How to choose a random selection tool

Use a name draw when you need only a subset of participants. Use team grouping when everyone needs a group. Use a list randomizer when everyone needs one position in an ordered list. These tasks can start with the same names, but their outputs serve different purposes.

For numbered tickets, decide whether earlier winners should stay out of later rounds. Number Draw keeps a remaining pool during the current session. Random Number Generator produces a new batch each time; its no-duplicates option applies within that batch, not across separate clicks.

For a book club giveaway with 12 entrants and 3 prizes, Lottery Draw selects three names from the list. Each draw starts from the entered list again. If you run another draw, an earlier winner can appear again; remove them yourself if your rules exclude previous winners.

The name draw merges identical trimmed entries. Two people both entered as “Alex” therefore need distinct labels such as “Alex · ticket 14” and “Alex · ticket 27”. Repeating the same name is not a way to assign extra entries in this tool.

1. Put one eligible entrant on each line and check the labels.
2. Set the winner count to 3, using the number of distinct entries as the limit.
3. Draw once under the rules you agreed on, then copy the winners before starting another draw.

For 23 workshop participants, choosing 5 groups makes groups of 5, 5, 5, 4, and 4. Choosing a maximum of 6 people per group makes 4 balanced groups of 6, 6, 6, and 5. Group sizes differ by at most one; a maximum is a ceiling, not a request to fill every group to that number.

Each nonblank line is a separate entry, including matching names. Add initials or participant numbers so people can tell which group is theirs. The tool balances headcounts; it does not balance experience, ability, or other characteristics that were never entered.

1. Paste one participant per line.
2. Choose the number of groups or the maximum group size.
3. Generate groups, confirm everyone has an assignment, and copy or download the result to share.

Suppose a school event has tickets 1 through 80. Draw 5 numbers for the first round, then another 5 for the next prize. Number Draw removes drawn numbers from the current pool, so the next round uses the 75 numbers still available.

Keep the same page session open while the draw continues. Reset starts the pool again, making earlier numbers eligible. Reloading or leaving the page loses the in-memory session, so save the history before doing either. A range includes every integer between its endpoints; it cannot represent missing or unissued tickets.

1. Set the ticket range and check that every number is eligible.
2. Draw the first batch and check the remaining count.
3. Continue drawing from the same pool; copy or download the history before resetting.

If Maya, Jordan, Priya, and Noah all need to present, shuffle the whole list instead of drawing one name at a time. List Randomizer returns all four entries in a new order. Numbered output is useful for speaking slots, a duty roster, or deciding which task to start first.

Matching lines remain separate entries. If “Check supplies” appears twice, both copies remain in the output. Remove accidental duplicate lines before shuffling, or label intentional repeats “Check supplies · morning” and “Check supplies · afternoon”. A new shuffle can happen to match all or part of the previous order.

1. Enter one person or task per line and remove unwanted duplicates.
2. Shuffle once and review the complete order.
3. Copy the numbered result or download it before changing the input or shuffling again.

Use Random Number Generator for a quick number in a range or a fresh set of practice values. For example, generate 6 distinct integers from 1 to 49 with duplicates disabled. Enable duplicates if repeated values are part of the exercise.

Turning on ascending sort changes the display order, not which values were selected. A new generation does not remember the earlier batch, so numbers can recur. If you need tickets to remain excluded over several rounds, switch to Number Draw.

Before pressing a draw button, agree on eligibility, the number of winners, how matching names are labeled, and whether a redraw is allowed. Check the input together when other people depend on the outcome. These tools make everyday selections; they do not provide an independently audited draw record or a fairness certificate.

The lists and draw state are processed in browser memory rather than saved as participant lists by the tools. Reloading can clear the work. Copy results into a document, or use the download option in the grouping, number-draw, and list-order tools. Lottery Draw and Random Number Generator provide copy controls. A downloaded file and pasted text are your own copies; store and share them with appropriate care.

Use nicknames or ticket IDs if full names are unnecessary. Local processing of the list does not mean the website has no analytics or advertising services. See the site privacy policy for information about those services.