)                                 |
| Iteration         | `i-`   | `i-d4e`  | [study](/concepts/study)                                 |
| Person            | `p-`   | `p-795`  | [people](/concepts/people)                               |
| Person source     | `ps-`  | `ps-1a2` | [people](/concepts/people)                               |
| Participant       | `pt-`  | `pt-a3f` | [people](/concepts/people)                               |
| Simulation config | `c-`   | `c-0b4`  |                                                          |
| Job               | `j-`   | `j-c17`  |                                                          |
| Ask               | `a-`   | `a-6ec`  | [run vs ask](/concepts/run-vs-ask)                       |
| Ask round         | `r-`   | `r-2bd`  | [run vs ask](/concepts/run-vs-ask)                       |
| Chat endpoint     | `ep-`  | `ep-9f0` |                                                          |
| Chat config       | `cc-`  | `cc-5e1` |                                                          |
| Frame             | `f-`   | `f-7a8`  | [reactions and results](/concepts/reactions-and-results) |

<Note>
  `p-` is the person (the reusable profile). `pt-` is the participant (one instance of a
  person inside an iteration). They are different entities. See
  [people](/concepts/people).
</Note>

## Resolution order

Every id-bearing argument runs through one resolver. It accepts two shapes:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Full UUID">
    A well-formed UUID passes through unchanged.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Known alias">
    An alias is looked up in `aliases.json` and replaced with its UUID.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Anything else is a usage error. An alias whose prefix is recognized but whose entry is
not in the store exits 4 (`not_found`) with the list command that would mint it, for
example `ish workspace list` for a `w-` alias. A string that is neither a UUID nor a
known alias shape exits 4 with guidance to run a list command first. See
[exit codes](/cli/global-flags#exit-codes).

## Where aliases are stored

Aliases persist to `aliases.json` under the config root, so they survive across commands
and terminal sessions. The root is `~/.ish` by default and is overridable with the
`ISH_HOME` environment variable. A fresh install, a deleted `aliases.json`, or a new
`ISH_HOME` starts with an empty store. When that happens, run the entity's list command
to repopulate it.

```bash theme={null}
ish workspace list      # mints w- aliases
ish study list          # mints s- aliases
ish iteration list --study s-b2c   # mints i- aliases
```

## Working with aliases

Read an alias straight out of one command and pass it to the next.

```bash theme={null}
ish workspace list                       # prints w- aliases
ish study list --workspace w-6ec         # use one
ish study run s-b2c                       # study run takes a positional alias
ish study results s-b2c --participant pt-a3f
```

To pull a specific alias out of JSON output, target the field with `--get`.

```bash theme={null}
ish study list --workspace w-6ec --get items.0.alias
```

<Tip>
  Aliases are for convenience at the terminal. In scripts that must survive a wiped
  config or a different `ISH_HOME`, capture the full UUID with `--get id --verbose` and
  pass that instead.
</Tip>

For the full output contract, including how aliases appear in JSON and table modes, see
[reactions and results](/concepts/reactions-and-results).