GitHub is updating the format of Global IDs in its GraphQL API to accommodate future growth and enhance scalability, affecting both GraphQL and REST API object identifiers. The change will result in longer, opaque strings for some identifiers, which should not be decoded. To minimize disruption, GitHub has outlined a gradual rollout plan over nine months, consisting of three phases: introduction, migration, and deprecation. Initially, new Global IDs will be introduced for newly created objects, with existing objects retaining their current IDs. During the migration phase, developers are encouraged to update caches and data records using provided tools. In the final deprecation phase, only new IDs will be returned, while requests using old IDs will include a deprecation warning before eventually resulting in errors after the rollout is complete. GitHub invites feedback from users to ensure a smooth transition.