# Partition Key

> The field whose value determines which shard or partition a record belongs to.

Record: `lexicon:partition-key`
Kind: artifact
Layer: [Performance Core](https://banes-lab.com/records/layer/performance-core.md)
Canonical: https://banes-lab.com/ontology/lexicon#lexicon-partition-key

Listed in [Lexicon terms](https://banes-lab.com/api/records/lexicon.md), after [Multiple Targets](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/multiple-targets.md) and before [Partition Strategy](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/partition-strategy.md).

## Category

- [Scalability / Performance / Optimization](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon-category/scalability-performance-optimization.md)

## Required by

- [Sharding](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/sharding.md)

## Linked from

- [Scalability / Performance / Optimization](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/principles/architecture-category-scalability-performance-optimization.md)