diff --git a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/routing/RouteRef.test.ts b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/routing/RouteRef.test.ts
index b8e86d1b99..cb1c85ccea 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/routing/RouteRef.test.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/routing/RouteRef.test.ts
@@ -15,13 +15,30 @@
  */
 
 import { AnyRouteParams } from './types';
-import { RouteRef, createRouteRef } from './RouteRef';
+import { RouteRef, createRouteRef, toInternalRouteRef } from './RouteRef';
 
 describe('RouteRef', () => {
-  it('should be created', () => {
+  it('should be created and have a mutable ID', () => {
     const routeRef: RouteRef<undefined> = createRouteRef();
-    expect(() => routeRef.T).toThrow();
-    expect(String(routeRef)).toBe('RouteRef{}');
+    const internal = toInternalRouteRef(routeRef);
+    expect(() => internal.T).toThrow();
+    expect(internal.getParams()).toEqual([]);
+    expect(internal.getDescription()).toMatch(/RouteRef\.test\.ts/);
+
+    expect(String(internal)).toMatch(
+      /^RouteRef\{created at .*RouteRef\.test\.ts.*\}$/,
+    );
+
+    expect(() => internal.setId('')).toThrow(
+      'RouteRef id must be a non-empty string',
+    );
+
+    internal.setId('some-id');
+    expect(String(internal)).toBe('RouteRef{some-id}');
+
+    expect(() => internal.setId('some-other-id')).toThrow(
+      "RouteRef was referenced twice as both 'some-id' and 'some-other-id'",
+    );
   });
 
   it('should be created with params', () => {
@@ -31,7 +48,10 @@ describe('RouteRef', () => {
     }> = createRouteRef({
       params: ['x', 'y'],
     });
-    expect(() => routeRef.T).toThrow();
+    const internal = toInternalRouteRef(routeRef);
+    expect(internal.getParams()).toEqual(['x', 'y']);
+    expect(internal.getDescription()).toMatch(/RouteRef\.test\.ts/);
+    expect(() => internal.T).toThrow();
   });
 
   it('should properly infer and validate parameter types and assignments', () => {
diff --git a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/routing/RouteRef.ts b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/routing/RouteRef.ts
index b19b77d298..5f1f7a135d 100644
--- a/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/routing/RouteRef.ts
+++ b/packages/frontend-plugin-api/src/routing/RouteRef.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import { describeParentCallSite } from './describeParentCallSite';
 import { AnyRouteParams } from './types';
 
 /**
@@ -36,6 +37,9 @@ export interface InternalRouteRef<
 > extends RouteRef<TParams> {
   readonly version: 'v1';
   getParams(): string[];
+  getDescription(): string;
+
+  setId(id: string): void;
 }
 
 /** @internal */
@@ -60,10 +64,13 @@ export class RouteRefImpl implements InternalRouteRef {
   readonly $$type = '@backstage/RouteRef';
   readonly version = 'v1';
 
+  #id?: string;
   #params: string[];
+  #creationSite: string;
 
-  constructor(readonly params: string[] = []) {
+  constructor(readonly params: string[] = [], creationSite: string) {
     this.#params = params;
+    this.#creationSite = creationSite;
   }
 
   get T(): never {
@@ -74,8 +81,27 @@ export class RouteRefImpl implements InternalRouteRef {
     return this.#params;
   }
 
+  getDescription(): string {
+    if (this.#id) {
+      return this.#id;
+    }
+    return `created at '${this.#creationSite}'`;
+  }
+
+  setId(id: string): void {
+    if (!id) {
+      throw new Error('RouteRef id must be a non-empty string');
+    }
+    if (this.#id) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `RouteRef was referenced twice as both '${this.#id}' and '${id}'`,
+      );
+    }
+    this.#id = id;
+  }
+
   toString(): string {
-    return `RouteRef{}`;
+    return `RouteRef{${this.getDescription()}}`;
   }
 }
 
@@ -100,7 +126,9 @@ export function createRouteRef<
     ? TParams
     : { [param in TParamKeys]: string }
 > {
+  const creationSite = describeParentCallSite();
   return new RouteRefImpl(
     config?.params as string[] | undefined,
+    creationSite,
   ) as RouteRef<any>;
 }