Passphrase Generator with JavaScript by Cristian Villafane

In the quest for better online security, we’re moving beyond complex, hard-to-remember passwords. Enter the passphrase: a sequence of random words that is both significantly harder for computers to crack and surprisingly easy for humans to remember. A passphrase like Correct-Horse-Battery-Staple is far more secure and memorable than P@ssw0rd1!. This project will guide you through building your own passphrase generator, leveling up your skills in HTML, CSS, and modern JavaScript logic, for free! only on JavaScript by Cristian Villafane

Phase 1: The Blueprint – Structuring the HTML

The foundation of our tool is the HTML structure. We need to provide users with clear, intuitive controls. Instead of character types, we’ll focus on the components of a passphrase: the number of words, separators, and optional additions like capitalization and numbers.

Crafting the User Controls

Our interface will have a main container for all the settings. The key elements are:

• Word Count: An <input type="range"> slider is perfect for allowing the user to choose the number of words in their passphrase.
• Customization Options: We’ll use <input type="checkbox"> for enabling capitalization of each word and for adding a number to the end.
• Separators: A group of <button> elements will let the user select the character that joins the words, such as a hyphen, dot, or space.

<!-- Word Count Slider -->
<div class="option">
  <label for="word-count-slider">Words: <span id="word-count-value">4</span></label>
  <input type="range" id="word-count-slider" min="3" max="8" value="4">
</div>

<!-- Separator Control -->
<div class="option">
    <span>Separator</span>
    <div class="separator-buttons">
        <button class="separator-btn active" data-separator="-">-</button>
        <button class="separator-btn" data-separator=".">.</button>
    </div>
</div>

Phase 2: The Core Logic – Generating Passphrases with JavaScript

This is where our application comes to life. The JavaScript logic will handle fetching a list of words, randomly selecting from it based on user settings, and assembling the final passphrase.

Building the Generation Engine

The process starts with a word list. For this tutorial, we’ll embed a curated array of words directly in our script. Our main function, generatePassphrase(), will read the user’s choices: number of words, capitalization, number inclusion, and the selected separator. It will then loop, picking a random word from our list for each iteration, and apply any requested transformations.

The Selection Loop

With our word list and user options defined, a simple for loop is used to build an array of random words. For each word, we check if capitalization is enabled. After the loop, these words are joined together using the chosen separator, and a final random number might be appended. This method produces a highly random and customizable result.

const words = [];
for (let i = 0; i < wordCount; i++) {
  let randomWord = wordList[Math.floor(Math.random() * wordList.length)];
  if (useCapitals) {
    randomWord = randomWord.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + randomWord.slice(1);
  }
  words.push(randomWord);
}
let passphrase = words.join(separator);

Phase 3: Making It Interactive

A great tool responds instantly. We’ll attach event listeners to all our controls. Any change—sliding the word count, ticking a box, or choosing a new separator—will immediately trigger the generatePassphrase() function, providing a fluid and seamless user experience. The same principles of asynchronous font loading and efficient DOM manipulation apply here to keep the tool fast and responsive.

Passphrase Generator in Action

Here is the final, functional passphrase generator. Experiment with the settings to see how different options create unique and strong passphrases. This is the result of combining our structured HTML with dynamic JavaScript.

The Complete Generator Code

For easy implementation, here is the complete, self-contained code for the passphrase generator. You can copy and paste this directly into an HTML file to see it in action.

<!-- The complete HTML and JavaScript will be placed here dynamically. -->