How to Generate GUIDs in C#
Learn how to generate GUIDs in C# with practical examples for GUID v4 and GUID v7.
How to Convert String to GUID and GUID to String in C#
Convert a string to a GUID in C# with Guid.Parse or Guid.TryParse, and convert a GUID back to a string with ToString() when you need standard or compact formatting.
Recommendation: prefer
Guid.TryParse for untrusted input, and use guid.ToString("D") unless you have a specific integration format requirement.How to convert a string to GUID in C#
Use Guid.Parse() when the input is guaranteed to be valid, or Guid.TryParse() when you want to avoid exceptions.
using System;
string input = "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000";
Guid parsed = Guid.Parse(input);
Console.WriteLine(parsed);
if (Guid.TryParse(input, out Guid safeParsed))
{
Console.WriteLine($"Parsed safely: {safeParsed}");
}How to convert GUID to string in C#
Guid.ToString() supports multiple format specifiers depending on what another system expects.
using System;
Guid id = Guid.Parse("550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000");
Console.WriteLine(id.ToString()); // D: 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000
Console.WriteLine(id.ToString("N")); // N: 550e8400e29b41d4a716446655440000
Console.WriteLine(id.ToString("B")); // B: {550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000}
Console.WriteLine(id.ToString("P")); // P: (550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000)
Console.WriteLine(id.ToString("X")); // X: {0x550e8400,0xe29b,0x41d4,{0xa7,0x16,0x44,0x66,0x55,0x44,0x00,0x00}}Practical notes
- The default
ToString()format isD, which includes hyphens. Nis useful when another system expects 32 hexadecimal characters without dashes.TryParseis the safer choice for API input, config values, and user-entered data.- Parsing and formatting do not change the underlying 128-bit GUID value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use
Guid.Parse() only when invalid input should be treated as a bug. Use Guid.TryParse() for external input so you can handle invalid values without throwing an exception.The default is format
D: 32 hexadecimal digits separated by hyphens, such as 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000.Learn more
These articles expand on related concepts, formats and practical considerations.