About this list shuffler
A list randomizer takes your list and puts it in a completely random order in one click. Paste one item per line, hit shuffle, and copy the results — free, with no sign-up.
This tool is for anyone who needs a fair, unbiased ordering: drawing raffle winners, randomizing quiz questions, shuffling a playlist or seating chart, assigning Secret Santa, or picking a random name from a group. You paste your items into the box, click “Shuffle list”, and the tool returns the same items in a freshly randomized order with “Copy results” to grab them. Duplicate entries are kept as-is, so a name entered twice has twice the chance of being drawn first. Teachers use it to call on students fairly; event hosts use it to draw door prizes without arguments.
Everything runs entirely in your browser. Your list is never sent to a server, stored, or logged — nothing leaves your device.
How to use it
- Paste your items into the "Paste your list (one item per line)" box, one item per line.
- Click "Shuffle list" to randomize the order.
- Click "Copy results" to copy the shuffled list to your clipboard.
The method behind it
Frequently asked questions
Is the shuffle truly random and unbiased?
Yes. Fisher-Yates is mathematically proven to give every possible ordering equal probability, and the random picks come from the browser's cryptographic RNG. No ordering is favored — the chance of any specific sequence is exactly 1 in n! for an n-item list.
How many items can I shuffle at once?
There is no practical limit — the tool handles dozens, hundreds, or thousands of lines instantly since everything runs locally. Very large lists (tens of thousands of lines) still shuffle in a fraction of a second on any modern device.
Does the tool save or see my list?
No. Your list stays in your browser tab and is never sent to a server, stored, or logged. Closing the tab erases it completely, so it is safe to shuffle private lists like employee names or student rosters without worry.
What is the difference between shuffling and sorting randomly?
Nothing, done right — but many "random sorts" are biased. Sorting by a random key can favor some orderings over others depending on the sort algorithm. Fisher-Yates avoids this entirely: it is the correct, unbiased way to shuffle, which is why this tool uses it.
Worked example
Shuffle a 5-item list: Alice, Ben, Cara, Dan, Eva. There are 5! = 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 120 possible orderings, and Fisher-Yates makes each one equally likely — every ordering has probability 1/120 ≈ 0.83%, including the original order. One possible result: Dan, Alice, Eva, Cara, Ben. Clicking "Shuffle list" again produces a brand-new ordering, independent of the last.