Snowflake ID Generator

Create Twitter-style distributed unique identifiers.

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Input
Output
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About snowflake id generator

Snowflake ID Generator needs nothing from a server once the page has loaded. Leave it open on a train with no signal and it carries on.

Your input goes into a function and the result comes back out, both inside this tab. There is no round trip and no third party in the middle.

You will find it under IDs & generators, alongside 13 other tools for the same sort of job.

Generates 64-bit IDs with configurable worker ID, datacenter ID, and custom epoch for distributed systems.

How to use it

01
Start it
Every control is on the tool itself. Keyboard shortcuts, where there are any, are listed beside it.
02
Watch it run
It updates in the page as you go. Nothing is sent anywhere, so it keeps working with the network off.
03
Close when done
Nothing is stored between visits. Reloading gives you a clean start rather than picking up where you left off.

Examples

Default Snowflake ID
Generate a Snowflake ID with default Twitter epoch. Output varies with current timestamp. Bits 12-16 encode workerId, bits 17-21 encode datacenterId.
Input
count: 1
workerId: 1
datacenterId: 1
epoch: 1288834974657
Output
2091821904959770624
Custom Worker and Datacenter
Generate 3 Snowflake IDs for worker 5, datacenter 3. IDs are time-dependent; each run will produce different values.
Input
count: 3
workerId: 5
datacenterId: 3
epoch: 1288834974657
Output
2091821904960049153
2091821904960049154
2091821904960049155

Questions

Does Snowflake ID Generator work offline?+

Yes. It is JavaScript running in this tab, so once the page has loaded it needs nothing further from the network. Put the machine in flight mode and it carries on. Nothing you do here is sent anywhere, because there is nowhere for it to go.

Does it remember anything between visits?+

No. Reload the page and it starts from nothing. There is no account, no saved state and no cookie holding your last session. That is a deliberate trade: it cannot lose your data because it never keeps any.

Is it accurate?+

Timing comes from performance.now(), the high resolution clock the browser provides, rather than from setInterval, which drifts by a few milliseconds every tick and compounds over minutes. What can still shift things is the browser throttling a tab in the background, so leave it visible if the timing matters.

Does it make a sound?+

Where a sound makes sense, it is generated with the Web Audio API rather than loaded as a file, so there is nothing to download and nothing to block. Browsers refuse to start audio until you have interacted with the page, which is why the first press is what switches it on.

Can I use Snowflake ID Generator on a phone?+

Yes. The controls are sized for touch and the layout collapses to one column on a narrow screen. Bear in mind that a phone locking its screen will suspend the page, and timing stops with it.