Naming rules for database aliases
AuraDB Business CriticalAuraDB Virtual Dedicated CloudEnterprise Edition

Database alias names are subject to the standard Cypher restrictions on valid identifiers. See Cypher Manual → Naming rules and recommendations.

The following naming rules apply:

  • A name is a valid identifier.

  • Name length can be up to 65534 characters.

  • Names cannot end with dots.

  • Names that begin with an underscore or with the prefix system are reserved for internal use.

  • Non-alphabetic characters, including numbers, symbols, dots, and whitespace characters, can be used in names, but must be quoted using backticks.

  • Dots (.) are interpreted as a delimiter between a composite database and a constituent alias name if a matching composite database exists. Otherwise, Neo4j interprets the dot as simply part of the database name.

The name restrictions and escaping rules apply to all the different database alias commands.

Having dots (.) in the database alias names is not recommended. This is due to the difficulty of determining if a dot is part of the database alias name or a delimiter for a database alias in a composite database. For more details, see database alias names that contain dots.