What alphabet should I use?

Base62 (0-9, A-Z, a-z) gives the shortest IDs for a given amount of randomness. Base58 removes visually ambiguous characters like 0, O, I, and l, which helps when IDs are read aloud or typed by hand. Hex is useful when you need a fixed character set compatible with older systems.

How random are these IDs?

Each character is drawn using the WebCrypto getRandomValues API with rejection sampling, so every character in the chosen alphabet has an equal chance of appearing. No modulo bias is introduced.

How long should my ID be?

For most apps, 8 to 12 base62 characters give a collision risk low enough for millions of records. Use 16 or more characters for high-volume systems or when IDs are guessable targets, like password reset tokens.

Are these IDs generated on a server?

No. Generation happens entirely in your browser. No ID, length, or alphabet choice is sent anywhere.

Can I use these IDs in a URL directly?

Yes, all four alphabets offered here are URL-safe without any encoding.

Short ID Generator

Generate short, URL-friendly random IDs in your browser with a configurable length and alphabet, plus bulk generate and copy.

Generate Short IDs

Alphabet Length How many?

Click Generate to create short IDs

Copied!

Summary

A short ID trades the length of a UUID for a compact, URL-friendly string built from cryptographically random bytes. This tool lets you pick the alphabet (base62, base58, hex, or a URL-safe nanoid-style set) and the exact length, then draws random values with WebCrypto and maps them evenly across the chosen character set so no character is favored over another. Everything runs locally in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.

How it works

Pick an alphabet: base62, base58 (no ambiguous characters), hex, or URL-safe (nanoid-style with - and _).
Set the ID length and how many IDs to generate.
Click Generate to draw random bytes with WebCrypto and map them onto the chosen alphabet.
Click any single ID to copy it, or use Copy All to copy the full list.

Use cases

Short slugs for shortened links or shareable URLs.
Primary keys or reference codes that need to stay compact.
API keys or invite codes with a fixed length.
Test fixtures that need many unique, realistic-looking IDs.
Filenames or object storage keys that must avoid collisions.
Coupon or voucher codes generated in bulk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-09-09 · Reviewed by Nham Vu