Sqids (pronounced "squids") is a small library that lets you generate unique IDs from numbers. It's good for link shortening, fast & URL-safe ID generation and decoding back into numbers for quicker database lookups.

Features:

• Encode multiple numbers - generate short IDs from one or several non-negative numbers
• Quick decoding - easily decode IDs back into numbers
• Unique IDs - generate unique IDs by shuffling the alphabet once
• ID padding - provide minimum length to make IDs more uniform
• URL safe - auto-generated IDs do not contain common profanity
• Randomized output - Sequential input provides nonconsecutive IDs
• Many implementations - Support for 40+ programming languages

Good for:

• Generating IDs for public URLs (eg: link shortening)
• Generating IDs for internal systems (eg: event tracking)
• Decoding for quicker database lookups (eg: by primary keys)

Not good for:

• Sensitive data (this is not an encryption library)
• User IDs (can be decoded revealing user count)

1. Install Rust if you don't have it.

2. Install pgrx:

   cargo install --locked cargo-pgrx

3. Install dependencies and run psql session:

   cargo build
   cargo pgrx run

4. Install extension:

   DROP EXTENSION pg_sqids;
   CREATE EXTENSION pg_sqids;

5. Run sample query:

   SELECT sqids_encode(1, 2, 3); -- 86Rf07

1. Create the extension:

   cargo pgrx package

2. Extension file should be in target/release

   • For Linux: libpg_sqids.so
   • For macOS: libpg_sqids.dylib
   • For Windows: pg_sqids.dll

3. Install the extension:

   DROP EXTENSION pg_sqids;
   CREATE EXTENSION pg_sqids;

Simple encode & decode:

SELECT sqids_encode(1, 2, 3); -- 86Rf07
SELECT sqids_decode('86Rf07'); -- {1,2,3}

Note 🚧 Because of the algorithm's design, multiple IDs can decode back into the same sequence of numbers. If it's important to your design that IDs are canonical, you have to manually re-encode decoded numbers and check that the generated ID matches.

Enforce a minimum length for IDs:

SELECT sqids_encode(10::smallint, 1, 2, 3); -- 86Rf07xd4z
SELECT sqids_decode(10::smallint, '86Rf07xd4z'); -- {1,2,3}

Randomize IDs by providing a custom alphabet:

SELECT sqids_encode('k3G7QAe51FCsPW92uEOyq4Bg6Sp8YzVTmnU0liwDdHXLajZrfxNhobJIRcMvKt', 1, 2, 3); -- XRKUdQ
SELECT sqids_decode('k3G7QAe51FCsPW92uEOyq4Bg6Sp8YzVTmnU0liwDdHXLajZrfxNhobJIRcMvKt', 'XRKUdQ'); -- {1,2,3}

Prevent specific words from appearing anywhere in the auto-generated IDs:

SELECT sqids_encode(array['86Rf07'], 1, 2, 3); -- se8ojk
SELECT sqids_decode(array['86Rf07'], 'se8ojk'); -- {1,2,3}

Alphabet + min length:

SELECT sqids_encode('k3G7QAe51FCsPW92uEOyq4Bg6Sp8YzVTmnU0liwDdHXLajZrfxNhobJIRcMvKt', 10::smallint, 1, 2, 3); -- XRKUdQVBzg
SELECT sqids_decode('k3G7QAe51FCsPW92uEOyq4Bg6Sp8YzVTmnU0liwDdHXLajZrfxNhobJIRcMvKt', 10::smallint, 'XRKUdQVBzg'); -- {1,2,3}

Alphabet + blocklist:

SELECT sqids_encode('k3G7QAe51FCsPW92uEOyq4Bg6Sp8YzVTmnU0liwDdHXLajZrfxNhobJIRcMvKt', array['XRKUdQ'], 1, 2, 3); -- WyXQfF
SELECT sqids_decode('k3G7QAe51FCsPW92uEOyq4Bg6Sp8YzVTmnU0liwDdHXLajZrfxNhobJIRcMvKt', array['XRKUdQ'], 'WyXQfF'); -- {1,2,3}

Min length + blocklist:

SELECT sqids_encode(10::smallint, array['86Rf07'], 1, 2, 3); -- se8ojkCQvX
SELECT sqids_decode(10::smallint, array['86Rf07'], 'se8ojkCQvX'); -- {1,2,3}

Alphabet + min length + blocklist:

SELECT sqids_encode('k3G7QAe51FCsPW92uEOyq4Bg6Sp8YzVTmnU0liwDdHXLajZrfxNhobJIRcMvKt', 10::smallint, array['XRKUdQVBzg'], 1, 2, 3); -- WyXQfFQ21T
SELECT sqids_decode('k3G7QAe51FCsPW92uEOyq4Bg6Sp8YzVTmnU0liwDdHXLajZrfxNhobJIRcMvKt', 10::smallint, array['XRKUdQVBzg'], 'WyXQfFQ21T'); -- {1,2,3}

MIT