# Element ID as a Tracker **URL:** \ **Category:** Revit\ **Created:** [July 21, 2017, 3:11pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/element-id-as-a-tracker/13368 "2017-07-21T15:11:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![martin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@martin](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/martin)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 3:11pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/element-id-as-a-tracker/13368/1 "2017-07-21T15:11:21Z")
Hi all, I have managed to use Dynamo to export schedules into excel including element ID’s. This is all pretty simple, the problem lies when I have manipulated the data in excel I want to be 100% that when I import back to revit the data finds the correct element. Ideally I want a row on an excel sheet to correspond to and be “locked” an individual element in a model and if that row has either an incorrect or missing Element ID then it won’t write data to revit and hopefully flag up as an error somewhere. I’m sure this is relatively straightforward but I can’t seem to find the solution - any help would be very much appreciated! Thanks, Marty ---
**Author:** ![jacob.small](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.dynamobim.com/jacob.small/32/161030_2.png) [@jacob.small](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/jacob.small)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 5:32pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/element-id-as-a-tracker/13368/2 "2017-07-21T17:32:48Z")
Select by Id or Ids to elements will select elements based on the matching Id. If an element is deleted it wouldn’t do anything. The method does have some concerns though - what if an element family type is changed? What if that element is moved to another place that it doesn’t want to be the excel item anymore? What if element IDs change entirely (this can happen)? Post your graphs and a diagrammatic example workflow and I can give a bit more info on how this would work in your case. ---
**Author:** ![Marcel\_Rijsmus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.dynamobim.com/marcel_rijsmus/32/8539_2.png) [@Marcel\_Rijsmus](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/Marcel_Rijsmus)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/element-id-as-a-tracker/13368/3 "2017-07-21T19:37:00Z")
@martin TIP: Search the forum for UniqueId Marcel ---
**Author:** ![Marcel\_Rijsmus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.dynamobim.com/marcel_rijsmus/32/8539_2.png) [@Marcel\_Rijsmus](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/Marcel_Rijsmus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 8:28am UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/element-id-as-a-tracker/13368/4 "2017-07-22T08:28:15Z")
![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/dynamobim/original/3X/2/8/288668fb5a6b8ac34b82dc75266d8af2a95ca6b2.png) ---
**Author:** ![Marcel\_Rijsmus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.dynamobim.com/marcel_rijsmus/32/8539_2.png) [@Marcel\_Rijsmus](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/Marcel_Rijsmus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/element-id-as-a-tracker/13368/5 "2017-07-22T17:58:12Z")
@jacob.small nicked this pic from this thead so credits go to @Kulkul > [@Id to Elements, what happened to the node](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/id-to-elements-what-happened-to-the-node/9071/2): > > Hi @Marcel_Rijsmus You could use Internal Selection method. Marcel ---
**Author:** ![jacob.small](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.dynamobim.com/jacob.small/32/161030_2.png) [@jacob.small](https://forum.dynamobim.com/u/jacob.small)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 6:04pm UTC](https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/element-id-as-a-tracker/13368/6 "2017-07-22T18:04:59Z")
Very nice. I’m loving those code blocks for element selection.