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UUID v4 Generator — Generate Random UUIDs Online

Free

Generate UUID v4 (random) identifiers instantly. Bulk generation, multiple formats. Cryptographically random. Free, browser-based, no upload.

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Settings guide

Format options:

  • ·Standard (with hyphens)550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000. The canonical UUID format. Required by most databases (PostgreSQL UUID type, MySQL UUID column) and APIs.
  • ·No hyphens550e8400e29b41d4a716446655440000. 32-character hex string. Used in some legacy systems and URLs where hyphens are awkward.
  • ·Uppercase550E8400-E29B-41D4-A716-446655440000. Some systems require uppercase.
  • ·Braces (GUID style){550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000}. Windows GUID format, used in .NET and COM.

Bulk generation: Generate 1 to 1,000 UUIDs in a single click. Output is one per line for easy copying into code, SQL, or a CSV.

Format comparison

UUID v4 vs UUID v7: UUID v7 (2024 RFC 9562) embeds a millisecond-precision Unix timestamp in the first 48 bits, making UUIDs sortable by generation time. This is a major advantage for database index performance — sequential UUIDs cause far fewer page splits than random ones. If you are using UUIDs as primary keys in a high-write database, consider UUID v7. If you need maximum randomness and time-sortability does not matter, UUID v4 is the standard.

UUID vs auto-increment integers: Auto-increment IDs are sequential, predictable, and leak row count. UUIDs are random, non-guessable, and safe to expose in URLs. The tradeoff: UUID primary keys have larger storage overhead (16 bytes vs 4–8 bytes) and can degrade index performance in high-write scenarios (addressed by UUID v7).

How it works

1

Generate random bytes

122 bits of cryptographically random data are generated using the browser's Web Crypto API (crypto.getRandomValues). This is cryptographically strong randomness, not Math.random().

2

Set version and variant bits

Bits 48–51 are set to 0100 (version 4). Bits 64–65 are set to 10 (RFC 4122 variant). These fixed bits identify the UUID as v4 and standards-compliant.

3

Format as UUID string

The 128 bits are grouped and formatted as eight hexadecimal characters, then four, then four, then four, then twelve — separated by hyphens. The version digit (4) is always in position 13 of the string.

4

Copy or download

Single UUIDs are shown with a one-click copy button. Bulk UUIDs are available as a newline-separated list for easy pasting into code or a SQL INSERT statement.

About this format

UUID v4 generates a 128-bit random identifier in the format `xxxxxxxx-xxxx-4xxx-yxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx`. The v4 designator means the identifier is randomly generated — not derived from a machine address (v1) or content hash (v3/v5). With 122 bits of randomness, the probability of a collision across a trillion generated UUIDs is negligibly small.

UUID v4 is the standard choice for database primary keys, API resource identifiers, session tokens, and any situation where a globally unique identifier is needed without coordination between systems. Generate one or hundreds at once.

Frequently asked questions

What is a UUID v4?+
A UUID v4 is a 128-bit identifier generated from cryptographically random data, formatted as 32 hexadecimal characters in 8-4-4-4-12 groups separated by hyphens. The 4 in position 13 indicates version 4 (random). With 122 bits of randomness, the chance of two UUIDs colliding is approximately 1 in 5.3 × 10^36.
Is UUID v4 truly unique?+
Practically yes. 122 bits of randomness means you would need to generate approximately 2.7 × 10^18 (2.7 quintillion) UUIDs before having a 50% chance of a single collision. In practice, UUID v4 is safe to use as a primary key without uniqueness checking.
What is the difference between UUID and GUID?+
They are the same thing. GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) is Microsoft's term for UUID (Universally Unique Identifier). Both follow the RFC 4122 specification. GUIDs are commonly displayed in braces {}, which is a Windows convention, not a format difference.
Should I use UUID v4 or UUID v7 for database primary keys?+
UUID v7 is better for database primary keys because it is time-sortable — new UUIDs are always greater than older ones, which keeps B-tree indexes efficient and avoids page fragmentation. UUID v4 is fully random, which causes index fragmentation in high-write tables. Use v7 for new tables; v4 is fine for low-write or existing schemas.
How is UUID v4 generated here — is it truly random?+
Yes. The generator uses window.crypto.getRandomValues(), which is the browser's cryptographically secure random number generator (CSPRNG). This is the same source used for cryptographic operations. It is not Math.random(), which is not cryptographically secure.

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