FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is a client ID? +
A unique identifier assigned to each customer record in a system such as a CRM or billing tool. It stays stable when names or emails change, so records can always be told apart. Full guide: what is a client ID.
What are common client ID formats? +
Sequential numbers, prefixed codes like CLT-0042, random alphanumeric codes, hex strings, and UUIDs. Sequential IDs are compact and sortable; random IDs hide record counts; UUIDs are globally unique without coordination. Compared in detail: client ID formats.
Can I use ClientCipher IDs in production? +
No. ClientCipher generates mock IDs for testing. Uniqueness is only checked within the generated batch, and the tool keeps no memory between visits. Production systems should issue their own IDs with a database unique constraint.
Why not use customer names as identifiers? +
Names are neither unique nor stable: two customers can share a name, and names change through marriage, rebranding or typo correction. A synthetic stable ID avoids both problems.
How do databases generate unique IDs? +
Auto-increment columns or sequences for compact sequential numbers, UUIDs (version 4) for random globally-unique values, and random tokens with a unique constraint to catch rare collisions. Details: creating unique client IDs.
Is the ClientCipher generator private? +
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser using crypto.getRandomValues(). Nothing is sent over the network, no cookies are set, and nothing is stored. See our privacy page.
Should IDs be sequential or random? +
Sequential IDs are compact, sortable and human-friendly, but they reveal record counts and are easy to guess. Random IDs and UUIDs hide counts and resist enumeration, at the cost of length and readability.
What is a UUID? +
A Universally Unique Identifier: a 128-bit value written as 32 hex digits in five groups (8-4-4-4-12). Version 4 UUIDs are randomly generated, making collisions practically impossible without central coordination.