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

# River IDs

> Every market across all exchanges is assigned a unique **River ID** — a unified identifier that works across the entire platform. 

## Why River IDs?

Each exchange uses its own identifier system:

* **Kalshi** uses tickers (e.g., `KXBTC-24DEC31`)
* **Polymarket** uses condition IDs and slugs

River IDs abstract this away, allowing you to:

* Reference the same market consistently regardless of which exchange it trades on
* Place orders using a single identifier format
* Track positions and fills across exchanges with one ID

## How They Work

When you search for markets via the API, the response includes both the exchange-native identifier and the River ID:

```json theme={null}
{
  "river_id": 4552150,
  "exchange": "POLYMARKET",
  "slug": "will-bitcoin-hit-100k",
  "title": "Will Bitcoin hit $100k?"
}
```

Use the `river_id` when placing orders — the platform handles routing to the correct exchange automatically.