The Paper Room

CUID Generator

Generate CUID-style (Collision-Resistant Unique ID) identifiers in your browser. CUIDs combine a timestamp with random characters to create IDs that are both unique and roughly sortable by creation time. Each ID starts with 'c' followed by the timestamp in base-36 and random characters.

The timestamp component means IDs generated close together will sort near each other, which is valuable for database indexing and time-ordered data. The random component ensures uniqueness even when multiple IDs are generated in the same millisecond.

Generate single IDs or batch-generate multiple at once. All randomness comes from the browser's crypto.getRandomValues API — no server, no external dependencies.

By The Paper Room Editorial TeamDeveloper Tools

Frequently asked questions

What makes CUIDs collision-resistant?

CUIDs combine a millisecond timestamp with cryptographically random characters. Even if two IDs are generated in the same millisecond on the same machine, the random component makes collisions extremely unlikely.

Are CUIDs sortable?

Roughly, yes. Because they start with a timestamp component, CUIDs generated later will generally sort after earlier ones. This makes them friendlier for database B-tree indexes compared to fully random UUIDs.

How long is a generated CUID?

The generated IDs are 25 characters long: a 'c' prefix, 8 characters of base-36 timestamp, and 16 random characters. This provides a good balance between compactness and collision resistance.