UUID Generator

A UUID (Universally Unique IDentifier) is a 128-bit number used to uniquely identify information. Use UUIDs for database keys, distributed systems, and anywhere you need unique IDs without a central authority.

UUID v4 (what this tool generates) uses random numbers. Other versions use timestamps (v1), namespaces (v3/v5), or other methods. V4 is most common for general-purpose unique IDs.

While not mathematically guaranteed, UUID v4 collisions are astronomically unlikely. With proper random generation, you'd need to generate billions of UUIDs per second for years to have a realistic chance of collision.

Some databases and systems prefer compact 32-character hex strings without hyphens. The hyphenless format is also useful for URLs, filenames, or when space is constrained.