Digital platforms often use randomized or hashed strings to ensure every uploaded file has a globally unique name.

This 20-character string is likely a unique content ID generated at the time of upload. Systems like Wistia , Cloudinary , or proprietary corporate servers use these hashes to manage massive libraries of media without naming conflicts.

Platforms like Canvas or Blackboard often rename student or lecture uploads into unique strings to keep database records organized.

In professional video workflows, "source" typically denotes the master file —the original high-quality version uploaded by the creator. CDNs then use this "source" to generate smaller, optimized versions (proxies) for streaming on different devices.

Files with this specific naming convention—a long, lowercase alphanumeric hash followed by "_source"—are characteristic of several professional environments:

Guide to Video File Naming Conventions for Seamless Video Editing

Private hosting services (e.g., Vimeo OTT or Brightcove ) use these IDs to prevent "hotlinking," where people try to find the direct video URL to bypass paywalls or login screens.