Custom Hash IDs vs UUID
Developers should use Custom Hash IDs when they need to generate public-facing identifiers that are secure, non-predictable, and do not reveal sensitive information like database row counts or sequential patterns, such as in RESTful APIs, URL shorteners, or e-commerce systems meets developers should use uuids when they need to generate unique identifiers across distributed systems or independent components without a central authority, such as in microservices architectures, database primary keys, or file naming. Here's our take.
Custom Hash IDs
Developers should use Custom Hash IDs when they need to generate public-facing identifiers that are secure, non-predictable, and do not reveal sensitive information like database row counts or sequential patterns, such as in RESTful APIs, URL shorteners, or e-commerce systems
Custom Hash IDs
Nice PickDevelopers should use Custom Hash IDs when they need to generate public-facing identifiers that are secure, non-predictable, and do not reveal sensitive information like database row counts or sequential patterns, such as in RESTful APIs, URL shorteners, or e-commerce systems
Pros
- +They are particularly useful for preventing enumeration attacks, improving user experience with readable IDs, and enabling features like referral codes or tracking tokens without relying on database primary keys
- +Related to: hash-functions, cryptography
Cons
- -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case
UUID
Developers should use UUIDs when they need to generate unique identifiers across distributed systems or independent components without a central authority, such as in microservices architectures, database primary keys, or file naming
Pros
- +They are particularly valuable for avoiding collisions in large-scale applications, ensuring data integrity in replication scenarios, and simplifying ID generation in offline or disconnected environments
- +Related to: database-design, distributed-systems
Cons
- -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case
The Verdict
Use Custom Hash IDs if: You want they are particularly useful for preventing enumeration attacks, improving user experience with readable ids, and enabling features like referral codes or tracking tokens without relying on database primary keys and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.
Use UUID if: You prioritize they are particularly valuable for avoiding collisions in large-scale applications, ensuring data integrity in replication scenarios, and simplifying id generation in offline or disconnected environments over what Custom Hash IDs offers.
Developers should use Custom Hash IDs when they need to generate public-facing identifiers that are secure, non-predictable, and do not reveal sensitive information like database row counts or sequential patterns, such as in RESTful APIs, URL shorteners, or e-commerce systems
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