How to use the List Randomizer / Shuffler
Shuffle your list in three steps:
1
Paste your list
Paste a list to shuffle — one item per line or comma/semicolon/pipe separated. Select the delimiter that matches your format.
2
Set shuffle options
Optionally enable a numeric seed for reproducible shuffles. Enable 'Pick N items' to select a random subset rather than shuffle all items. Toggle 'Skip empty' to exclude blank entries.
3
Shuffle and copy
Click 'Shuffle List' to randomise. Click again for a new random order (or the same order with a fixed seed). Copy or download the result.
When to use this tool
Use for fair random ordering and random selection from any list:
- →Randomly assigning tasks or items from a list to team members without bias or favouritism
- →Shuffling a list of participants for a random draw, raffle, or prize giveaway
- →Randomising the order of quiz questions for different students to prevent answer sharing
- →Creating randomised team assignments, seating plans, or presentation orders from a list of names
- →Generating a random playlist order from a list of song or episode titles
- →Randomly selecting N items from a large list for sampling, A/B testing groups, or random review selection
Frequently asked questions
Q:Is the shuffle truly random and unbiased?
Yes — the tool uses the Fisher-Yates shuffle algorithm (also known as the Knuth shuffle), which produces a uniformly random permutation where every possible ordering of the list is equally likely. Naive shuffle approaches produce biased results where some orderings are more probable than others. Fisher-Yates guarantees true uniformity.
Q:What is the seed option and when should I use it?
A seed is a number that initialises a deterministic pseudo-random number generator. With the same seed, the shuffle always produces the same output for the same input list. Use it when you need to share reproducible results (give others the same seed and list), reproduce a shuffle for debugging, or generate consistent random orders across multiple environments or sessions.
Q:How does Pick-N mode work?
When Pick-N mode is enabled, the list is first shuffled using Fisher-Yates, then only the first N items from the shuffled result are returned. This is equivalent to drawing N items at random from the list without replacement. It is useful for selecting random reviewers from a pool, picking random winners from an entry list, or sampling N items from a larger dataset.
Q:Does the same seed always produce the same shuffle?
Yes — the tool uses the mulberry32 seeded pseudo-random number generator, which is deterministic. Seed 42 on the same input list always produces exactly the same shuffled order, regardless of when or where the tool is run. To get a different seeded result, change the seed number.
Q:Can I shuffle a comma-separated list?
Yes — select the Comma delimiter, paste your comma-separated values, and click Shuffle. The output is a comma-separated string with items in a random order. The same works for semicolons, pipes, tabs, or any custom delimiter. The output uses the same delimiter as the input.
Q:What delimiter formats are supported?
Six delimiter formats are supported: New Line (one item per line), Comma, Semicolon, Pipe (|), Tab, and Custom (any string you type). The output is produced in the same delimiter format as the input, so a newline-separated input produces newline-separated shuffled output and a comma-separated input produces comma-separated shuffled output.