UUID Generator
Generate cryptographically secure UUID v4 values. Bulk generate up to 50.
crypto.randomUUID() — cryptographically secure random values. UUID v4 has 122 bits of randomness; collision probability is negligible.What UUIDs are used for
UUIDs solve the problem of generating unique identifiers across distributed systems without a central coordinator. Unlike auto-incrementing database IDs, UUIDs can be generated on any client, offline, without risk of collision.
- Database primary keys — especially in distributed or multi-tenant systems
- API keys and tokens — as a base for unique references
- File names — avoiding conflicts in multi-user uploads
- Session IDs and correlation IDs — for request tracing
- Frontend generated IDs — for optimistic UI updates before server confirmation
UUID versions
There are several UUID versions. v1 includes a timestamp and MAC address.v3 and v5 are namespace-based (deterministic from input).v4 is fully random — the most commonly used. v7 (newer) is time-ordered and random, useful for database index performance.
This generator produces v4 UUIDs using crypto.randomUUID()— the browser's native CSPRNG-based implementation.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a UUID?
- UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) is a 128-bit label used to uniquely identify objects in computer systems. The standard format is 8-4-4-4-12 hexadecimal digits separated by hyphens, e.g. 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000.
- What is UUID v4?
- UUID v4 is randomly generated — 122 bits of randomness with a small portion reserved for version and variant bits. It requires no coordination between systems, making it ideal for distributed databases, frontend IDs, and API keys.
- Are these UUIDs truly unique?
- The probability of generating two identical v4 UUIDs is astronomically small — roughly 1 in 5.3 × 10^36. For practical purposes in any application, they are effectively guaranteed unique.
- Is crypto.randomUUID() safe to use?
- Yes. crypto.randomUUID() uses the browser's cryptographically secure pseudorandom number generator (CSPRNG), the same source used for cryptographic operations. It is significantly more random than Math.random().
- When should I use UUID without hyphens?
- Some databases and APIs prefer the compact 32-character hex string without hyphens (e.g., MySQL's UNHEX for binary storage, some REST APIs). Both formats represent the same value — the hyphens are just separators for readability.
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