decoder.tools

ULID / Snowflake ID Decoder

Extract the timestamp, shard and sequence from ULIDs and Snowflake IDs.

Identification & SerialsFree
INPUT
OUTPUT

The result appears here as you type.

Decoding runs in your browser. What you paste is not sent to a server.

A Snowflake/ULID decoder extracts the embedded creation timestamp from a time-sortable identifier — a 64-bit Snowflake ID or a 26-character ULID — along with the worker and sequence bits that make it unique.

Example

Input
01ARZ3NDEKTSV4RRFFQ69G5FAV
Output
Type: ULID
Timestamp: 2016-07-30T23:54:10.259Z
Randomness: TSV4RRFFQ69G5FAV

What is the ULID / Snowflake ID Decoder?

Snowflake IDs were designed at Twitter to generate sortable, unique 64-bit identifiers without central coordination. The layout is 41 bits of millisecond timestamp, 10 bits of machine or worker identifier and 12 bits of per-millisecond sequence. The timestamp is an offset from a custom epoch, which is why decoding requires knowing whose Snowflake it is: Twitter's epoch is 4 November 2010, Discord's is 1 January 2015.

ULIDs solve the same problem in a text-friendly way: 26 Crockford base32 characters, of which the first 10 encode a 48-bit millisecond timestamp and the remaining 16 are randomness. They sort lexicographically in creation order, are URL-safe, and are case-insensitive by design.

Both are worth decoding for the same reason: any record keyed this way carries its own creation time, so you can date a message, an order or a log entry from its identifier alone.

How to use the ULID / Snowflake ID Decoder

  1. Paste the Snowflake ID or ULID.
  2. For a Snowflake, select the matching epoch — Twitter, Discord or custom.
  3. Read the recovered creation timestamp, worker ID and sequence.

When to use it

  • Dating a Discord message or user account from its ID.
  • Correlating log entries by extracting timestamps from record IDs.
  • Verifying that your own ID generator encodes the epoch you configured.

ULID / Snowflake ID Decoder at a glance

Snowflake64 bits: 41 timestamp · 10 worker · 12 sequence
EpochsTwitter 2010-11-04 · Discord 2015-01-01
ULID26 chars Crockford base32: 48-bit time + 80-bit random
BothLexicographically sortable by creation time

Frequently asked questions

How do I get the date from a Discord ID?

Discord IDs are Snowflakes. Shift out the low 22 bits to get the millisecond offset, then add Discord's epoch of 1 January 2015. This decoder does both steps when you select the Discord epoch.

Why does my Snowflake decode to the wrong date?

Wrong epoch. Snowflake timestamps are offsets from a service-specific starting point, so a Twitter ID decoded with Discord's epoch is off by more than four years.

What is the difference between ULID and UUID v7?

Both put a millisecond timestamp first and sort by creation time. ULID uses a 26-character Crockford base32 text form; UUID v7 keeps the standard 36-character UUID format and fits existing UUID columns.

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