Reveal Code Generator
Turn a due date, an anniversary or a meaningful word into a lock code, with a hint already written for the occasion.
Pick a date or type a word above and your codes appear here.
Everything runs in your browser. Your date and word are never sent to a server.
Why the code matters more than the lock
A reveal only lands if the person cracking it feels the connection between the code and the news. A random four digits is a password. Your due date, the day you met, or the name of the city you are flying to is a story. The hint does the work: it should point at a memory the two of you share, not at the digits themselves.
Which format to pick
Month then day is the most guessable and the safest choice when a whole family is opening the same link. Use it for an online gender reveal where dozens of people crack the same code at once.
Day, month, short year gives six digits and a bit more resistance. It suits a proposal reveal, where one person is meant to sit with it for a minute.
A word as a password carries the most emotion: a nickname, the city, the dog. It is the natural fit for a pregnancy announcement where you want the grandparents to say the word out loud as they type it.
A word turned into digits (A is 1, B is 2) lets a numeric lock carry a word. It adds one decoding step, which works well for a gift or trip reveal printed on a card, and for a hidden-offer QR code where you want customers to engage rather than skim.
From code to shareable reveal
Once you have a code you like, create a free lock, paste the code and the hint, and hide your message, photo or link behind it. You get a short link and a QR code. Send it by text, print it inside a card, or stick it on the box. They crack it on their phone and the reveal happens wherever they are.
For more inspiration, see creative gender reveal ideas, puzzle proposal ideas, or the full reveals and surprises collection. If you want the code itself encoded as a cipher, pair this with the Cipher Maker.
Frequently asked questions
- What makes a good code for a reveal?
- A code they can guess with one good hint, but not on the first try. Dates work best: a due date, the day you met, the date of the scan. The person cracking it feels clever rather than locked out, which is the whole point of a reveal.
- Should I use a number or a word?
- Use a number when the meaning is a date, and a word when the meaning is a place, a nickname or an inside joke. Numeric locks are faster to enter on a phone, which matters when a group is opening the same link at once. Word locks carry more emotion.
- How hard should the hint be?
- Hard enough for two or three attempts. If several people will try the same link, keep it easy: a wrong code kills the moment. If it is one person and you want them to work for it, use an inside reference nobody else would get.
- Can I use my due date if it is not public yet?
- Yes. The code and the hint are generated in your browser and never sent to a server, so nothing is stored or shared until you choose to create a lock and send the link yourself.
- How do I turn the code into something I can share?
- Create a free lock at Lock Challenge, set the code this tool produced, paste the hint, and hide your message or photo behind it. You get a link and a QR code to send by text, print inside a card, or stick on a gift box.