I’m working with a SQL Server table that has an auto increment primary key column. After adding some data and then removing certain rows, I noticed that the identity values are no longer continuous. For example, if I had rows 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and deleted rows 2 and 4, now I have 1, 3, 5 but new records start from 6 instead of 2. Is there a way to reset the identity counter so that it fills in the gaps and maintains a proper sequence? The identity field isn’t referenced as a foreign key in any other tables, so it should be safe to modify.
The DBCC CHECKIDENT command resets the seed value, but it won’t fill gaps that already exist in your sequence. If you need continuous numbering without gaps, you’d have to recreate the entire identity column. Drop the identity property, update all existing values to be sequential, then add the identity specification back. But this means dealing with transaction logs and potential downtime. Honestly, identity gaps are normal in most database scenarios and don’t break anything. The identity column’s job is to be a unique identifier, not a sequential counter. Gaps shouldn’t mess with your application logic unless you’ve got specific business requirements that demand continuous numbering.
for sure! just use DBCC CHECKIDENT('your_table_name', RESEED, 1) to reset it. but honestly, gaps happen all the time, so unless ur needing those numbers to be perfectly lined up, it’s all good!
Interesting situation! What’s driving the need for continuous numbering? Are you using these IDs for display or something specific? Most apps just treat identity as unique keys, not sequential counters. What’s your use case?