diff --git a/proto/common/v1.proto b/proto/common/v1.proto
index ac54704..8952417 100644
--- a/proto/common/v1.proto
+++ b/proto/common/v1.proto
@@ -3,15 +3,12 @@ package mapeo;
 
 import "google/protobuf/timestamp.proto";
 import "options.proto";
+import "versionId/v1.proto";
 
 message Common_1 {
   // 32-byte random generated number
   optional bytes docId = 1 [(required) = true];
-  message Link {
-    bytes coreDiscoveryKey = 1;
-    int32 index = 2;
-  }
-  repeated Link links = 2;
+  repeated VersionId_1 links = 2;
   google.protobuf.Timestamp createdAt = 3 [(required) = true];
   google.protobuf.Timestamp updatedAt = 4 [(required) = true];
   // 32-byte hash of the discovery key of a core
diff --git a/proto/preset/v1.proto b/proto/preset/v1.proto
index a79613f..d98931f 100644
--- a/proto/preset/v1.proto
+++ b/proto/preset/v1.proto
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import "google/protobuf/struct.proto";
 import "google/protobuf/timestamp.proto";
 import "tags/v1.proto";
 import "common/v1.proto";
+import "versionId/v1.proto";
 import "options.proto";
 
 message Preset_1 {
@@ -15,6 +16,15 @@ message Preset_1 {
   Common_1 common = 1;
 
   string name = 5;
+  repeated Geometry geometry = 6;
+  map<string, TagValue_1> tags = 7;
+  map<string, TagValue_1> addTags = 8;
+  map<string, TagValue_1> removeTags = 9;
+  repeated FieldRef fieldRefs = 10;
+  optional IconRef iconRef = 11;
+  repeated string terms = 12;
+  string color = 13;
+
   enum Geometry {
     geometry_unspecified = 0;
     point = 1;
@@ -23,12 +33,15 @@ message Preset_1 {
     area = 4;
     relation = 5;
   }
-  repeated Geometry geometry = 6;
-  map<string, TagValue_1> tags = 7;
-  map<string, TagValue_1> addTags = 8;
-  map<string, TagValue_1> removeTags = 9;
-  repeated bytes fieldIds = 10;
-  optional bytes iconId = 11;
-  repeated string terms = 12;
-  string color = 13;
+
+
+  message FieldRef {
+    bytes docId = 1;
+    VersionId_1 versionId = 2;
+  }
+
+  message IconRef {
+    bytes docId = 1;
+    VersionId_1 versionId = 2;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/proto/track/v1.proto b/proto/track/v1.proto
index 4aa53bd..4f9e5d3 100644
--- a/proto/track/v1.proto
+++ b/proto/track/v1.proto
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import "google/protobuf/struct.proto";
 import "tags/v1.proto";
 import "common/v1.proto";
 import "options.proto";
+import "versionId/v1.proto";
 
 message Track_1 {
   // **DO NOT CHANGE dataTypeId** generated with `openssl rand -hex 6`
@@ -14,25 +15,22 @@ message Track_1 {
 
   Common_1 common = 1;
   repeated Position locations = 2;
-  repeated Ref refs = 3;
+  repeated ObservationRef observationRefs = 3;
   repeated Attachment attachments = 4;
   map<string, TagValue_1> tags = 5;
 
-  enum RefType {
-    ref_type_unspecified = 0;
-    observation = 1;
-  }
-  message Ref {
-    bytes id = 1;
-    RefType type = 2;
-  }
-
   enum AttachmentType {
     attachment_type_unspecified = 0;
     photo = 1;
     video = 2;
     audio = 3;
   }
+
+  message ObservationRef {
+    bytes docId = 1;
+    VersionId_1 versionId = 2;
+  }
+
   message Attachment {
     bytes driveDiscoveryId = 1;
     string name = 2;
diff --git a/proto/translation/v1.proto b/proto/translation/v1.proto
index 64d111d..be2108c 100644
--- a/proto/translation/v1.proto
+++ b/proto/translation/v1.proto
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ syntax = "proto3";
 package mapeo;
 
 import "common/v1.proto";
+import "versionId/v1.proto";
 import "options.proto";
 
 message Translation_1 {
@@ -10,12 +11,17 @@ message Translation_1 {
   option (schemaName) = "translation";
 
   Common_1 common = 1;
+  DocRef docRef = 2;
 
-  string schemaNameRef = 2;
-  bytes docIdRef = 3;
-  string fieldRef = 4;
-  string languageCode = 5;
-  string regionCode = 6;
-  string message = 7;
+  string propertyRef = 3;
+  string languageCode = 4;
+  string regionCode = 5;
+  string message = 6;
+
+  message DocRef {
+    bytes docId = 1;
+    VersionId_1 versionId = 2;
+    string type = 3;
+  }
 
 }
diff --git a/proto/versionId/v1.proto b/proto/versionId/v1.proto
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ba6487f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proto/versionId/v1.proto
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+syntax = "proto3";
+package mapeo;
+
+message VersionId_1 {
+  bytes coreDiscoveryKey = 1;
+  int32 index = 2;
+}
diff --git a/schema/preset/v1.json b/schema/preset/v1.json
index c100b28..efcbb97 100644
--- a/schema/preset/v1.json
+++ b/schema/preset/v1.json
@@ -76,17 +76,24 @@
       "description": "Tags that are removed when changing to another preset (default is the same value as 'addTags' which in turn defaults to 'tags')",
       "$ref": "#/definitions/tags"
     },
-    "fieldIds": {
-      "description": "hex-encoded string. IDs of fields to displayed to the user when the preset is created or edited",
+    "fieldRefs": {
       "type": "array",
+      "description": "References to any fields that this preset is related to.",
       "items": {
-        "type": "string"
+        "type": "object",
+        "properties": {
+          "docId": {
+            "description": "hex-encoded id of the element that this observation references",
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "versionId": {
+            "description": "core discovery id (hex-encoded 32-byte buffer) and core index number, separated by '/'",
+            "type": "string"
+          }
+        },
+        "required": ["docId", "versionId"]
       }
     },
-    "iconId": {
-      "description": "hex-encoded string. ID of preset icon which represents this preset",
-      "type": "string"
-    },
     "terms": {
       "description": "Synonyms or related terms (used for search)",
       "type": "array",
@@ -99,17 +106,17 @@
       "type": "string",
       "pattern": "^#[a-fA-F0-9]{6}$"
     }
-},
-"required": [
-  "name",
-  "geometry",
-  "tags",
-  "addTags",
-  "removeTags",
-  "fieldIds",
-  "schemaName",
-  "terms",
-  "color"
-],
-"additionalProperties": false
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "name",
+    "geometry",
+    "tags",
+    "addTags",
+    "removeTags",
+    "fieldRefs",
+    "schemaName",
+    "terms",
+    "color"
+  ],
+  "additionalProperties": false
 }
diff --git a/schema/track/v1.json b/schema/track/v1.json
index a3e4399..126737b 100644
--- a/schema/track/v1.json
+++ b/schema/track/v1.json
@@ -61,26 +61,22 @@
         "$ref": "#/definitions/position"
       }
     },
-    "refs": {
+    "observationRefs": {
       "type": "array",
       "description": "References to any observations that this track is related to.",
       "items": {
         "type": "object",
         "properties": {
-          "id": {
+          "docId": {
             "description": "hex-encoded id of the element that this track references",
             "type": "string"
           },
-          "type": {
-            "description": "type of the element that this track references",
-            "type": "string",
-            "enum": ["ref_type_unspecified", "observation", "UNRECOGNIZED"],
-            "meta:enum": {
-              "UNRECOGNIZED": "future reference type"
-            }
+          "versionId": {
+            "description": "core discovery id (hex-encoded 32-byte buffer) and core index number, separated by '/'",
+            "type": "string"
           }
         },
-        "required": ["id", "type"]
+        "required": ["docId", "versionId"]
       }
     },
     "attachments": {
@@ -160,6 +156,12 @@
       }
     }
   },
-  "required": ["schemaName", "locations", "tags", "refs", "attachments"],
+  "required": [
+    "schemaName",
+    "locations",
+    "tags",
+    "observationRefs",
+    "attachments"
+  ],
   "additionalProperties": false
 }
diff --git a/schema/translation/v1.json b/schema/translation/v1.json
index 5d4bfc7..df83d13 100644
--- a/schema/translation/v1.json
+++ b/schema/translation/v1.json
@@ -4,20 +4,30 @@
   "description": "A translation is a translated message in a single language for a string property/field of any Mapeo record type",
   "title": "translation",
   "type": "object",
-  "properties":{
-    "schemaName":{
-      "type":"string",
-      "const": "translation"
-    },
-    "schemaNameRef": {
+  "properties": {
+    "schemaName": {
       "type": "string",
-      "description": "schema name of record related to the field being translated"
+      "const": "translation"
     },
-    "docIdRef": {
-      "type": "string",
-      "description": "the docId of the record that this field is translated for"
+    "docRef": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "properties": {
+        "docId": {
+          "description": "hex-encoded id of the element that this observation references",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "versionId": {
+          "description": "core discovery id (hex-encoded 32-byte buffer) and core index number, separated by '/'",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": {
+          "description": "type of the element that this translation references",
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": ["docId", "versionId", "type"]
     },
-    "fieldRef": {
+    "propertyRef": {
       "type": "string",
       "description": "identifier for translated field/property in dot-prop notation"
     },
@@ -26,14 +36,21 @@
       "description": "three-letter ISO 169-3 language code"
     },
     "regionCode": {
-        "type": "string",
-        "description": "two-letter country code from ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 or a three-digit code from UN M.49 for geographical regions"
-},
+      "type": "string",
+      "description": "two-letter country code from ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 or a three-digit code from UN M.49 for geographical regions"
+    },
     "message": {
       "type": "string",
       "description": "the translated string"
     }
   },
-  "required": ["schemaName", "schemaNameRef", "docIdRef", "fieldRef", "languageCode", "regionCode", "message"],
+  "required": [
+    "schemaName",
+    "docRef",
+    "propertyRef",
+    "languageCode",
+    "regionCode",
+    "message"
+  ],
   "additionalProperties": false
 }
diff --git a/scripts/lib/parse-config.js b/scripts/lib/parse-config.js
index d24dad1..a909cf7 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/parse-config.js
+++ b/scripts/lib/parse-config.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import schema from 'protocol-buffers-schema'
 import { capitalize, PROJECT_ROOT } from './utils.js'
 
 // These messages are embedded in others and do not define Mapeo data types
-const EMBEDDED_MESSAGES = ['tags', 'common']
+const EMBEDDED_MESSAGES = ['tags', 'common', 'versionId']
 
 // We avoid creating data type IDs that match these, since blobs (e.g. icons)
 // can be stored in Mapeo hypercores, and we want to avoid trying to parse a
diff --git a/src/lib/decode-conversions.ts b/src/lib/decode-conversions.ts
index b3d3bfe..afedc9c 100644
--- a/src/lib/decode-conversions.ts
+++ b/src/lib/decode-conversions.ts
@@ -122,11 +122,16 @@ export const convertPreset: ConvertFunction<'preset'> = (
     ...jsonSchemaCommon,
     ...rest,
     geometry,
-    iconId: rest.iconId ? rest.iconId.toString('hex') : undefined,
     tags: convertTags(rest.tags),
     addTags: convertTags(rest.addTags),
     removeTags: convertTags(rest.removeTags),
-    fieldIds: rest.fieldIds.map((id) => id.toString('hex')),
+    fieldRefs: rest.fieldRefs.map(({ docId, versionId }) => {
+      if (!versionId) throw new Error('missing fieldRef.versionId for preset')
+      return {
+        docId: docId.toString('hex'),
+        versionId: getVersionId(versionId),
+      }
+    }),
   }
 }
 
@@ -201,10 +206,17 @@ export const convertTranslation: ConvertFunction<'translation'> = (
 ) => {
   const { common, schemaVersion, ...rest } = message
   const jsonSchemaCommon = convertCommon(common, versionObj)
+  if (!message.docRef) throw new Error('missing docRef for translation')
+  if (!message.docRef.versionId)
+    throw new Error('missing docRef.versionId for translation')
   return {
     ...jsonSchemaCommon,
     ...rest,
-    docIdRef: message.docIdRef.toString('hex'),
+    docRef: {
+      docId: message.docRef.docId.toString('hex'),
+      versionId: getVersionId(message.docRef.versionId),
+      type: message.docRef.type,
+    },
   }
 }
 
@@ -212,14 +224,20 @@ export const convertTrack: ConvertFunction<'track'> = (message, versionObj) => {
   const { common, schemaVersion, ...rest } = message
   const jsonSchemaCommon = convertCommon(common, versionObj)
   const locations = message.locations.map(convertTrackPosition)
-  const refs = message.refs.map(({ id, type }) => ({
-    id: id.toString('hex'),
-    type,
-  }))
+  const observationRefs = message.observationRefs.map(
+    ({ docId, versionId }) => {
+      if (!versionId)
+        throw new Error('missing observationRef.versionId from track')
+      return {
+        docId: docId.toString('hex'),
+        versionId: getVersionId(versionId),
+      }
+    }
+  )
   return {
     ...jsonSchemaCommon,
     ...rest,
-    refs,
+    observationRefs,
     locations,
     attachments: message.attachments.map(convertAttachment),
     tags: convertTags(message.tags),
diff --git a/src/lib/encode-conversions.ts b/src/lib/encode-conversions.ts
index 461d694..de4d413 100644
--- a/src/lib/encode-conversions.ts
+++ b/src/lib/encode-conversions.ts
@@ -81,8 +81,10 @@ export const convertPreset: ConvertFunction<'preset'> = (mapeoDoc) => {
     tags: convertTags(mapeoDoc.tags),
     addTags: convertTags(mapeoDoc.addTags),
     removeTags: convertTags(mapeoDoc.removeTags),
-    fieldIds: mapeoDoc.fieldIds.map((field) => Buffer.from(field, 'hex')),
-    iconId: mapeoDoc.iconId ? Buffer.from(mapeoDoc.iconId, 'hex') : undefined,
+    fieldRefs: mapeoDoc.fieldRefs.map(({ docId, versionId }) => ({
+      docId: Buffer.from(docId, 'hex'),
+      versionId: parseVersionId(versionId),
+    })),
   }
 }
 
@@ -192,20 +194,29 @@ export const convertTranslation: ConvertFunction<'translation'> = (
   return {
     common: convertCommon(mapeoDoc),
     ...mapeoDoc,
-    docIdRef: Buffer.from(mapeoDoc.docIdRef, 'hex'),
+    docRef: {
+      docId: Buffer.from(mapeoDoc.docRef.docId, 'hex'),
+      versionId: parseVersionId(mapeoDoc.docRef.versionId),
+      type: mapeoDoc.docRef.type,
+    },
   }
 }
 
 export const convertTrack: ConvertFunction<'track'> = (mapeoDoc) => {
-  const refs = mapeoDoc.refs.map((ref) => {
-    return { id: Buffer.from(ref.id, 'hex'), type: ref.type }
-  })
+  const observationRefs = mapeoDoc.observationRefs.map(
+    ({ docId, versionId }) => {
+      return {
+        docId: Buffer.from(docId, 'hex'),
+        versionId: parseVersionId(versionId),
+      }
+    }
+  )
   const attachments = mapeoDoc.attachments.map(convertAttachment)
 
   const track: CurrentProtoTypes['track'] = {
     common: convertCommon(mapeoDoc),
     ...mapeoDoc,
-    refs,
+    observationRefs,
     attachments,
     tags: convertTags(mapeoDoc.tags),
     locations: mapeoDoc.locations,
diff --git a/test/fixtures/cached.js b/test/fixtures/cached.js
index effc550..d42f6d3 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/cached.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/cached.js
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@ export const cachedValues = {
     line: [randomBytes(32).toString('hex')],
     relation: [randomBytes(32).toString('hex')],
   },
-  fieldIds: [randomBytes(32).toString('hex')],
+  refs: {
+    docId: randomBytes(32).toString('hex'),
+    versionId: `${randomBytes(32).toString('hex')}/0`,
+  },
   iconId: randomBytes(32).toString('hex'),
   docIdRef: randomBytes(32).toString('hex'),
 }
diff --git a/test/fixtures/good-docs-completed.js b/test/fixtures/good-docs-completed.js
index 8de0795..dec1804 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/good-docs-completed.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/good-docs-completed.js
@@ -137,8 +137,12 @@ export const goodDocsCompleted = [
       removeTags: {
         deleteInmeditaly: ['this list', 'of things'],
       },
-      fieldIds: cachedValues.fieldIds,
-      iconId: cachedValues.iconId,
+      fieldRefs: [
+        {
+          docId: cachedValues.refs.docId,
+          versionId: cachedValues.refs.versionId,
+        },
+      ],
       color: '#ff00ff',
       terms: ['imastring'],
       deleted: false,
@@ -256,9 +260,12 @@ export const goodDocsCompleted = [
       createdBy: cachedValues.createdBy,
       links: [],
       deleted: false,
-      schemaNameRef: 'preset',
-      docIdRef: cachedValues.docIdRef,
-      fieldRef: 'terms[0]',
+      docRef: {
+        docId: cachedValues.refs.docId,
+        versionId: cachedValues.refs.versionId,
+        type: 'preset',
+      },
+      propertyRef: 'terms[0]',
       languageCode: 'es',
       regionCode: 'AR',
       message: 'agroforestación',
@@ -294,14 +301,14 @@ export const goodDocsCompleted = [
           },
         },
       ],
-      refs: [
+      observationRefs: [
         {
-          id: randomBytes(32).toString('hex'),
-          type: 'observation',
+          docId: randomBytes(32).toString('hex'),
+          versionId: cachedValues.refs.versionId,
         },
         {
-          id: randomBytes(32).toString('hex'),
-          type: 'observation',
+          docId: randomBytes(32).toString('hex'),
+          versionId: cachedValues.refs.versionId,
         },
       ],
       attachments: [
diff --git a/test/fixtures/good-docs-minimal.js b/test/fixtures/good-docs-minimal.js
index 00f744d..8346d2b 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/good-docs-minimal.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/good-docs-minimal.js
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ export const goodDocsMinimal = [
       tags: {},
       addTags: {},
       removeTags: {},
-      fieldIds: [],
+      fieldRefs: [],
       terms: [],
       deleted: false,
       color: '#ff00ff',
@@ -165,9 +165,12 @@ export const goodDocsMinimal = [
       createdBy: cachedValues.createdBy,
       links: [],
       deleted: false,
-      schemaNameRef: 'field',
-      docIdRef: cachedValues.docIdRef,
-      fieldRef: 'label',
+      docRef: {
+        docId: cachedValues.refs.docId,
+        versionId: cachedValues.refs.versionId,
+        type: 'field',
+      },
+      propertyRef: 'label',
       languageCode: 'qu',
       regionCode: 'PE',
       message: `sach'a`,
@@ -185,7 +188,7 @@ export const goodDocsMinimal = [
       links: [],
       deleted: false,
       locations: [],
-      refs: [],
+      observationRefs: [],
       attachments: [],
       tags: {},
     },