Generating UUIDs in JavaScript

Serhii Shramko /

Have you ever needed to create unique identifiers in your JavaScript app? Say hello to window.crypto.randomUUID(). It's a great way to generate UUIDs in the browser.

What is it?

Simply put, window.crypto.randomUUID() is a method that generates a random v4 UUID. It's part of the Web Crypto API. It provides cryptographically strong random values.

const myUUID = window.crypto.randomUUID();
console.log(myUUID); // Outputs something like '3b241101-e2bb-4255-8caf-4136c566a962'

Before using this function, check if it's available. Your code might run in different environments. I have a more detailed snippet on checking the environment if you want to dive deeper.

Why use it?

• Uniqueness: Guarantees that each UUID is unique across space and time.

• Security: Generates random values that are cryptographically strong.

• Convenience: No need to install external libraries; it’s built into modern browsers.

• Performance: Generates UUIDs with minimal overhead from extra code.