If you are a Python developer, you might have encountered the error message “NameError: name ‘uuid’ is not defined” at some point in your coding journey. This error occurs when you try to use the uuid
module in your code, but Python cannot find it.

In this tutorial, we will discuss common causes of this error and how to fix it.
Why does the NameError: name 'uuid' is not defined
error occur?
This error occurs when you try to use the uuid
module in your Python code, but Python cannot find the uuid
module in its namespace. The following are some of the scenarios in which this error usually occurs.
- You have not imported the uuid module.
- You have imported only specific functions from the uuid module but you’re trying to access the uuid module.
How to fix the NameError: name 'uuid' is not defined
?
The uuid
module in Python provides a way to generate unique identifiers. UUID stands for Universally Unique Identifier. UUIDs are commonly used in distributed systems to uniquely identify information without the need for a central authority to manage them. The uuid
module provides several functions for generating UUIDs, including uuid1()
, uuid3()
, uuid4()
, and uuid5()
.
Since this module is part of the Python Standard Library, you don’t need to separately install it. You can simply import it and start using it. Let’s look at the above scenarios that may result in the above error in detail.
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The uuid
module is not imported
It can happen that you are trying to use the uuid
module without even importing it. This is because Python does not recognize a library and its functions until it is imported into the code.
For example, let’s try to use the uuid
module without importing it and see what we get.
# note that the uuid module is not imported # generate a random UUID random_uuid = uuid.uuid4() # print the UUID print(random_uuid)
Output:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- NameError Traceback (most recent call last) Cell In[2], line 4 1 # note that the uuid module is not imported 2 3 # generate a random UUID ----> 4 random_uuid = uuid.uuid4() 6 # print the UUID 7 print(random_uuid) NameError: name 'uuid' is not defined
We get a NameError
stating that the name uuid
is not defined. To use the uuid
library, you need to import it first.
import uuid # generate a random UUID random_uuid = uuid.uuid4() # print the UUID print(random_uuid)
Output:
c2d7f472-9548-48fe-9720-fa1a01d35cc2
Here, we are importing the uuid
module to generate a random UUID using the uuid4()
function. You can see that we did not get any errors here.
Only specific functions are imported from the uuid
module
If you are importing only specific functions from the uuid
module and then trying to access the entire uuid
module or its other functions, you may also encounter the above error.
Let’s look at an example.
from uuid import uuid4 # generate a random UUID random_uuid = uuid.uuid1() # print the UUID print(random_uuid)
Output:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- NameError Traceback (most recent call last) Cell In[1], line 4 1 from uuid import uuid4 3 # generate a random UUID ----> 4 random_uuid = uuid.uuid1() 6 # print the UUID 7 print(random_uuid) NameError: name 'uuid' is not defined
We get a NameError: name 'uuid' is not defined
. This is because we have imported only the uuid4()
function from the uuid
module but we are trying to use the uuid1()
function using uuid.uuid1()
.
To fix this error, you can either import the entire uuid
module using import uuid
or also import the uuid1()
function and then directly use it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the “NameError: name ‘uuid’ is not defined” error can be frustrating when trying to run Python code that uses the uuid
module. However, by following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you should now have a better understanding of what causes this error and how to fix it. Remember to always import the necessary modules at the beginning of your code and to check for typos or syntax errors. With these tips in mind, you should be able to overcome this error and continue coding with confidence.
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