If you have worked with SQL or NoSQL databases, you have come across the terms _id, ID, or ObjectId. They serve as the primary key for all documents and records.

All documents have an individual identifier that allows us to find, update, and delete them quickly and easily. Also, they are critical elements that cannot be ignored, as they define an object’s characteristics and enable us to interact with it effectively.

Moreover, it’s interesting to know how computers generate such long strings of random numbers with the smallest chance of collision between any two UUIDs.

With that in mind, here’s an overview of UUIDs and the best UUID generators in 2023.

What is a UUID?

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UUIDs are 36-character alphanumeric codes that uniquely identify information on a computer. They’re either guaranteed to be different or very likely different from UUIDs generated before 3400. UUIDs detect databases, system instances, primary keys, Bluetooth profiles, and short-lived objects.

The UUID and GUID are similar. UUID was originally a Microsoft version, but both terms were standardized by RFC 4122. UUIDs are part of the Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) standardized by the Open Software Foundation (OSF). UUIDs follow RFC 4122.

A UUID is generated based on the network address and a timestamp.

How Does UUID Generation Work?

The UUID is unique because it combines multiple components. A UUID consists of 128 bits, which are constructed by sequencing digits. This ID is hexadecimal, comprising numbers 0 through 9 and letters A through F.

There are 32 hexadecimal digits with four hyphens: XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. Hyphens have a character count of 8-4-4-4-12. The last four bits, or the N position, indicate the format and encoding in one to three bits.

For example, A UUID based on time has segments separated by hyphens that indicate low, mid, and mid-time, as well as different timestamps to identify it. The MAC address is in the last section, the node.

Different Versions of UUID

  • Version One: The first version generates UUIDs based on the MAC address of the computer and the generation time. They’re what they sound like. There’s a maximum processing rate of 163 billion cycles per second for computers (or nodes), but it’s rarely a problem for developers. With this version, you can find out the computer’s address and time if you use it. There are other problems with it, too.
  • Version Two: UUID version two is similar to version one, but fewer implementations use it because RFC 4122 gives little detail. They won’t be used in practice, and they’re sometimes called DCE security UUIDs.
  • Version Three: Version three uses the application’s cryptographic hashes and text strings to generate UUIDs. UUIDs are generated using MD5 hashing, and names generate UUIDs. Now we can combine names and namespaces to create UUIDs. This algorithm has a value of 128 bits, which is common. It’s easy to find two messages with the same hash value because it’s been designed for cryptography, but now it’s vulnerable.
  • Version Four: You can create pseudo-random numbers, or random bits, using deterministic random bit generators. Pseudo-random number generators generate UUIDs, and they’re super easy to use. UUIDs are generated randomly. It’s possible to duplicate a UUID, but it’s slim. There are 2128 possible combinations. Almost every programming language supports version four currently.
  • Version Five – Versions three and five are the same except for the hashing algorithm. SHA-1 replaces MD5 in version five. Even though version four is technically superior, it has the same problems as version three.

So now, let’s explore some top UUID generators.

UUID Generator

As a free, intuitive tool, UUID Generator for Mac OS X allows you to generate Universal Unique Identifiers (UUIDs). The website will enable you to generate up to 500 UUID codes simultaneously.

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Create a UUID online with uuidgenerator.net:

  • Go to uuidgenerator.net
  • You can choose either Version 1 or Version 4 UUID Generator.
  • Next, decide how many UUIDs to generate.
  • Last but not least, click ‘Generate’ to start generating UUIDs.

It is also possible to generate UUID codes for versions 1 and 4. You can store UUID codes locally by copying them to the clipboard and saving them.

There’s also UUID Tools, which is a free online UUID generator. The website lets users generate random UUID codes for Version 1, Version 3, Version 4, and Version 5. You can also generate up to 100 UUID codes at once.

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Create a UUID online with uuidtools.com:

  • Visit the website to see the Bulk UUID Generator.
  • After that, specify how many UUIDs you want to generate.
  • You can choose between version 1, version 3, or version 5.
  • Lastly, click the ‘Generate’ button to generate the UUID.

Users can copy the API call or save it locally in TXT when the UUID code is generated.

Geekflare UUID Generator

The Geekflare UUID software allows you to create unique UUID values. This generator can generate up to 1000 UUIDs. Version 4 UUID is generated by default.

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Create a UUID online with geekflare.com/tools/uuid-generator

  • You may select any number of UUIDs you like.
  • Choose from Version 1, 3, 4, and 5 UUIDs.
  • You will see the UUID generated in the right column.

You may regenerate the output or copy it directly if you wish.

GUID Generator

GUID Generator is an online UUID generator that is free to use. This website can be used to generate UUIDs or GUIDs in bulk. The tool is capable of generating up to 2000 UUID codes simultaneously.

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Create a UUID online with guidgenerator.com

  • Open the website.
  • Please specify how many UUID codes you’d like to generate.
  • You’ll also need to adjust the formatting using uppercase, braces, hyphens, etc.
  • The final step is to choose an Encoding format and click ‘Generate’ to generate some UUIDs.
  • It’s easy to copy generated UUID codes to the clipboard.

Before starting the generation, the user can adjust the Format (Uppercase, Braces, Hyphens) and Encoding (Base64, RFC 7515, URL Encode).

Famkruithof

There’s a website called famkruithof.net that generates UUIDs for free. The website lets you generate a UUID code or multiple UUID codes simultaneously.

There’s a maximum of 500 UUID codes you can generate at once. When creating a UUID, the user can specify the version (Version 1 or Version 4), the case, and the braces before starting.

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Create a UUID online with famkruithof.net:

  • Open this website and enter the number of UUIDs you want to generate.
  • You’ll need to specify the type of UUID and other UUID details.
  • Last but not least, click the ‘Get’ button to view the UUID codes generated.

The UUID generated through this website may not be unique, as stated in the disclaimer.

UUID Online

The website that offers a UUID generator online is UUID Online. This website uses its UUID generator tool to give you a random UUID code.

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Create a UUID online with uuidonline.com

  • Visit this website and choose the UUID code version that suits your needs.
  • The generated UUID code can be viewed by clicking the ‘Generate New’ button.
  • As a final step, copy the UUID to the clipboard.

There’s still room for users to choose a UUID code version based on their needs, such as UUID version 3, UUID version 4, or UUID version 5.

Retool simplifies the process of creating internal tools by creating UUIDs. Companies use custom applications, dashboards, admin panels, and other internal tools to run their operations, and Retool makes it easier to create UUIDs than from scratch.

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Create a UUID online with retool.com

  • Select Edit UUID Generator from the menu.
  • Then click on the option for generating a UUID.
  • When you sign up, you can also edit the UUID.
  • The last step is to copy the UUID.

Moreover, you can create custom logic, run custom queries, and connect your data to any source.

Short Unique ID

Short Unique ID generator is an excellent tool for generating UUIDs online. This tool allows you to generate short and non-sequential unique URL-friendly identifiers.

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Create a UUID online with short unique.id

  • Visit the link.
  • Enter the length.
  • Click on ‘Generate Random Sequential Short UUID’.
  • You will notice the random UUID generated.

Marc Nuri

Marc Nuri provides an online tool for generating UUIDs and GUIDs. It is commonly called UUIDs and GUIDs, 128-bit numbers used to identify computer information.

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Create a UUID online with marcnuri.com

  • Visit the website.
  • Enter the amount you want to add.
  • Select separator from the drop-down menu.
  • Click on ‘Generate’.

Comment Picker generates free UUIDs. This website generates random UUIDs to use in apps and online tools and lets you create up to 100 UUIDs at once.

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Create a UUID online with commentpicker.com

  • Please visit the website and click on the Random UUID Generator button.
  • The next step is to specify how many UUIDs you want.
  • Finally, click ‘Generate UUIDS’ and copy the generated codes.

Despite this, users can’t change UUID parameters.

Final Words

There you have it! The top UUID generator tools! This article will help you understand UUID versions and when to use them.

Next, check out the best URL shorteners for brand marketing.