From 80469d5bc292c11da7e91b0da852b6006ced3233 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Richard Lundeen <rlundeen@microsoft.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2026 10:55:38 -0800
Subject: [PATCH 1/5] refactoring register metadata

---
 doc/api.rst                                   |   1 +
 pyrit/cli/frontend_core.py                    |   8 +-
 pyrit/models/__init__.py                      |   3 +-
 pyrit/models/identifiers.py                   |  63 +++++++-
 pyrit/prompt_converter/prompt_converter.py    |   4 +-
 pyrit/prompt_target/common/prompt_target.py   |   4 +-
 pyrit/registry/__init__.py                    |   5 +-
 pyrit/registry/base.py                        |  18 +--
 .../class_registries/base_class_registry.py   |  14 +-
 .../class_registries/initializer_registry.py  |  16 +-
 .../class_registries/scenario_registry.py     |   7 +-
 .../base_instance_registry.py                 |   5 +-
 .../instance_registries/scorer_registry.py    |   7 +-
 tests/unit/cli/test_frontend_core.py          |  32 ++--
 tests/unit/registry/test_base.py              | 150 ++++++++++++++----
 .../registry/test_base_instance_registry.py   |   7 +-
 tests/unit/registry/test_scorer_registry.py   |  10 +-
 17 files changed, 252 insertions(+), 102 deletions(-)

diff --git a/doc/api.rst b/doc/api.rst
index c475c1923..ca966c587 100644
--- a/doc/api.rst
+++ b/doc/api.rst
@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ API Reference
     group_conversation_message_pieces_by_sequence
     group_message_pieces_into_conversations
     HarmDefinition
+    Identifiable
     Identifier
     ImagePathDataTypeSerializer
     AllowedCategories
diff --git a/pyrit/cli/frontend_core.py b/pyrit/cli/frontend_core.py
index ca1d6f2ad..3739b54cd 100644
--- a/pyrit/cli/frontend_core.py
+++ b/pyrit/cli/frontend_core.py
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ def format_scenario_metadata(*, scenario_metadata: ScenarioMetadata) -> None:
     _print_header(text=scenario_metadata.name)
     print(f"    Class: {scenario_metadata.class_name}")
 
-    description = scenario_metadata.description
+    description = scenario_metadata.class_description
     if description:
         print("    Description:")
         print(_format_wrapped_text(text=description, indent="      "))
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ def format_initializer_metadata(*, initializer_metadata: "InitializerMetadata")
     """
     _print_header(text=initializer_metadata.name)
     print(f"    Class: {initializer_metadata.class_name}")
-    print(f"    Name: {initializer_metadata.initializer_name}")
+    print(f"    Name: {initializer_metadata.display_name}")
     print(f"    Execution Order: {initializer_metadata.execution_order}")
 
     if initializer_metadata.required_env_vars:
@@ -438,9 +438,9 @@ def format_initializer_metadata(*, initializer_metadata: "InitializerMetadata")
     else:
         print("    Required Environment Variables: None")
 
-    if initializer_metadata.description:
+    if initializer_metadata.class_description:
         print("    Description:")
-        print(_format_wrapped_text(text=initializer_metadata.description, indent="      "))
+        print(_format_wrapped_text(text=initializer_metadata.class_description, indent="      "))
 
 
 def validate_database(*, database: str) -> str:
diff --git a/pyrit/models/__init__.py b/pyrit/models/__init__.py
index 5d6e30665..2d4d0a80e 100644
--- a/pyrit/models/__init__.py
+++ b/pyrit/models/__init__.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 )
 from pyrit.models.embeddings import EmbeddingData, EmbeddingResponse, EmbeddingSupport, EmbeddingUsageInformation
 from pyrit.models.harm_definition import HarmDefinition, ScaleDescription, get_all_harm_definitions
-from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifier
+from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifiable, Identifier
 from pyrit.models.literals import ChatMessageRole, PromptDataType, PromptResponseError, SeedType
 from pyrit.models.message import (
     Message,
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@
     "group_conversation_message_pieces_by_sequence",
     "group_message_pieces_into_conversations",
     "HarmDefinition",
+    "Identifiable",
     "Identifier",
     "ImagePathDataTypeSerializer",
     "Message",
diff --git a/pyrit/models/identifiers.py b/pyrit/models/identifiers.py
index c70eabdf2..10792d99f 100644
--- a/pyrit/models/identifiers.py
+++ b/pyrit/models/identifiers.py
@@ -1,13 +1,74 @@
 # Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
 # Licensed under the MIT license.
 
+import hashlib
+import json
 from abc import abstractmethod
+from dataclasses import asdict, dataclass, field, fields, is_dataclass
+from typing import Any
 
 
-class Identifier:
+class Identifiable:
+    """
+    Abstract base class for objects that can provide an identifier dictionary.
+
+    This is a legacy interface that will eventually be replaced by Identifier dataclass.
+    Classes implementing this interface should return a dict describing their identity.
+    """
+
     @abstractmethod
     def get_identifier(self) -> dict[str, str]:
         pass
 
     def __str__(self) -> str:
         return f"{self.get_identifier}"
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class Identifier:
+    """
+    Base dataclass for identifying PyRIT components.
+
+    This frozen dataclass provides a stable identifier for registry items,
+    targets, scorers, attacks, converters, and other components. The hash is computed at creation
+    time from the core fields and remains constant.
+
+    This class serves as:
+    1. Base for registry metadata (replacing RegistryItemMetadata)
+    2. Future replacement for get_identifier() dict patterns
+
+    All component-specific identifier types should extend this with additional fields.
+    """
+
+    name: str  # The snake_case identifier name (e.g., "self_ask_refusal")
+    class_name: str  # The actual class name, equivalent to __type__ (e.g., "SelfAskRefusalScorer")
+    class_module: str  # The module path, equivalent to __module__ (e.g., "pyrit.score.self_ask_refusal_scorer")
+    class_description: str  # Description from docstring or manual override
+    hash: str = field(init=False, compare=False)
+
+    def __post_init__(self) -> None:
+        """Compute the identifier hash from core fields."""
+        # Use object.__setattr__ since this is a frozen dataclass
+        object.__setattr__(self, "hash", self._compute_hash())
+
+    def _compute_hash(self) -> str:
+        """
+        Compute a stable SHA256 hash from all identifier fields.
+
+        All fields except 'hash' itself are automatically included.
+
+        Returns:
+            A hex string of the SHA256 hash.
+        """
+        hashable_dict: dict[str, Any] = {
+            f.name: getattr(self, f.name) for f in fields(self) if f.name != "hash"
+        }
+        config_json = json.dumps(hashable_dict, sort_keys=True, separators=(",", ":"), default=_dataclass_encoder)
+        return hashlib.sha256(config_json.encode("utf-8")).hexdigest()
+
+
+def _dataclass_encoder(obj: Any) -> Any:
+    """JSON encoder that handles dataclasses by converting them to dicts."""
+    if is_dataclass(obj) and not isinstance(obj, type):
+        return asdict(obj)
+    raise TypeError(f"Object of type {type(obj).__name__} is not JSON serializable")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pyrit/prompt_converter/prompt_converter.py b/pyrit/prompt_converter/prompt_converter.py
index db9497b81..55a315a00 100644
--- a/pyrit/prompt_converter/prompt_converter.py
+++ b/pyrit/prompt_converter/prompt_converter.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 from typing import get_args
 
 from pyrit import prompt_converter
-from pyrit.models import Identifier, PromptDataType
+from pyrit.models import Identifiable, PromptDataType
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ def __str__(self) -> str:
         return f"{self.output_type}: {self.output_text}"
 
 
-class PromptConverter(abc.ABC, Identifier):
+class PromptConverter(abc.ABC, Identifiable):
     """
     Base class for converters that transform prompts into a different representation or format.
 
diff --git a/pyrit/prompt_target/common/prompt_target.py b/pyrit/prompt_target/common/prompt_target.py
index 78b466e04..f39ba537c 100644
--- a/pyrit/prompt_target/common/prompt_target.py
+++ b/pyrit/prompt_target/common/prompt_target.py
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
 
 from pyrit.memory import CentralMemory, MemoryInterface
-from pyrit.models import Identifier, Message
+from pyrit.models import Identifiable, Message
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-class PromptTarget(abc.ABC, Identifier):
+class PromptTarget(abc.ABC, Identifiable):
     """
     Abstract base class for prompt targets.
 
diff --git a/pyrit/registry/__init__.py b/pyrit/registry/__init__.py
index ba0566020..7c8c8c1fa 100644
--- a/pyrit/registry/__init__.py
+++ b/pyrit/registry/__init__.py
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 
 """Registry module for PyRIT class and instance registries."""
 
-from pyrit.registry.base import RegistryItemMetadata, RegistryProtocol
+from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifier
+from pyrit.registry.base import RegistryProtocol
 from pyrit.registry.class_registries import (
     BaseClassRegistry,
     ClassEntry,
@@ -32,9 +33,9 @@
     "discover_in_directory",
     "discover_in_package",
     "discover_subclasses_in_loaded_modules",
+    "Identifier",
     "InitializerMetadata",
     "InitializerRegistry",
-    "RegistryItemMetadata",
     "RegistryProtocol",
     "registry_name_to_class_name",
     "ScenarioMetadata",
diff --git a/pyrit/registry/base.py b/pyrit/registry/base.py
index a9c284561..89b29248f 100644
--- a/pyrit/registry/base.py
+++ b/pyrit/registry/base.py
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@
 and instance registries (which store T instances).
 """
 
-from dataclasses import dataclass
 from typing import Any, Dict, Iterator, List, Optional, Protocol, TypeVar, runtime_checkable
 
+from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifier
+
 # Type variable for metadata (invariant for Protocol compatibility)
 MetadataT = TypeVar("MetadataT")
 
@@ -77,21 +78,6 @@ def __iter__(self) -> Iterator[str]:
         ...
 
 
-@dataclass(frozen=True)
-class RegistryItemMetadata:
-    """
-    Base dataclass for registry item metadata.
-
-    This dataclass provides descriptive information about a registered item
-    (either a class or an instance). It is NOT the item itself - it's a
-    structured object describing the item.
-
-    All registry-specific metadata types should extend this with additional fields.
-    """
-
-    name: str  # The snake_case registry name (e.g., "self_ask_refusal")
-    class_name: str  # The actual class name (e.g., "SelfAskRefusalScorer")
-    description: str  # Description from docstring or manual override
 
 
 def _matches_filters(
diff --git a/pyrit/registry/class_registries/base_class_registry.py b/pyrit/registry/class_registries/base_class_registry.py
index bd6ae3f27..549581584 100644
--- a/pyrit/registry/class_registries/base_class_registry.py
+++ b/pyrit/registry/class_registries/base_class_registry.py
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
 from typing import Callable, Dict, Generic, Iterator, List, Optional, Type, TypeVar
 
-from pyrit.registry.base import RegistryItemMetadata, RegistryProtocol
+from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifier
+from pyrit.registry.base import RegistryProtocol
 from pyrit.registry.name_utils import class_name_to_registry_name
 
 # Type variable for the registered class type
@@ -182,11 +183,11 @@ def _build_metadata(self, name: str, entry: ClassEntry[T]) -> MetadataT:
         """
         pass
 
-    def _build_base_metadata(self, name: str, entry: ClassEntry[T]) -> RegistryItemMetadata:
+    def _build_base_metadata(self, name: str, entry: ClassEntry[T]) -> Identifier:
         """
         Build the common base metadata for a registered class.
 
-        This helper extracts fields common to all registries: name, class_name, description.
+        This helper extracts fields common to all registries: name, class_name, class_description.
         Subclasses can use this for building common fields if needed.
 
         Args:
@@ -194,7 +195,7 @@ def _build_base_metadata(self, name: str, entry: ClassEntry[T]) -> RegistryItemM
             entry: The ClassEntry containing the registered class.
 
         Returns:
-            A RegistryItemMetadata dataclass with common fields.
+            An Identifier dataclass with common fields.
         """
         registered_class = entry.registered_class
 
@@ -205,10 +206,11 @@ def _build_base_metadata(self, name: str, entry: ClassEntry[T]) -> RegistryItemM
         else:
             description = entry.description or "No description available"
 
-        return RegistryItemMetadata(
+        return Identifier(
             name=name,
             class_name=registered_class.__name__,
-            description=description,
+            class_module=registered_class.__module__,
+            class_description=description,
         )
 
     def get_class(self, name: str) -> Type[T]:
diff --git a/pyrit/registry/class_registries/initializer_registry.py b/pyrit/registry/class_registries/initializer_registry.py
index fed6d7b6c..6c8cc51e4 100644
--- a/pyrit/registry/class_registries/initializer_registry.py
+++ b/pyrit/registry/class_registries/initializer_registry.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Dict, Optional
 
-from pyrit.registry.base import RegistryItemMetadata
+from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifier
 from pyrit.registry.class_registries.base_class_registry import (
     BaseClassRegistry,
     ClassEntry,
@@ -34,14 +34,14 @@
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
-class InitializerMetadata(RegistryItemMetadata):
+class InitializerMetadata(Identifier):
     """
     Metadata describing a registered PyRITInitializer class.
 
     Use get_class() to get the actual class.
     """
 
-    initializer_name: str
+    display_name: str
     required_env_vars: tuple[str, ...]
     execution_order: int
 
@@ -210,8 +210,9 @@ def _build_metadata(self, name: str, entry: ClassEntry["PyRITInitializer"]) -> I
             return InitializerMetadata(
                 name=name,
                 class_name=initializer_class.__name__,
-                description=instance.description,
-                initializer_name=instance.name,
+                class_module=initializer_class.__module__,
+                class_description=instance.description,
+                display_name=instance.name,
                 required_env_vars=tuple(instance.required_env_vars),
                 execution_order=instance.execution_order,
             )
@@ -220,8 +221,9 @@ def _build_metadata(self, name: str, entry: ClassEntry["PyRITInitializer"]) -> I
             return InitializerMetadata(
                 name=name,
                 class_name=initializer_class.__name__,
-                description="Error loading initializer metadata",
-                initializer_name=name,
+                class_module=initializer_class.__module__,
+                class_description="Error loading initializer metadata",
+                display_name=name,
                 required_env_vars=(),
                 execution_order=100,
             )
diff --git a/pyrit/registry/class_registries/scenario_registry.py b/pyrit/registry/class_registries/scenario_registry.py
index 40693f0cd..9f68f8fe6 100644
--- a/pyrit/registry/class_registries/scenario_registry.py
+++ b/pyrit/registry/class_registries/scenario_registry.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Optional
 
-from pyrit.registry.base import RegistryItemMetadata
+from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifier
 from pyrit.registry.class_registries.base_class_registry import (
     BaseClassRegistry,
     ClassEntry,
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
-class ScenarioMetadata(RegistryItemMetadata):
+class ScenarioMetadata(Identifier):
     """
     Metadata describing a registered Scenario class.
 
@@ -172,7 +172,8 @@ def _build_metadata(self, name: str, entry: ClassEntry["Scenario"]) -> ScenarioM
         return ScenarioMetadata(
             name=name,
             class_name=scenario_class.__name__,
-            description=description,
+            class_module=scenario_class.__module__,
+            class_description=description,
             default_strategy=scenario_class.get_default_strategy().value,
             all_strategies=tuple(s.value for s in strategy_class.get_all_strategies()),
             aggregate_strategies=tuple(s.value for s in strategy_class.get_aggregate_strategies()),
diff --git a/pyrit/registry/instance_registries/base_instance_registry.py b/pyrit/registry/instance_registries/base_instance_registry.py
index 351e927e0..2c12fab99 100644
--- a/pyrit/registry/instance_registries/base_instance_registry.py
+++ b/pyrit/registry/instance_registries/base_instance_registry.py
@@ -18,10 +18,11 @@
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
 from typing import Any, Dict, Generic, Iterator, List, Optional, TypeVar
 
-from pyrit.registry.base import RegistryItemMetadata, RegistryProtocol
+from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifier
+from pyrit.registry.base import RegistryProtocol
 
 T = TypeVar("T")  # The type of instances stored
-MetadataT = TypeVar("MetadataT", bound=RegistryItemMetadata)
+MetadataT = TypeVar("MetadataT", bound=Identifier)
 
 
 class BaseInstanceRegistry(ABC, RegistryProtocol[MetadataT], Generic[T, MetadataT]):
diff --git a/pyrit/registry/instance_registries/scorer_registry.py b/pyrit/registry/instance_registries/scorer_registry.py
index 7a9411a8b..6c574f72b 100644
--- a/pyrit/registry/instance_registries/scorer_registry.py
+++ b/pyrit/registry/instance_registries/scorer_registry.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Optional
 
-from pyrit.registry.base import RegistryItemMetadata
+from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifier
 from pyrit.registry.instance_registries.base_instance_registry import (
     BaseInstanceRegistry,
 )
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
-class ScorerMetadata(RegistryItemMetadata):
+class ScorerMetadata(Identifier):
     """
     Metadata describing a registered scorer instance.
 
@@ -132,7 +132,8 @@ def _build_metadata(self, name: str, instance: "Scorer") -> ScorerMetadata:
         return ScorerMetadata(
             name=name,
             class_name=instance.__class__.__name__,
-            description=description,
+            class_module=instance.__class__.__module__,
+            class_description=description,
             scorer_type=scorer_type,
             scorer_identifier=instance.scorer_identifier,
         )
diff --git a/tests/unit/cli/test_frontend_core.py b/tests/unit/cli/test_frontend_core.py
index 22b51294e..cb02a1b7f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cli/test_frontend_core.py
+++ b/tests/unit/cli/test_frontend_core.py
@@ -330,7 +330,8 @@ async def test_print_scenarios_list_with_scenarios(self, capsys):
             ScenarioMetadata(
                 name="test_scenario",
                 class_name="TestScenario",
-                description="Test description",
+                class_module="test.scenarios",
+                class_description="Test description",
                 default_strategy="default",
                 all_strategies=(),
                 aggregate_strategies=(),
@@ -370,8 +371,9 @@ async def test_print_initializers_list_with_initializers(self, capsys):
             InitializerMetadata(
                 name="test_init",
                 class_name="TestInit",
-                description="Test initializer",
-                initializer_name="test",
+                class_module="test.initializers",
+                class_description="Test initializer",
+                display_name="test",
                 execution_order=100,
                 required_env_vars=(),
             )
@@ -410,7 +412,8 @@ def test_format_scenario_metadata_basic(self, capsys):
         scenario_metadata = ScenarioMetadata(
             name="test_scenario",
             class_name="TestScenario",
-            description="",
+            class_module="test.scenarios",
+            class_description="",
             default_strategy="",
             all_strategies=(),
             aggregate_strategies=(),
@@ -430,7 +433,8 @@ def test_format_scenario_metadata_with_description(self, capsys):
         scenario_metadata = ScenarioMetadata(
             name="test_scenario",
             class_name="TestScenario",
-            description="This is a test scenario",
+            class_module="test.scenarios",
+            class_description="This is a test scenario",
             default_strategy="",
             all_strategies=(),
             aggregate_strategies=(),
@@ -448,7 +452,8 @@ def test_format_scenario_metadata_with_strategies(self, capsys):
         scenario_metadata = ScenarioMetadata(
             name="test_scenario",
             class_name="TestScenario",
-            description="",
+            class_module="test.scenarios",
+            class_description="",
             default_strategy="strategy1",
             all_strategies=("strategy1", "strategy2"),
             aggregate_strategies=(),
@@ -468,8 +473,9 @@ def test_format_initializer_metadata_basic(self, capsys) -> None:
         initializer_metadata = InitializerMetadata(
             name="test_init",
             class_name="TestInit",
-            description="",
-            initializer_name="test",
+            class_module="test.initializers",
+            class_description="",
+            display_name="test",
             required_env_vars=(),
             execution_order=100,
         )
@@ -486,8 +492,9 @@ def test_format_initializer_metadata_with_env_vars(self, capsys) -> None:
         initializer_metadata = InitializerMetadata(
             name="test_init",
             class_name="TestInit",
-            description="",
-            initializer_name="test",
+            class_module="test.initializers",
+            class_description="",
+            display_name="test",
             required_env_vars=("VAR1", "VAR2"),
             execution_order=100,
         )
@@ -503,8 +510,9 @@ def test_format_initializer_metadata_with_description(self, capsys) -> None:
         initializer_metadata = InitializerMetadata(
             name="test_init",
             class_name="TestInit",
-            description="Test description",
-            initializer_name="test",
+            class_module="test.initializers",
+            class_description="Test description",
+            display_name="test",
             required_env_vars=(),
             execution_order=100,
         )
diff --git a/tests/unit/registry/test_base.py b/tests/unit/registry/test_base.py
index e96d695ec..2c1f739d3 100644
--- a/tests/unit/registry/test_base.py
+++ b/tests/unit/registry/test_base.py
@@ -5,11 +5,12 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from pyrit.registry.base import RegistryItemMetadata, _matches_filters
+from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifier
+from pyrit.registry.base import _matches_filters
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
-class MetadataWithTags(RegistryItemMetadata):
+class MetadataWithTags(Identifier):
     """Test metadata with a tags field for list filtering tests."""
 
     tags: tuple[str, ...]
@@ -20,57 +21,63 @@ class TestMatchesFilters:
 
     def test_matches_filters_exact_match_string(self):
         """Test that exact string matches work."""
-        metadata = RegistryItemMetadata(
+        metadata = Identifier(
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
-            description="A test item",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test item",
         )
         assert _matches_filters(metadata, include_filters={"name": "test_item"}) is True
         assert _matches_filters(metadata, include_filters={"class_name": "TestClass"}) is True
 
     def test_matches_filters_no_match_string(self):
         """Test that non-matching strings return False."""
-        metadata = RegistryItemMetadata(
+        metadata = Identifier(
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
-            description="A test item",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test item",
         )
         assert _matches_filters(metadata, include_filters={"name": "other_item"}) is False
         assert _matches_filters(metadata, include_filters={"class_name": "OtherClass"}) is False
 
     def test_matches_filters_multiple_filters_all_match(self):
         """Test that all filters must match."""
-        metadata = RegistryItemMetadata(
+        metadata = Identifier(
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
-            description="A test item",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test item",
         )
         assert _matches_filters(metadata, include_filters={"name": "test_item", "class_name": "TestClass"}) is True
 
     def test_matches_filters_multiple_filters_partial_match(self):
         """Test that partial matches return False when not all filters match."""
-        metadata = RegistryItemMetadata(
+        metadata = Identifier(
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
-            description="A test item",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test item",
         )
         assert _matches_filters(metadata, include_filters={"name": "test_item", "class_name": "OtherClass"}) is False
 
     def test_matches_filters_key_not_in_metadata(self):
         """Test that filtering on a non-existent key returns False."""
-        metadata = RegistryItemMetadata(
+        metadata = Identifier(
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
-            description="A test item",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test item",
         )
         assert _matches_filters(metadata, include_filters={"nonexistent_key": "value"}) is False
 
     def test_matches_filters_empty_filters(self):
         """Test that empty filters return True."""
-        metadata = RegistryItemMetadata(
+        metadata = Identifier(
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
-            description="A test item",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test item",
         )
         assert _matches_filters(metadata) is True
 
@@ -79,7 +86,8 @@ def test_matches_filters_list_value_contains_filter(self):
         metadata = MetadataWithTags(
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
-            description="A test item",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test item",
             tags=("tag1", "tag2", "tag3"),
         )
         assert _matches_filters(metadata, include_filters={"tags": "tag1"}) is True
@@ -90,17 +98,19 @@ def test_matches_filters_list_value_not_contains_filter(self):
         metadata = MetadataWithTags(
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
-            description="A test item",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test item",
             tags=("tag1", "tag2", "tag3"),
         )
         assert _matches_filters(metadata, include_filters={"tags": "missing_tag"}) is False
 
     def test_matches_filters_exclude_exact_match(self):
         """Test that exclude filters work for exact matches."""
-        metadata = RegistryItemMetadata(
+        metadata = Identifier(
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
-            description="A test item",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test item",
         )
         assert _matches_filters(metadata, exclude_filters={"name": "test_item"}) is False
         assert _matches_filters(metadata, exclude_filters={"name": "other_item"}) is True
@@ -110,7 +120,8 @@ def test_matches_filters_exclude_list_value(self):
         metadata = MetadataWithTags(
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
-            description="A test item",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test item",
             tags=("tag1", "tag2", "tag3"),
         )
         assert _matches_filters(metadata, exclude_filters={"tags": "tag1"}) is False
@@ -118,20 +129,22 @@ def test_matches_filters_exclude_list_value(self):
 
     def test_matches_filters_exclude_nonexistent_key(self):
         """Test that exclude filters for non-existent keys don't exclude the item."""
-        metadata = RegistryItemMetadata(
+        metadata = Identifier(
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
-            description="A test item",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test item",
         )
         # Non-existent key in exclude filter should not exclude the item
         assert _matches_filters(metadata, exclude_filters={"nonexistent_key": "value"}) is True
 
     def test_matches_filters_combined_include_and_exclude(self):
         """Test combined include and exclude filters."""
-        metadata = RegistryItemMetadata(
+        metadata = Identifier(
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
-            description="A test item",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test item",
         )
         # Include matches, exclude doesn't -> should pass
         assert (
@@ -156,27 +169,96 @@ def test_matches_filters_combined_include_and_exclude(self):
         )
 
 
-class TestRegistryItemMetadata:
-    """Tests for the RegistryItemMetadata dataclass."""
+class TestIdentifier:
+    """Tests for the Identifier dataclass and hash computation."""
 
-    def test_registry_item_metadata_creation(self):
-        """Test creating a RegistryItemMetadata instance."""
-        metadata = RegistryItemMetadata(
+    def test_identifier_creation(self):
+        """Test creating an Identifier instance."""
+        metadata = Identifier(
             name="test_scorer",
             class_name="TestScorer",
-            description="A test scorer for testing",
+            class_module="pyrit.test.scorer",
+            class_description="A test scorer for testing",
         )
         assert metadata.name == "test_scorer"
         assert metadata.class_name == "TestScorer"
-        assert metadata.description == "A test scorer for testing"
+        assert metadata.class_module == "pyrit.test.scorer"
+        assert metadata.class_description == "A test scorer for testing"
 
-    def test_registry_item_metadata_is_frozen(self):
-        """Test that RegistryItemMetadata is immutable."""
-        metadata = RegistryItemMetadata(
+    def test_identifier_is_frozen(self):
+        """Test that Identifier is immutable."""
+        metadata = Identifier(
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
-            description="Description here",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="Description here",
         )
 
         with pytest.raises(AttributeError):
             metadata.name = "new_name"  # type: ignore[misc]
+
+    def test_identifier_hash_computed_at_creation(self):
+        """Test that hash is computed when the Identifier is created."""
+        identifier = Identifier(
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test description",
+        )
+        assert identifier.hash is not None
+        assert len(identifier.hash) == 64  # SHA256 hex length
+
+    def test_identifier_hash_is_deterministic(self):
+        """Test that the same inputs produce the same hash."""
+        identifier1 = Identifier(
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test description",
+        )
+        identifier2 = Identifier(
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test description",
+        )
+        assert identifier1.hash == identifier2.hash
+
+    def test_identifier_hash_differs_for_different_inputs(self):
+        """Test that different inputs produce different hashes."""
+        identifier1 = Identifier(
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test description",
+        )
+        identifier2 = Identifier(
+            name="different_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test description",
+        )
+        assert identifier1.hash != identifier2.hash
+
+    def test_identifier_hash_is_immutable(self):
+        """Test that the hash cannot be modified."""
+        identifier = Identifier(
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test description",
+        )
+        with pytest.raises(AttributeError):
+            identifier.hash = "new_hash"  # type: ignore[misc]
+
+    def test_identifier_subclass_inherits_hash(self):
+        """Test that subclasses of Identifier also get a computed hash."""
+        metadata = MetadataWithTags(
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test description",
+            tags=("tag1", "tag2"),
+        )
+        assert metadata.hash is not None
+        assert len(metadata.hash) == 64
diff --git a/tests/unit/registry/test_base_instance_registry.py b/tests/unit/registry/test_base_instance_registry.py
index 886de0028..4760c1f05 100644
--- a/tests/unit/registry/test_base_instance_registry.py
+++ b/tests/unit/registry/test_base_instance_registry.py
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@
 
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 
-from pyrit.registry.base import RegistryItemMetadata
+from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifier
 from pyrit.registry.instance_registries.base_instance_registry import BaseInstanceRegistry
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
-class SampleItemMetadata(RegistryItemMetadata):
+class SampleItemMetadata(Identifier):
     """Sample metadata with an extra field."""
 
     category: str
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ def _build_metadata(self, name: str, instance: str) -> SampleItemMetadata:
         return SampleItemMetadata(
             name=name,
             class_name="str",
-            description=f"Description for {instance}",
+            class_module="builtins",
+            class_description=f"Description for {instance}",
             category="test" if "test" in instance.lower() else "other",
         )
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/registry/test_scorer_registry.py b/tests/unit/registry/test_scorer_registry.py
index 638b52684..edd7e103f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/registry/test_scorer_registry.py
+++ b/tests/unit/registry/test_scorer_registry.py
@@ -246,13 +246,13 @@ def test_build_metadata_includes_scorer_identifier(self):
         assert isinstance(metadata[0].scorer_identifier, ScorerIdentifier)
 
     def test_build_metadata_description_from_docstring(self):
-        """Test that description is derived from the scorer's docstring."""
+        """Test that class_description is derived from the scorer's docstring."""
         scorer = MockTrueFalseScorer()
         self.registry.register_instance(scorer, name="tf_scorer")
 
         metadata = self.registry.list_metadata()
         # MockTrueFalseScorer has a docstring
-        assert "Mock TrueFalseScorer for testing" in metadata[0].description
+        assert "Mock TrueFalseScorer for testing" in metadata[0].class_description
 
 
 class TestScorerRegistryListMetadataFiltering:
@@ -362,13 +362,15 @@ def test_scorer_metadata_has_required_fields(self):
         metadata = ScorerMetadata(
             name="test_scorer",
             class_name="TestScorer",
-            description="A test scorer",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test scorer",
             scorer_type="true_false",
             scorer_identifier=mock_identifier,
         )
 
         assert metadata.name == "test_scorer"
         assert metadata.class_name == "TestScorer"
-        assert metadata.description == "A test scorer"
+        assert metadata.class_module == "test.module"
+        assert metadata.class_description == "A test scorer"
         assert metadata.scorer_type == "true_false"
         assert metadata.scorer_identifier == mock_identifier

From 7b9118e272b567a422c834f87d5f556c3432aabf Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Richard Lundeen <rlundeen@microsoft.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2026 10:58:04 -0800
Subject: [PATCH 2/5] pre-commit

---
 pyrit/models/identifiers.py | 6 ++----
 pyrit/registry/base.py      | 4 ----
 2 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/pyrit/models/identifiers.py b/pyrit/models/identifiers.py
index 10792d99f..23d980f5b 100644
--- a/pyrit/models/identifiers.py
+++ b/pyrit/models/identifiers.py
@@ -60,9 +60,7 @@ def _compute_hash(self) -> str:
         Returns:
             A hex string of the SHA256 hash.
         """
-        hashable_dict: dict[str, Any] = {
-            f.name: getattr(self, f.name) for f in fields(self) if f.name != "hash"
-        }
+        hashable_dict: dict[str, Any] = {f.name: getattr(self, f.name) for f in fields(self) if f.name != "hash"}
         config_json = json.dumps(hashable_dict, sort_keys=True, separators=(",", ":"), default=_dataclass_encoder)
         return hashlib.sha256(config_json.encode("utf-8")).hexdigest()
 
@@ -71,4 +69,4 @@ def _dataclass_encoder(obj: Any) -> Any:
     """JSON encoder that handles dataclasses by converting them to dicts."""
     if is_dataclass(obj) and not isinstance(obj, type):
         return asdict(obj)
-    raise TypeError(f"Object of type {type(obj).__name__} is not JSON serializable")
\ No newline at end of file
+    raise TypeError(f"Object of type {type(obj).__name__} is not JSON serializable")
diff --git a/pyrit/registry/base.py b/pyrit/registry/base.py
index 89b29248f..5f5e37400 100644
--- a/pyrit/registry/base.py
+++ b/pyrit/registry/base.py
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@
 
 from typing import Any, Dict, Iterator, List, Optional, Protocol, TypeVar, runtime_checkable
 
-from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifier
-
 # Type variable for metadata (invariant for Protocol compatibility)
 MetadataT = TypeVar("MetadataT")
 
@@ -78,8 +76,6 @@ def __iter__(self) -> Iterator[str]:
         ...
 
 
-
-
 def _matches_filters(
     metadata: Any,
     *,

From 650da3e42dfbdc70f9a25ac867a25a394589209a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Richard Lundeen <rlundeen@microsoft.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2026 14:00:13 -0800
Subject: [PATCH 3/5] pr feedback

---
 doc/api.rst                                   |  1 +
 pyrit/models/__init__.py                      |  3 ++-
 pyrit/models/identifiers.py                   |  5 ++++-
 .../class_registries/base_class_registry.py   |  1 +
 .../class_registries/initializer_registry.py  |  2 ++
 .../class_registries/scenario_registry.py     |  1 +
 .../instance_registries/scorer_registry.py    |  1 +
 tests/unit/cli/test_frontend_core.py          |  8 +++++++
 tests/unit/registry/test_base.py              | 22 +++++++++++++++++++
 .../registry/test_base_instance_registry.py   |  1 +
 tests/unit/registry/test_scorer_registry.py   |  2 ++
 11 files changed, 45 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/doc/api.rst b/doc/api.rst
index ca966c587..23919b52e 100644
--- a/doc/api.rst
+++ b/doc/api.rst
@@ -334,6 +334,7 @@ API Reference
     HarmDefinition
     Identifiable
     Identifier
+    IdentifierType
     ImagePathDataTypeSerializer
     AllowedCategories
     AttackOutcome
diff --git a/pyrit/models/__init__.py b/pyrit/models/__init__.py
index 2d4d0a80e..2a43439bf 100644
--- a/pyrit/models/__init__.py
+++ b/pyrit/models/__init__.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 )
 from pyrit.models.embeddings import EmbeddingData, EmbeddingResponse, EmbeddingSupport, EmbeddingUsageInformation
 from pyrit.models.harm_definition import HarmDefinition, ScaleDescription, get_all_harm_definitions
-from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifiable, Identifier
+from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifiable, Identifier, IdentifierType
 from pyrit.models.literals import ChatMessageRole, PromptDataType, PromptResponseError, SeedType
 from pyrit.models.message import (
     Message,
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@
     "HarmDefinition",
     "Identifiable",
     "Identifier",
+    "IdentifierType",
     "ImagePathDataTypeSerializer",
     "Message",
     "MessagePiece",
diff --git a/pyrit/models/identifiers.py b/pyrit/models/identifiers.py
index 23d980f5b..8bc8b141b 100644
--- a/pyrit/models/identifiers.py
+++ b/pyrit/models/identifiers.py
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
 import json
 from abc import abstractmethod
 from dataclasses import asdict, dataclass, field, fields, is_dataclass
-from typing import Any
+from typing import Any, Literal
+
+IdentifierType = Literal["class", "instance"]
 
 
 class Identifiable:
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@ class Identifier:
     class_name: str  # The actual class name, equivalent to __type__ (e.g., "SelfAskRefusalScorer")
     class_module: str  # The module path, equivalent to __module__ (e.g., "pyrit.score.self_ask_refusal_scorer")
     class_description: str  # Description from docstring or manual override
+    identifier_type: IdentifierType  # Whether this identifies a "class" or "instance"
     hash: str = field(init=False, compare=False)
 
     def __post_init__(self) -> None:
diff --git a/pyrit/registry/class_registries/base_class_registry.py b/pyrit/registry/class_registries/base_class_registry.py
index 549581584..5f2f5bc10 100644
--- a/pyrit/registry/class_registries/base_class_registry.py
+++ b/pyrit/registry/class_registries/base_class_registry.py
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ def _build_base_metadata(self, name: str, entry: ClassEntry[T]) -> Identifier:
             description = entry.description or "No description available"
 
         return Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name=name,
             class_name=registered_class.__name__,
             class_module=registered_class.__module__,
diff --git a/pyrit/registry/class_registries/initializer_registry.py b/pyrit/registry/class_registries/initializer_registry.py
index 6c8cc51e4..96dedad2f 100644
--- a/pyrit/registry/class_registries/initializer_registry.py
+++ b/pyrit/registry/class_registries/initializer_registry.py
@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ def _build_metadata(self, name: str, entry: ClassEntry["PyRITInitializer"]) -> I
         try:
             instance = initializer_class()
             return InitializerMetadata(
+                identifier_type="class",
                 name=name,
                 class_name=initializer_class.__name__,
                 class_module=initializer_class.__module__,
@@ -219,6 +220,7 @@ def _build_metadata(self, name: str, entry: ClassEntry["PyRITInitializer"]) -> I
         except Exception as e:
             logger.warning(f"Failed to get metadata for {name}: {e}")
             return InitializerMetadata(
+                identifier_type="class",
                 name=name,
                 class_name=initializer_class.__name__,
                 class_module=initializer_class.__module__,
diff --git a/pyrit/registry/class_registries/scenario_registry.py b/pyrit/registry/class_registries/scenario_registry.py
index 9f68f8fe6..01215662f 100644
--- a/pyrit/registry/class_registries/scenario_registry.py
+++ b/pyrit/registry/class_registries/scenario_registry.py
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ def _build_metadata(self, name: str, entry: ClassEntry["Scenario"]) -> ScenarioM
         max_dataset_size = dataset_config.max_dataset_size
 
         return ScenarioMetadata(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name=name,
             class_name=scenario_class.__name__,
             class_module=scenario_class.__module__,
diff --git a/pyrit/registry/instance_registries/scorer_registry.py b/pyrit/registry/instance_registries/scorer_registry.py
index 6c574f72b..72798cf15 100644
--- a/pyrit/registry/instance_registries/scorer_registry.py
+++ b/pyrit/registry/instance_registries/scorer_registry.py
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ def _build_metadata(self, name: str, instance: "Scorer") -> ScorerMetadata:
             scorer_type = "unknown"
 
         return ScorerMetadata(
+            identifier_type="instance",
             name=name,
             class_name=instance.__class__.__name__,
             class_module=instance.__class__.__module__,
diff --git a/tests/unit/cli/test_frontend_core.py b/tests/unit/cli/test_frontend_core.py
index cb02a1b7f..764a036aa 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cli/test_frontend_core.py
+++ b/tests/unit/cli/test_frontend_core.py
@@ -328,6 +328,7 @@ async def test_print_scenarios_list_with_scenarios(self, capsys):
         mock_registry = MagicMock()
         mock_registry.list_metadata.return_value = [
             ScenarioMetadata(
+                identifier_type="class",
                 name="test_scenario",
                 class_name="TestScenario",
                 class_module="test.scenarios",
@@ -369,6 +370,7 @@ async def test_print_initializers_list_with_initializers(self, capsys):
         mock_registry = MagicMock()
         mock_registry.list_metadata.return_value = [
             InitializerMetadata(
+                identifier_type="class",
                 name="test_init",
                 class_name="TestInit",
                 class_module="test.initializers",
@@ -410,6 +412,7 @@ def test_format_scenario_metadata_basic(self, capsys):
         """Test format_scenario_metadata with basic metadata."""
 
         scenario_metadata = ScenarioMetadata(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_scenario",
             class_name="TestScenario",
             class_module="test.scenarios",
@@ -431,6 +434,7 @@ def test_format_scenario_metadata_with_description(self, capsys):
         """Test format_scenario_metadata with description."""
 
         scenario_metadata = ScenarioMetadata(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_scenario",
             class_name="TestScenario",
             class_module="test.scenarios",
@@ -450,6 +454,7 @@ def test_format_scenario_metadata_with_description(self, capsys):
     def test_format_scenario_metadata_with_strategies(self, capsys):
         """Test format_scenario_metadata with strategies."""
         scenario_metadata = ScenarioMetadata(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_scenario",
             class_name="TestScenario",
             class_module="test.scenarios",
@@ -471,6 +476,7 @@ def test_format_scenario_metadata_with_strategies(self, capsys):
     def test_format_initializer_metadata_basic(self, capsys) -> None:
         """Test format_initializer_metadata with basic metadata."""
         initializer_metadata = InitializerMetadata(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_init",
             class_name="TestInit",
             class_module="test.initializers",
@@ -490,6 +496,7 @@ def test_format_initializer_metadata_basic(self, capsys) -> None:
     def test_format_initializer_metadata_with_env_vars(self, capsys) -> None:
         """Test format_initializer_metadata with environment variables."""
         initializer_metadata = InitializerMetadata(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_init",
             class_name="TestInit",
             class_module="test.initializers",
@@ -508,6 +515,7 @@ def test_format_initializer_metadata_with_env_vars(self, capsys) -> None:
     def test_format_initializer_metadata_with_description(self, capsys) -> None:
         """Test format_initializer_metadata with description."""
         initializer_metadata = InitializerMetadata(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_init",
             class_name="TestInit",
             class_module="test.initializers",
diff --git a/tests/unit/registry/test_base.py b/tests/unit/registry/test_base.py
index 2c1f739d3..feb8e326a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/registry/test_base.py
+++ b/tests/unit/registry/test_base.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ class TestMatchesFilters:
     def test_matches_filters_exact_match_string(self):
         """Test that exact string matches work."""
         metadata = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ def test_matches_filters_exact_match_string(self):
     def test_matches_filters_no_match_string(self):
         """Test that non-matching strings return False."""
         metadata = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@ def test_matches_filters_no_match_string(self):
     def test_matches_filters_multiple_filters_all_match(self):
         """Test that all filters must match."""
         metadata = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -54,6 +57,7 @@ def test_matches_filters_multiple_filters_all_match(self):
     def test_matches_filters_multiple_filters_partial_match(self):
         """Test that partial matches return False when not all filters match."""
         metadata = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -64,6 +68,7 @@ def test_matches_filters_multiple_filters_partial_match(self):
     def test_matches_filters_key_not_in_metadata(self):
         """Test that filtering on a non-existent key returns False."""
         metadata = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -74,6 +79,7 @@ def test_matches_filters_key_not_in_metadata(self):
     def test_matches_filters_empty_filters(self):
         """Test that empty filters return True."""
         metadata = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -84,6 +90,7 @@ def test_matches_filters_empty_filters(self):
     def test_matches_filters_list_value_contains_filter(self):
         """Test filtering when metadata value is a list and filter value is in the list."""
         metadata = MetadataWithTags(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -96,6 +103,7 @@ def test_matches_filters_list_value_contains_filter(self):
     def test_matches_filters_list_value_not_contains_filter(self):
         """Test filtering when metadata value is a list and filter value is not in the list."""
         metadata = MetadataWithTags(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -107,6 +115,7 @@ def test_matches_filters_list_value_not_contains_filter(self):
     def test_matches_filters_exclude_exact_match(self):
         """Test that exclude filters work for exact matches."""
         metadata = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -118,6 +127,7 @@ def test_matches_filters_exclude_exact_match(self):
     def test_matches_filters_exclude_list_value(self):
         """Test exclude filters work for list values."""
         metadata = MetadataWithTags(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -130,6 +140,7 @@ def test_matches_filters_exclude_list_value(self):
     def test_matches_filters_exclude_nonexistent_key(self):
         """Test that exclude filters for non-existent keys don't exclude the item."""
         metadata = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -141,6 +152,7 @@ def test_matches_filters_exclude_nonexistent_key(self):
     def test_matches_filters_combined_include_and_exclude(self):
         """Test combined include and exclude filters."""
         metadata = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -175,11 +187,13 @@ class TestIdentifier:
     def test_identifier_creation(self):
         """Test creating an Identifier instance."""
         metadata = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_scorer",
             class_name="TestScorer",
             class_module="pyrit.test.scorer",
             class_description="A test scorer for testing",
         )
+        assert metadata.identifier_type == "class"
         assert metadata.name == "test_scorer"
         assert metadata.class_name == "TestScorer"
         assert metadata.class_module == "pyrit.test.scorer"
@@ -188,6 +202,7 @@ def test_identifier_creation(self):
     def test_identifier_is_frozen(self):
         """Test that Identifier is immutable."""
         metadata = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -200,6 +215,7 @@ def test_identifier_is_frozen(self):
     def test_identifier_hash_computed_at_creation(self):
         """Test that hash is computed when the Identifier is created."""
         identifier = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="instance",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -211,12 +227,14 @@ def test_identifier_hash_computed_at_creation(self):
     def test_identifier_hash_is_deterministic(self):
         """Test that the same inputs produce the same hash."""
         identifier1 = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
             class_description="A test description",
         )
         identifier2 = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -227,12 +245,14 @@ def test_identifier_hash_is_deterministic(self):
     def test_identifier_hash_differs_for_different_inputs(self):
         """Test that different inputs produce different hashes."""
         identifier1 = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
             class_description="A test description",
         )
         identifier2 = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="different_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -243,6 +263,7 @@ def test_identifier_hash_differs_for_different_inputs(self):
     def test_identifier_hash_is_immutable(self):
         """Test that the hash cannot be modified."""
         identifier = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -254,6 +275,7 @@ def test_identifier_hash_is_immutable(self):
     def test_identifier_subclass_inherits_hash(self):
         """Test that subclasses of Identifier also get a computed hash."""
         metadata = MetadataWithTags(
+            identifier_type="class",
             name="test_item",
             class_name="TestClass",
             class_module="test.module",
diff --git a/tests/unit/registry/test_base_instance_registry.py b/tests/unit/registry/test_base_instance_registry.py
index 4760c1f05..075c6756a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/registry/test_base_instance_registry.py
+++ b/tests/unit/registry/test_base_instance_registry.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ class ConcreteTestRegistry(BaseInstanceRegistry[str, SampleItemMetadata]):
     def _build_metadata(self, name: str, instance: str) -> SampleItemMetadata:
         """Build test metadata from a string instance."""
         return SampleItemMetadata(
+            identifier_type="instance",
             name=name,
             class_name="str",
             class_module="builtins",
diff --git a/tests/unit/registry/test_scorer_registry.py b/tests/unit/registry/test_scorer_registry.py
index edd7e103f..31feabc2a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/registry/test_scorer_registry.py
+++ b/tests/unit/registry/test_scorer_registry.py
@@ -360,6 +360,7 @@ def test_scorer_metadata_has_required_fields(self):
         mock_identifier = ScorerIdentifier(type="test_type")
 
         metadata = ScorerMetadata(
+            identifier_type="instance",
             name="test_scorer",
             class_name="TestScorer",
             class_module="test.module",
@@ -368,6 +369,7 @@ def test_scorer_metadata_has_required_fields(self):
             scorer_identifier=mock_identifier,
         )
 
+        assert metadata.identifier_type == "instance"
         assert metadata.name == "test_scorer"
         assert metadata.class_name == "TestScorer"
         assert metadata.class_module == "test.module"

From 85b0c978cc2e98fbaff32bd2b98daef5ec364c2b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Richard Lundeen <rlundeen@microsoft.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2026 14:59:00 -0800
Subject: [PATCH 4/5] pr feedback

---
 pyrit/models/identifiers.py           |  24 +-
 tests/unit/models/test_identifiers.py | 331 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 350 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 tests/unit/models/test_identifiers.py

diff --git a/pyrit/models/identifiers.py b/pyrit/models/identifiers.py
index 8bc8b141b..f4a758b76 100644
--- a/pyrit/models/identifiers.py
+++ b/pyrit/models/identifiers.py
@@ -45,8 +45,11 @@ class Identifier:
     name: str  # The snake_case identifier name (e.g., "self_ask_refusal")
     class_name: str  # The actual class name, equivalent to __type__ (e.g., "SelfAskRefusalScorer")
     class_module: str  # The module path, equivalent to __module__ (e.g., "pyrit.score.self_ask_refusal_scorer")
-    class_description: str  # Description from docstring or manual override
-    identifier_type: IdentifierType  # Whether this identifies a "class" or "instance"
+
+    class_description: str = field(metadata={"exclude_from_storage": True})
+
+    #  Whether this identifies a "class" or "instance"
+    identifier_type: IdentifierType = field(metadata={"exclude_from_storage": True})
     hash: str = field(init=False, compare=False)
 
     def __post_init__(self) -> None:
@@ -56,17 +59,28 @@ def __post_init__(self) -> None:
 
     def _compute_hash(self) -> str:
         """
-        Compute a stable SHA256 hash from all identifier fields.
+        Compute a stable SHA256 hash from storable identifier fields.
 
-        All fields except 'hash' itself are automatically included.
+        Fields marked with metadata={"exclude_from_storage": True} and 'hash' itself
+        are excluded from the hash computation.
 
         Returns:
             A hex string of the SHA256 hash.
         """
-        hashable_dict: dict[str, Any] = {f.name: getattr(self, f.name) for f in fields(self) if f.name != "hash"}
+        hashable_dict: dict[str, Any] = {
+            f.name: getattr(self, f.name)
+            for f in fields(self)
+            if f.name != "hash" and not f.metadata.get("exclude_from_storage", False)
+        }
         config_json = json.dumps(hashable_dict, sort_keys=True, separators=(",", ":"), default=_dataclass_encoder)
         return hashlib.sha256(config_json.encode("utf-8")).hexdigest()
 
+    def to_storage_dict(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Return only fields suitable for DB storage."""
+        return {
+            f.name: getattr(self, f.name) for f in fields(self) if not f.metadata.get("exclude_from_storage", False)
+        }
+
 
 def _dataclass_encoder(obj: Any) -> Any:
     """JSON encoder that handles dataclasses by converting them to dicts."""
diff --git a/tests/unit/models/test_identifiers.py b/tests/unit/models/test_identifiers.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ec5cc52ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/models/test_identifiers.py
@@ -0,0 +1,331 @@
+# Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
+# Licensed under the MIT license.
+
+from dataclasses import dataclass, field
+
+import pytest
+
+from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifiable, Identifier, IdentifierType
+
+
+class TestIdentifiable:
+    """Tests for the Identifiable abstract base class."""
+
+    def test_identifiable_get_identifier_is_abstract(self):
+        """Test that get_identifier is an abstract method that must be implemented."""
+
+        class ConcreteIdentifiable(Identifiable):
+            def get_identifier(self) -> dict[str, str]:
+                return {"type": "test", "name": "example"}
+
+        obj = ConcreteIdentifiable()
+        result = obj.get_identifier()
+        assert result == {"type": "test", "name": "example"}
+
+    def test_identifiable_str_returns_identifier(self):
+        """Test that __str__ returns the get_identifier method reference."""
+
+        class ConcreteIdentifiable(Identifiable):
+            def get_identifier(self) -> dict[str, str]:
+                return {"type": "test"}
+
+        obj = ConcreteIdentifiable()
+        # __str__ returns the method reference string
+        assert "get_identifier" in str(obj)
+
+
+class TestIdentifier:
+    """Tests for the Identifier dataclass."""
+
+    def test_identifier_creation(self):
+        """Test creating an Identifier instance with all required fields."""
+        identifier = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_scorer",
+            class_name="TestScorer",
+            class_module="pyrit.test.scorer",
+            class_description="A test scorer for testing",
+        )
+        assert identifier.identifier_type == "class"
+        assert identifier.name == "test_scorer"
+        assert identifier.class_name == "TestScorer"
+        assert identifier.class_module == "pyrit.test.scorer"
+        assert identifier.class_description == "A test scorer for testing"
+
+    def test_identifier_is_frozen(self):
+        """Test that Identifier is immutable."""
+        identifier = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="instance",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="Description here",
+        )
+
+        with pytest.raises(AttributeError):
+            identifier.name = "new_name"  # type: ignore[misc]
+
+    def test_identifier_type_literal_class(self):
+        """Test identifier_type with 'class' value."""
+        identifier = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test",
+            class_name="Test",
+            class_module="test",
+            class_description="",
+        )
+        assert identifier.identifier_type == "class"
+
+    def test_identifier_type_literal_instance(self):
+        """Test identifier_type with 'instance' value."""
+        identifier = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="instance",
+            name="test",
+            class_name="Test",
+            class_module="test",
+            class_description="",
+        )
+        assert identifier.identifier_type == "instance"
+
+
+class TestIdentifierHash:
+    """Tests for Identifier hash computation."""
+
+    def test_hash_computed_at_creation(self):
+        """Test that hash is computed when the Identifier is created."""
+        identifier = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test description",
+        )
+        assert identifier.hash is not None
+        assert len(identifier.hash) == 64  # SHA256 hex length
+
+    def test_hash_is_deterministic(self):
+        """Test that the same inputs produce the same hash."""
+        identifier1 = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test description",
+        )
+        identifier2 = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test description",
+        )
+        assert identifier1.hash == identifier2.hash
+
+    def test_hash_differs_for_different_storable_fields(self):
+        """Test that different storable field values produce different hashes."""
+        identifier1 = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="Description",
+        )
+        identifier2 = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="different_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="Description",
+        )
+        assert identifier1.hash != identifier2.hash
+
+    def test_hash_excludes_class_description(self):
+        """Test that class_description is excluded from hash computation."""
+        identifier1 = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="First description",
+        )
+        identifier2 = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="Completely different description",
+        )
+        # Hash should be the same since class_description is excluded
+        assert identifier1.hash == identifier2.hash
+
+    def test_hash_excludes_identifier_type(self):
+        """Test that identifier_type is excluded from hash computation."""
+        identifier1 = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="Description",
+        )
+        identifier2 = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="instance",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="Description",
+        )
+        # Hash should be the same since identifier_type is excluded
+        assert identifier1.hash == identifier2.hash
+
+    def test_hash_is_immutable(self):
+        """Test that the hash cannot be modified."""
+        identifier = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test description",
+        )
+        with pytest.raises(AttributeError):
+            identifier.hash = "new_hash"  # type: ignore[misc]
+
+
+class TestIdentifierStorage:
+    """Tests for Identifier storage functionality."""
+
+    def test_to_storage_dict_excludes_marked_fields(self):
+        """Test that to_storage_dict excludes fields marked with exclude_from_storage."""
+        identifier = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test description",
+        )
+        storage_dict = identifier.to_storage_dict()
+
+        # Should include storable fields
+        assert "name" in storage_dict
+        assert "class_name" in storage_dict
+        assert "class_module" in storage_dict
+        assert "hash" in storage_dict
+
+        # Should exclude non-storable fields
+        assert "class_description" not in storage_dict
+        assert "identifier_type" not in storage_dict
+
+    def test_to_storage_dict_values_match(self):
+        """Test that to_storage_dict values match the original identifier."""
+        identifier = Identifier(
+            identifier_type="instance",
+            name="my_scorer",
+            class_name="MyScorer",
+            class_module="pyrit.score.my_scorer",
+            class_description="My custom scorer",
+        )
+        storage_dict = identifier.to_storage_dict()
+
+        assert storage_dict["name"] == "my_scorer"
+        assert storage_dict["class_name"] == "MyScorer"
+        assert storage_dict["class_module"] == "pyrit.score.my_scorer"
+        assert storage_dict["hash"] == identifier.hash
+
+
+class TestIdentifierSubclass:
+    """Tests for Identifier subclassing behavior."""
+
+    def test_subclass_inherits_hash_computation(self):
+        """Test that subclasses of Identifier also get a computed hash."""
+
+        @dataclass(frozen=True)
+        class ExtendedIdentifier(Identifier):
+            extra_field: str
+
+        extended = ExtendedIdentifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="A test description",
+            extra_field="extra_value",
+        )
+        assert extended.hash is not None
+        assert len(extended.hash) == 64
+
+    def test_subclass_extra_fields_included_in_hash(self):
+        """Test that subclass extra fields (not marked) are included in hash."""
+
+        @dataclass(frozen=True)
+        class ExtendedIdentifier(Identifier):
+            extra_field: str
+
+        extended1 = ExtendedIdentifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="Description",
+            extra_field="value1",
+        )
+        extended2 = ExtendedIdentifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="Description",
+            extra_field="value2",
+        )
+        # Different extra_field values should produce different hashes
+        assert extended1.hash != extended2.hash
+
+    def test_subclass_excluded_fields_not_in_hash(self):
+        """Test that subclass fields marked exclude_from_storage are excluded from hash."""
+
+        @dataclass(frozen=True)
+        class ExtendedIdentifier(Identifier):
+            display_only: str = field(metadata={"exclude_from_storage": True})
+
+        extended1 = ExtendedIdentifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="Description",
+            display_only="display1",
+        )
+        extended2 = ExtendedIdentifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="Description",
+            display_only="display2",
+        )
+        # display_only is excluded, so hashes should match
+        assert extended1.hash == extended2.hash
+
+    def test_subclass_to_storage_dict_includes_extra_storable_fields(self):
+        """Test that to_storage_dict includes subclass storable fields."""
+
+        @dataclass(frozen=True)
+        class ExtendedIdentifier(Identifier):
+            extra_field: str
+            display_only: str = field(metadata={"exclude_from_storage": True})
+
+        extended = ExtendedIdentifier(
+            identifier_type="class",
+            name="test_item",
+            class_name="TestClass",
+            class_module="test.module",
+            class_description="Description",
+            extra_field="extra_value",
+            display_only="display_value",
+        )
+        storage_dict = extended.to_storage_dict()
+
+        # Extra storable field should be included
+        assert "extra_field" in storage_dict
+        assert storage_dict["extra_field"] == "extra_value"
+
+        # Display-only field should be excluded
+        assert "display_only" not in storage_dict

From c512b64d3750c4fa949fe1600d3eb56b4eea6ba4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Richard Lundeen <rlundeen@microsoft.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:12:07 -0800
Subject: [PATCH 5/5] pre-commit

---
 tests/unit/models/test_identifiers.py | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/tests/unit/models/test_identifiers.py b/tests/unit/models/test_identifiers.py
index ec5cc52ae..845a65dce 100644
--- a/tests/unit/models/test_identifiers.py
+++ b/tests/unit/models/test_identifiers.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifiable, Identifier, IdentifierType
+from pyrit.models.identifiers import Identifiable, Identifier
 
 
 class TestIdentifiable: