What this tool does
The Random List Picker selects one or more items from a list you provide. Paste anything - dinner options, names, chores, movie titles - and it draws fairly, with every line having an exactly equal chance.
How the randomness works
When you click Pick, your browser draws a 128-bit random seed from its built-in cryptographic random number generator - the same quality source used for security keys. The selection then runs deterministically from that seed, and the seed is recorded in a fairness receipt so the exact draw can be replayed and verified later.
Everything happens on your device. Your list is never sent to a server.
Read more about fairness and receipts on RandomEveryth.ing.
When to use it
- Choosing where to eat when nobody will decide
- Picking a name out of a hat, without the hat
- Selecting which task or chore to do first
- Making any small decision you'd rather leave to chance
Frequently asked questions
- Is every item really equally likely?
- Yes. Each line has probability 1/N, enforced with rejection sampling so there is no rounding bias. If you want some items to be more likely, use the Weighted List Picker instead.
- Is my list uploaded anywhere?
- No. The draw runs entirely in your browser. Your list stays on your device unless you choose to share a link, which encodes your list into the URL itself.
- Can I pick more than one item?
- Yes - set 'How many to pick'. With 'No duplicates' on, you get distinct items, like drawing several names from the same hat.