The random picker takes a list and picks one or more entries at random. That is the whole tool. The reason it has its own page, rather than living as a one-line piece of code anyone could copy, is that the same simple act of drawing a name covers a surprising range of small decisions that happen in classrooms, on streams, in friend-group chats, and in offices every day.
Teachers use it to pick who answers the next question. It removes the unconscious bias of always calling on whoever raises their hand fastest, or whoever sits in the teacher's natural line of sight. Streamers use it for giveaways: paste the usernames of everyone who commented under the giveaway post and draw one winner live on stream, so the audience watches the result happen instead of having to trust an announcement after the fact. Small groups of friends use it for the most universally frustrating decision of all: where to eat tonight. Type six restaurant names, hit draw, go.
Two practical notes. The list size is effectively unlimited for normal use. We have tested with several thousand entries and the draw still finishes instantly, though pasting that many lines into the input box will feel sluggish. The draw and the resulting winners never leave your browser, which means we cannot see your list, save your winners, or recover them if you accidentally close the tab.
There is no signup, no account, and no way to pay us. If the picker is useful to you, the best thing is to bookmark it. If you build something on top of it, like a classroom routine or a regular giveaway or a lunch-draw tradition, we would like to hear about it. The contact email is at the bottom of every page.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the result really random?
- Each entry has the same chance of being picked, and the result is unpredictable in practice.
- Can the same name be drawn twice?
- Across separate draws, yes. Within one multi-winner draw the picks are unique.
- Do you save my list or the winners?
- No. Everything stays in your browser and is gone when you close the tab.
- Is there a limit on how many entries I can add?
- The practical limit is around ten thousand. Beyond that the input box may feel slow.
- Is it free?
- Yes, and it will stay free. The site is funded by display ads.