Developer Tools for Random Data Generation // v2.5.1
root@generate-random:~/strings/javascript$ _

Generate Random Strings in JavaScript

Complete code tutorial with examples and best practices

[ Code Example - Quick Summary ]

Language: JavaScript

What: Generate random strings in JavaScript using <code>crypto.getRandomValues()</code> for cryptographically secure random values. Works in browsers and Node.js.

Try it: Use our interactive Strings generator or integrate this code into your JavaScript application.

Generate random strings in JavaScript using crypto.getRandomValues() for cryptographically secure random values. Works in browsers and Node.js. Looking for other languages? Check our code examples in PHP , Python , Java , C# , C++ , Ruby and Go or use our interactive web generator.

JavaScript Code Example

function generateRandomString(length = 16, customChars = null) {
    const defaultChars = 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789';
    const chars = customChars || defaultChars;

    const array = new Uint32Array(length);
    crypto.getRandomValues(array);

    let result = '';
    for (let i = 0; i < length; i++) {
        result += chars[array[i] % chars.length];
    }

    return result;
}

// Generate a 16-character alphanumeric string
const randomString = generateRandomString(16);
console.log(randomString);  // Example: aB3xY7mN2pQ9zR5t

// Generate a 12-character hex string
const hexChars = '0123456789abcdef';
const hexString = generateRandomString(12, hexChars);
console.log(hexString);  // Example: a3f7b2e9c4d1

// Generate a 10-character lowercase string
const lowercaseString = generateRandomString(10, 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz');
console.log(lowercaseString);  // Example: xmkpqrstuv

[EXPLANATION]

This function uses crypto.getRandomValues() to generate cryptographically secure random numbers. The modulo operator ensures uniform distribution across the character set. Supports custom character sets for flexible string generation.

Expected Output

aB3xY7mN2pQ9zR5t
a3f7b2e9c4d1
xmkpqrstuv

Common Use Cases

  • Session ID generation for web apps
  • Unique identifiers for DOM elements
  • API token generation
  • Cache busting query parameters
  • Temporary file naming
  • WebSocket connection IDs

Important Notes

  • crypto.getRandomValues() works in modern browsers
  • Node.js 15.6+ supports crypto.webcrypto
  • For older Node.js, use crypto.randomBytes()
  • Consider using base64url encoding for URL-safe strings

Try Our Interactive Generator

Don't want to write code? Use our free web-based Strings generator with instant results.

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