List Randomizer

2026-10-06

Paste any list, one item per line, and put it in a new random order with one click, or pick a random sample of N different items from it. Copy the result or download it as a text file. Your list never leaves this browser.

How to use the list randomizer

1. Type or paste your items into the list, one item per line. An item can be a name, a task, a quiz question or a number. Blank lines are dropped and extra spaces around each line are trimmed. A comma inside a line is kept as part of the item.
2. If your items are on a single line separated by commas, press Split on commas to turn each piece into its own line.
3. Press Shuffle list to get the whole list in a new random order. Use Shuffle again as often as you like; every press is a new, independent shuffle.
4. Or enter a number N and press Pick N at random to draw N different items, shown in random order. N must be a whole number from 1 up to the length of the list.
5. Copy the result, download it as a text file or print it. Use result as the new list replaces your list with the result, which is handy for drawing winners one round after another.

Shuffle versus sample. A shuffle keeps every item and only changes the order. A sample keeps just N items, and no line can be picked twice. If you typed the same text on two lines, those count as two items until you press "Remove duplicates". A sample of N from a list of N is the same as a shuffle.

What makes a shuffle fair

A list of n items can be arranged in n! different orders (n × (n − 1) × ... × 1). A fair shuffle makes each of those orders equally likely. This tool uses the Fisher–Yates method. Start at the last position of the list, pick a random position anywhere from the first one up to and including the current one, swap the two items, then move one step towards the front and repeat until you reach the start. Every sequence of random choices leads to exactly one order, and every order is reached by exactly one sequence, so no order is favoured.

The random choices come from crypto.getRandomValues, the cryptographic random source built into your browser and fed by your operating system. A plain remainder would make some positions very slightly more likely, so values that would cause that bias are thrown away and drawn again (rejection sampling). If a browser has no cryptographic source, the tool falls back to the ordinary Math.random function, which is fine for a classroom but not designed for security.

Why sorting by a random number or shuffling by hand is weaker

• Random comparisons. The popular one-line trick of sorting with a comparison that randomly says "before" or "after" breaks the rules sorting methods rely on, and the resulting orders are measurably uneven. Some orders turn up more often than others.
• Random keys. Giving each item its own random number and sorting by it can be fair, but only when the numbers are distinct and well drawn. Ties or low-quality numbers bring a bias back, and it does more work than Fisher–Yates for no gain.
• By hand. Drawing slips from a hat is fair if they are well mixed, but a deck of cards needs about seven good riffle shuffles to be well mixed, and most people stop earlier. The order also tends to keep traces of the starting order.

Examples

Example 1: four items. A list of 4 items has 4! = 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 24 possible orders. Over many presses of "Shuffle list" each of the 24 orders shows up about 1 time in 24, roughly 4.2 % of the time.

Example 2: ten items. The sample list has 10 items, so there are 10! = 3,628,800 orders. The same order comes up twice in a row only about once in 3.6 million shuffles.

Example 3: three winners from 50. Paste 50 names and pick N = 3. There are 50 × 49 × 48 = 117,600 ordered results, and because 3 winners can be listed in 3! = 6 orders, 117,600 ÷ 6 = 19,600 different groups of winners. Each group is equally likely, and the first name shown is as likely to be any of the 50 as the last.

Example 4: a comma-separated line. The single line a, b, c is one item until you press "Split on commas", which turns it into the three items a, b and c. The line Smith, John is never split unless you press that button.

Uses for a random order

• Presentation order. Shuffle the class list on the projector so nobody can say the order was chosen for or against them.
• Random seating. Shuffle the names, then read them off seat by seat.
• Raffle with several winners. Pick N at random for N prizes. Each name can win at most once.
• Randomising quiz questions. Paste the questions, shuffle, and number the result for a fresh paper each time.
• A sample for checking. Pick 20 of 400 invoices, records or exercise books to inspect, so every one has the same chance of being chosen.

Frequently asked questions

Is it really random?

It is computer-generated randomness from your browser's cryptographic source, not a physical coin. It is unpredictable for any practical purpose, and combined with an unbiased method the orders are equally likely.

Can the same order come up twice?

Yes. Each shuffle is independent and has no memory. With 4 items a repeat is quite likely (1 in 24); with 10 items it is very rare.

How many items can I use?

There is no fixed limit. A list of several thousand lines shuffles in a fraction of a second on an ordinary phone or laptop.

How is this different from the Random Group Generator and the Random Name Picker?

The Random Group Generator splits names into even groups, and the Random Name Picker draws one name at a time. This tool returns the whole list in a new order or a sample of N items.

Does it remember my list?

Yes, in this browser. The list, the numbering choice, the value of N and the last 10 results are kept in local storage so they are still there when you return. If storage is blocked or you use a private window, the tool still works but forgets everything when you close the page.

Is my list uploaded anywhere?

No. Shuffling happens in your browser and nothing is sent to a server. Anyone who uses the same browser profile can see the saved list and history; use "Clear list" and "Clear history" to remove them.

Related tools

• Random Group Generator — split a list of names into fair random groups.
• Random Name Picker — draw names one at a time without repeats.
• List Compare — find what two lists have in common or lack.
• Permutation & Combination Calculator — count orders and selections like the ones above.
• Word Counter — count the words and lines in a text.