TFT

UUID List Sorter & Organizer

Paste a list of UUIDs and sort them alphabetically or by embedded timestamp (for v1). This tool helps organize and clean identifier lists, with options to remove duplicates and add sequence numbers.

UUID Sorting Options

Sort your UUID lists in different ways depending on your needs.

  • Alphabetical: Standard lexicographical sorting
  • Timestamp: Sorts v1 (time-based) UUIDs by creation time
  • Remove duplicates: Keeps only unique UUIDs (case-insensitive)
  • Add line numbers: Numbers each UUID for easy reference

How the UUID Sort & Organize Tool Works

This tool processes lists of UUIDs entirely in your browser. It validates each line, separates valid UUIDs from invalid entries, and applies sorting based on your selected method.

Two sorting modes are available: lexicographical (alphabetical string comparison) and timestamp-based (extracts the time component from version 1 UUIDs). The tool also optionally removes duplicates using case-insensitive comparison.

Sorting modes explained:

Lexicographical (alphabetical)

Treats UUIDs as strings and sorts them character by character. Fast and works with any UUID version.

Timestamp (v1 only)

Extracts the 60-bit timestamp from version 1 UUIDs and sorts chronologically. For non-v1 UUIDs, results are undefined.

Real Use Cases

Database export cleanup

A data analyst exports UUID-based records from a database and needs them sorted for comparison with another export.

Log file analysis

DevOps engineers extract request IDs from distributed logs and sort them chronologically to trace execution flow.

Duplicate detection in imports

Before importing a CSV of user records, someone checks for duplicate UUIDs that could cause primary key conflicts.

Test data preparation

A QA engineer generates UUIDs for test fixtures and needs them in a predictable order for reproducible test runs.

Audit trail reconstruction

Security analysts sort v1 UUIDs from access logs by timestamp to rebuild the sequence of events during an incident.

Data deduplication

After merging datasets from multiple sources, an engineer removes duplicate UUIDs to create a clean master list.

What to Know Before Using

Input format: Paste UUIDs one per line or in any text format. The tool extracts valid UUIDs and reports invalid entries separately.

Case-insensitive deduplication: 550e8400... and 550E8400... are treated as the same UUID when removing duplicates.

Timestamp sorting limitation: Only works correctly with version 1 UUIDs (time-based). Version 4 (random) UUIDs sorted by timestamp will produce meaningless results.

Output options: Add line numbers for easy reference in documentation or reports. Download as a text file for use in other tools.

FAQ

What's the difference between lexicographical and timestamp sorting?

Lexicographical sorts UUIDs alphabetically as strings (like dictionary order). Timestamp sorting extracts the embedded time value from version 1 UUIDs and sorts by actual generation time. Use lexicographical for general purposes, timestamp for chronological ordering of v1 UUIDs.

How do I know if my UUIDs are version 1?

Check the 13th character (after the second hyphen). If it's "1", it's version 1. For example: 6ba7b810-9dad-11d1-80b4-00c04fd430c8. If it's "4", it's random (v4) and timestamp sorting won't work.

Can this handle large lists?

Yes, but performance depends on your browser. Lists with thousands of UUIDs should process quickly. For extremely large files (100,000+), consider using command-line tools instead.

What happens to invalid entries?

Invalid entries are separated from valid UUIDs and shown in a warning section. They're excluded from the sorted output but you can see what was skipped and fix them.

Does sorting change the UUID values?

No, sorting only reorders the list. Each UUID keeps its original format (case and hyphenation). If you need to normalize format, use the UUID Case Formatter tool.

Can I export the sorted list?

Yes, click the Download button to save as a text file, or use Copy to paste into another application. Line numbers are included if you enabled that option.