The aim of this article was to explore the use and awareness of the ORCID identifier in the French national research community. Six thousand one hundred and twenty-five researchers completed the questionnaire in full, amounting to approximately 3.2% of the French national population of researchers. The respondents were asked about their reasons for creating an ORCID identifier, how they had discovered ORCID, what the characteristics of their ORCID profile were (privacy, completion of the various sections, etc.) and how they used it (context, motivations and obstacles). They were also asked about their knowledge of the ORCID ecosystem. The researchers overall reported a concrete, pragmatic knowledge of the ORCID identifier. The political and strategic framework remains generally unclear, or is unfamiliar, whether in terms of the objectives or the general interest of this tool. Researchers often only perceive the most obvious functionalities in their daily work, such having an online profile. The less immediate or less individual features, such as being able to distinguish themselves from other researchers, are therefore not as well-known and used. This study should help stakeholders in France and internationally to adapt their policies, and to support researchers more efficiently in the use of the ORCID identifier.