root@generate-random:~/passwords/php$ _

Generate Random Passwords in PHP

Complete code tutorial with examples and best practices

PHP

[ Code Example - Quick Summary ]

Language: PHP

What: Generate secure random passwords in PHP using <code>random_bytes()</code> for cryptographically secure random data. This approach creates strong passwords with customizable length and character sets.

Try it: Use our interactive Passwords generator or integrate this code into your PHP application.

Generate secure random passwords in PHP using random_bytes() for cryptographically secure random data. This approach creates strong passwords with customizable length and character sets. Looking for other languages? Check our code examples in JavaScript , Python , Java , C# , C++ , Ruby and Go or use our interactive web generator.

PHP Code Example

<?php
// Generate a random password with default settings
function generatePassword($length = 16, $includeSpecial = true) {
    $lowercase = 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz';
    $uppercase = 'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ';
    $numbers = '0123456789';
    $special = '!@#$%^&*()-_=+[]{}|;:,.<>?';

    $chars = $lowercase . $uppercase . $numbers;
    if ($includeSpecial) {
        $chars .= $special;
    }

    $password = '';
    $charsLength = strlen($chars);

    for ($i = 0; $i < $length; $i++) {
        $randomIndex = random_int(0, $charsLength - 1);
        $password .= $chars[$randomIndex];
    }

    return $password;
}

// Generate a 16-character password with special characters
$password = generatePassword(16, true);
echo $password;  // Example: aB3$xY7!mN2@pQ9&

// Generate a 12-character password without special characters
$simplePassword = generatePassword(12, false);
echo $simplePassword;  // Example: aB3xY7mN2pQ9

[EXPLANATION]

This function uses random_int() to generate cryptographically secure random indices for character selection. It allows customization of password length and character sets. For maximum security, always include uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters.