Overview
Each ID follows the original CUID layout, built from five parts concatenated in order: the letter `c`; the current time in milliseconds written in base 36; a four-character base-36 counter; a four-character fingerprint; and two four-character random blocks.
The counter increments for every ID the serving instance creates and wraps back to zero after 36^4 values, so IDs made in the same millisecond on the same instance still differ. The fingerprint is derived from the server process ID and the length of its hostname, which separates IDs made by different instances at the same moment. The random blocks come from the JavaScript runtime's standard random number generator, which is not a cryptographic source: treat CUIDs as unique identifiers, not as secrets or unguessable tokens. Use a password or token generator for those.
Because the timestamp comes first and is the same length for any current date, IDs sort roughly by creation time. Ordering within the same millisecond is reliable only for IDs from the same instance, since separate instances keep separate counters.
`count` sets how many IDs are returned, from 1 to 100, defaulting to 1, and `cuids` holds them in generation order. `format`, `collision_resistant` and `sortable` are fixed descriptive values that are the same on every response; they are null on the Free plan.
Live Test Generate CUIDs Source →
Formula
One function covers the whole catalog: the first argument names the source, the next are its inputs, and the field after them says which single value lands in the cell. Formulas covers the grammar that applies to all of them.
=VERVE("cuidgenerator", "cuids")=VERVE.CALL("cuidgenerator", "cuids")Inputs
Required inputs are positional, in the order below, followed by the field. Everything else is passed as a "name", value pair after that — the same shape as SUMIFS. Premium inputs are accepted on every plan but only take effect on plans that include them.
| Input | Type | Where it goes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
countOptional | integer | "count", value | Number of Cuids to generate default 1 · range 1–100 |
Passing an option
=VERVE("cuidgenerator", "cuids", "count", 10)=VERVE.CALL("cuidgenerator", "cuids", "count", 10)What lands in your sheet
The field — the argument after the inputs — is what makes the formula resolve to one cell. Its value is a dot-path from the table below, so swapping it is how you pull a different value — one formula per column.
Seeing everything at once
Leave the field out and the formula returns the whole response instead: two columns, field name on the left and value on the right, spilling from the cell you typed in.
=VERVE("cuidgenerator")=VERVE.CALL("cuidgenerator")The second row's table would land on top of the first's, and every cell after the first reads #REF! (#SPILL! in Excel). Keep one per sheet, or name a field, and leave the cells below and to the right empty.
Response fields
Paths are relative to data. Each one is exactly what the field argument accepts, so swapping it is how you pull a different value into a cell. On a plan without a Premium field the cell reads #PREMIUM(field) rather than a value, so a locked field never looks like a real answer.
| Use as the field | Type | Example cell value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
cuids | array | ["cmj95ed27000000145v116use","cmj95ed2700010014uuounuyc","cmj95ed27000200147pwbz35y"] | Array of generated collision-resistant unique identifier strings |
count | number | 10 | Total count of CUIDs generated in this request |
formatPremium | string | c + timestamp + counter + fingerprint + random | Description of CUID component composition and structure format |
collision_resistantPremium | boolean | true | Indicates whether generated CUIDs provide collision resistance guarantee |
sortablePremium | boolean | true | Indicates whether CUIDs are naturally sortable by timestamp component |
When a cell doesn't fill
A failed lookup returns readable text starting with #ERR rather than a spreadsheet error, because Excel cannot show a custom message on a real error — you would get a bare #VALUE! with no reason. The trade-off is that IFERROR() will not catch it; test with LEFT(cell, 4) = "#ERR" instead. Error handling covers the rest.
| Cell reads | What happened |
|---|---|
#ERR Not connected | No API key saved. Open the side panel and connect your account. |
#ERR Replace <name> with a cell or value | A preview formula was copied as-is. Swap the placeholder for a cell reference. |
#ERR No "x" in cuidgenerator | An option name this source does not take. The message lists the ones it does. |
#ERR No data point "…" | The field path is not in the response. Check it against the table above. |
#PREMIUM(field) | The field exists but your plan does not include it. |
#ERR Out of credits | The cycle's credits are spent. Usage resets on your billing date. |
Before the formula works
The add-in reads the API key you saved once in the side panel — the key never goes in the formula, so a shared sheet does not leak it and a collaborator without access simply sees the last calculated values.
- Install the add-in for Google Sheets or Excel.
- Open the side panel and sign in, or paste a key from your dashboard.
- Type the formula above into any cell.
Use cases
- Distributed Databases
- Generate safe unique keys across distributed database systems and shards
- Horizontal Scaling
- Create identifiers that work reliably across horizontally scaled applications
- Event Sourcing
- Generate sortable event identifiers for event sourcing and CQRS patterns
- Multi-tenant Systems
- Create unique identifiers across multiple tenants and isolated environments
Other ways to use Generate CUIDs
Set up Generate CUIDs on VerveSheets, or reach the same source a different way. Your VerveSheets account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.
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