postgres-nanoid

What problem does it solve?

PostgreSQL often stores internal UUIDs that should not be exposed in public APIs or URLs. This skill provides a standardized approach to generate and use prefixed Nanoid identifiers (public_id) that map to internal keys while remaining URL-safe and human-friendly.

Core Features & Use Cases

• Hybrid ID pattern: internal UUIDs use for database references; public_id uses nanoid with a prefix for API responses and external links.
• Prefix conventions: consistent 17-character random suffix after a short, readable prefix (e.g., usr_, ord_, prd_).
• Use cases: API responses, URL slugs, data exports, and safe migrations to add public_id columns.
• Migration guidance: add public_id column with default nanoid(prefix_), backfill existing rows, and enforce format with CHECK constraints and indexing.

Quick Start

• Create the nanoid helper function in your database (or apply the provided migration).
• Generate a sample prefixed ID: SELECT nanoid('usr_');
• Use as a default for a column: ALTER TABLE public.orders ADD COLUMN public_id TEXT DEFAULT nanoid('ord_');
• Validate format with a regex and create an index for efficient lookups.