Random List Generator
Shuffle any list into a random order, or draw a few items from it.
Random List Generator: the tool
Your list
0 items.
Ignores capital letters and extra spaces; the first one stays.
A quick way to draw several items at random.
Saved lists
They are kept in this browser only. Nothing is sent to a server.
No saved list yet.
Shuffled list
Add your items and press Shuffle. The new order appears here.
Paste any list, one item per line, and press Shuffle to put it in a random order. Use it to set a speaking order, mix up quiz questions, randomize a playlist or pick a few items from a long list. Your list stays in your browser.
How it works
The list is shuffled with the Fisher-Yates method, which goes through the list from the end and swaps each item with one chosen at random from the items before it, itself included. It is the standard way to shuffle, and every one of the possible orderings of the list has exactly the same probability. Each swap uses your browser's cryptographic random generator, so there is no pattern to the order.
The result is a new list and your original is left as it is, so you can shuffle again from the same starting point. Remove duplicates keeps the first of each item and ignores capital letters and extra spaces, so Apple and apple count as the same. Keep only the first few lets you shuffle and then cut the list, which is a simple way to draw several items at random without repeats.
Number the result adds a position to each line, useful for a running order. Use this order as the list replaces your original with the shuffled one, so you can shuffle again on top of it. The list can be saved under a name in your browser, and nothing is sent to a server.
How to use it
- Paste your items in the box, one per line, or press Use an example.
- Tick Remove duplicates if each item should appear once, or Keep only the first few to draw part of the list.
- Press Shuffle the list. The new order appears on the right.
- Copy the result, number it, or press Shuffle again for another order.
Example
The days of the week shuffled with a fixed sequence, then cut to the first three, as you would to draw three days at random.
What was set
- List
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
- Options
- shuffle, then keep the first 3
What came out
- 1
- Sunday
- 2
- Wednesday
- 3
- Friday
Good to know
- The list can hold up to 500 items, each up to 100 characters. Empty lines are skipped and spaces around an item are removed.
- Items are kept exactly as written, apart from the spaces at the ends. Two lines that differ in any other way are treated as different items, unless you ask to remove duplicates.
- A shuffled list is random but not certified. Do not rely on it for a draw that has to be audited.
Questions people ask
Is every order equally likely?
Yes. The Fisher-Yates shuffle gives each possible ordering of the list the same probability, provided the random numbers it uses are fair, and these come from your browser's cryptographic generator. Sorting a list by random numbers, a common shortcut, is not as even.
How do I pick a few items from a long list?
Tick Keep only the first few, enter how many items you want and press Shuffle. The items that remain are a random selection with no repeats, in random order.
Does it remove blank lines and extra spaces?
Yes. Blank lines are skipped, and spaces at the start and end of each item are removed. Spaces inside an item are kept.
What does Remove duplicates compare?
It compares items without regard to capital letters or the spaces around them, and it keeps the first one it finds. Apple, apple and Apple count as one item.
Can I shuffle the same list again?
Yes. Press Shuffle again for a fresh order of the original list. To build on the last order instead, press Use this order as the list first.