Order number generator — dated, sequential or random order IDs

How to use the order number generator

1. Type a Prefix, such as ORD, SO or WEB. Leave it empty if you do not want one.
2. Pick the Date part: YYYYMMDD, YYMMDD, YYYYMM or No date, and set the Order date (today by default).
3. Choose the Number part: Sequential, Random digits or Random letters and digits. For sequential numbers, set Start at.
4. Set the Digits (width, 1 to 12) and the Separator (up to three characters).
5. Set How many numbers (up to 5,000) and press Generate.

What it does and when to use it

A clear order number helps customers quote their order, helps staff find it, and helps accountants match payments. A date inside the number tells you at a glance when an order came in; a prefix tells you which channel or store it came from. This tool lets you try different formats side by side before you set one up in your shop, and it creates batches for imports, paper order books or test data.

Random letters and digits use the 32-character set without 0, O, 1 and I, so the numbers are easy to read over the phone. For invoices, which usually need a strict gap-free sequence, use the invoice number generator. For product or device labels, see the serial number generator. For discount codes, use the coupon code generator.

How it works

Each number is the prefix, the date part and the number part, joined by the separator. Empty parts are skipped, so there is no double separator.

• Sequential: Start at, Start at + 1, and so on, padded with leading zeros to the width.
• Random digits: width digits from crypto.getRandomValues, with 10^width possible values.
• Random letters and digits: width characters from the look-alike-free set, with 32^width possible values.

Random batches contain no repeats. If you ask for more numbers than the width allows, the tool stops with a message.

Worked examples

• The defaults on 2 October 2026. Three numbers: ORD-20261002-0001, ORD-20261002-0002 and ORD-20261002-0003.
• No date, starting at 1000. Prefix SO, width 6: SO-001000 and SO-001001.
• Short date with a random part. YYMMDD on 7 October 2026 with 5 random characters gave ORD-261007-8TK2L and ORD-261007-KUD5N.
• Too many for the width. 200 random 2-digit numbers is impossible, so the tool replies “Only 100 distinct values fit this pattern — ask for fewer or make it longer.”

Limits and tips

• Dates are read as calendar dates; no time zone or time of day is added.
• Avoid separators such as / if order numbers appear in web addresses.
• Once you publish a format, keep it. Changing it later makes old and new orders hard to sort together.