Random Picker

What it does

The Random Picker chooses one or more items from a list — a random name picker, decision maker, and raffle-style drawing tool in one. Paste choices one per line, set how many to draw, and decide whether the same item can be picked twice. Seeded draws are reproducible: the same seed, list, and settings always select the same items.

Common use cases

• Pick a random name — choose a volunteer, a presenter, or who goes first from a list of people.
• Giveaways and raffles — draw one or several entries from a list, with unique picks so nobody wins twice; keep the seed to re-derive the draw.
• Decision making — can’t choose between restaurants, movies, or tasks? Paste the options and let the picker decide.
• Sampling — draw a random subset of test cases, survey participants, or review items from a larger pool.

Settings

• Items — the choices, one per line.
• How many — draw a single item or several at once.
• Pick without replacement — each item can win at most once in a draw (the usual raffle behavior).
• Allow duplicates — with replacement: every pick considers the full list, so repeats are possible.
• Seed — blank for a fresh draw; set one to make the draw repeatable and auditable.

Privacy note

Draws run entirely in your browser — your list is never uploaded, logged, or sent anywhere. Avoid pasting confidential names on a shared device, since saved recipes keep settings in local storage.

FAQ

Is every item equally likely to be picked? Yes — the picker draws uniformly, so each line has the same chance. If you want some options to be more likely than others, use the Weighted Picker.

Can I prove a draw was fair? You can make it reproducible: run the draw with a seed and share the seed, list, and settings — anyone can re-run it and get the same result. For regulated or high-stakes lotteries, use a certified process instead; this is a seeded utility, not a cryptographic raffle.

Can the same person win twice? Only if you allow duplicates. With “pick without replacement” enabled, every selected item is unique within the draw.

What’s the difference between this and the List Shuffler? The shuffler reorders the whole list; the picker selects a few items from it. For “who presents in what order,” shuffle; for “who wins,” pick.