How to Use a Password Generator: Step-by-Step Guide

A password generator creates a password automatically instead of requiring you to choose every character yourself.

Depending on the generator, you can configure options such as password length, letters, numbers and symbols before generating a new password.

A password generator is useful when you need a new password that is difficult to predict and does not need to be based on personal information.

It can be especially useful when creating credentials for new accounts because you can generate a different password instead of reusing an existing one.

Before generating a password, check the requirements of the website or service where you will use it.

Look for requirements such as minimum or maximum length, required numbers, uppercase letters, lowercase letters or symbols.

Knowing these requirements first helps you configure the generator so that the resulting password can be accepted by the service.

Select a password length that fits the requirements of the account.

Longer passwords provide more possible combinations when the password is generated appropriately. Avoid choosing a length below the service's minimum requirement.

The MartTools Password Generator supports lengths from 4 to 64 characters.

Choose the character categories you want the generated password to contain.

The MartTools generator supports lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers and symbols. Enable the categories required by the service and any additional categories you want to use.

Using several character categories gives the generator a larger set of characters from which to create the password.

Some characters can look similar when displayed in certain fonts. Examples include uppercase I, lowercase l, the number 1, uppercase O and the number 0.

The MartTools Password Generator includes an Exclude ambiguous option that removes the characters Il1O0o from the available character set.

This option can be useful when you expect to read or manually enter the generated password.

Once the settings match the account requirements, generate the password.

The MartTools Password Generator automatically creates a password when its options change. You can also use the generate button to create another password using the current settings.

If the generated result does not meet a particular service's requirements, adjust the settings and generate another password.

Review the generated password to make sure it meets the requirements of the service before using it.

Check its length and confirm that the required character categories are included. If the website has additional rules, such as restrictions on particular symbols, make sure the generated password follows those rules.

When you are ready to use the generated password, the copy button can place it on your clipboard.

Paste the password into the account's password field rather than manually retyping a complex random sequence when possible.

Take care when using the clipboard on shared or public devices because copied credentials may remain available to other applications depending on the environment.

After creating an account, store the password in a password manager or another appropriate secure location if you cannot memorize it.

Avoid saving important passwords in easily accessible notes, screenshots or other locations that do not provide appropriate protection.

A password manager can also help you maintain unique passwords across multiple accounts.

Do not use one generated password for multiple important accounts.

If the same password is used across several services and one service experiences a credential compromise, the same password may be attempted against other accounts.

Generate a new password whenever you create credentials for a separate account.

A website may reject a generated password because it does not meet a specific requirement.

Check the site's password rules and adjust the generator settings accordingly. For example, you may need to enable numbers or symbols, change the password length or avoid a character that the service does not accept.

Do not weaken the password unnecessarily just to make it fit a poorly understood requirement. First determine exactly what the service requires.

The MartTools Password Generator provides controls for password length, lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers, symbols and ambiguous characters.

It uses the browser's crypto.getRandomValues API to select password characters, allowing the password to be generated from the selected character set.

The tool also provides a strength indicator and a copy button to make the generation process easier to use.

One common mistake is generating a password and then modifying it into a predictable pattern. If you need a random password, use the generated result rather than replacing characters with familiar information.

Another mistake is reusing the same generated password across several accounts. Each important account should have its own credential.

It is also important to check the requirements of the service before generating the password rather than repeatedly changing a password after it has been rejected.

Check the account's password requirements first.

Choose an appropriate length and enable the required character types.

Generate a new random password and confirm that it meets the service's rules.

Copy the password carefully and save it in a secure password manager or other appropriate storage.

Use a different generated password for every important account.

When you need a new random password, you can configure the length and character types and generate one with the [MartTools Password Generator](/tools/password-gen).

For broader guidance about password generation, see the [Password Generator Guide](/blog/password-generator-guide).