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Random List Shuffler & Randomizer

Shuffle and randomize your lists instantly with cryptographically secure random ordering

[ List Randomizer - Quick Summary ]

What: List shuffler that randomly reorders any list of items using the Fisher-Yates shuffle algorithm with cryptographically secure randomization.

When to use: Shuffling names for drawings, randomizing presentation order, creating random playlists, distributing tasks randomly, or any scenario requiring unbiased list reordering.

Example: Input [Alice, Bob, Carol, Dave] → Shuffled [Carol, Dave, Alice, Bob]

Important: Uses Fisher-Yates algorithm for statistically perfect shuffling with zero bias. Supports all common separators (newlines, commas, semicolons, tabs). Works with Excel/CSV data.

Our list randomizer and list shuffler tool randomly reorders any list of items using the Fisher-Yates shuffle algorithm with cryptographically secure randomization. Randomize lists from text, Excel, CSV, or any format with support for multiple separators (newlines, commas, semicolons, pipes, tabs, spaces). Perfect for creating random orders, shuffling names, randomizing teams, drawing winners, picking random items, or any scenario requiring unbiased list randomization. Remove duplicates automatically, handle empty lines, and get instant results with true cryptographic randomness. Export randomized lists as text, CSV, or JSON. Completely free with no signup required.

What is a List Randomizer?

A list randomizer (also called a list shuffler) randomly reorders items in a list using cryptographically secure randomization. Unlike simple shuffles that may have predictable patterns, our tool uses the Fisher-Yates algorithm with PHP's random_int() for true cryptographic randomness.

Simply paste your list (from Excel, text files, or any source), choose your separator, and get an instantly randomized version. Perfect for random drawings, team assignments, playlist shuffling, or any situation requiring unbiased randomization.

List Randomizer Configuration Options

Multiple Separator Support

Our list randomizer automatically detects and supports all common separators for maximum compatibility.
  • Newlines/Line Breaks: Default for text lists, one item per line
  • Commas (,): CSV format, Excel copy-paste
  • Semicolons (;): European CSV format
  • Pipes (|): Database exports
  • Tabs: Spreadsheet data
  • Spaces: Simple word lists

Duplicate Removal

Automatically remove duplicate entries before randomization to ensure each unique item appears only once in the shuffled result. Useful for cleaning up lists with accidental duplicates.

Empty Line Handling

Choose whether to keep or remove empty lines from your list. By default, empty lines are removed for cleaner results, but you can preserve them if needed for formatting.

Fisher-Yates Shuffle Algorithm

Uses the Fisher-Yates shuffle (also known as the Knuth shuffle), the gold standard algorithm for unbiased random permutations. Combined with cryptographically secure random_int(), this ensures statistically perfect randomization with no predictable patterns.

How to Randomize a List

[STEP 1] Enter Your List

Paste your list into the text area. Each item on a new line, or use commas/semicolons to separate items. Works with Excel copy-paste.

[STEP 1] Choose Separator (Optional)

Select how your items are separated. Auto-detection works for most cases, but you can manually specify newlines, commas, semicolons, or other separators.

[STEP 1] Randomize & Copy

Click "Randomize List" to shuffle. Your randomized list appears instantly. Copy individual items or export the entire list.

Common Use Cases for List Randomization

  • › Random Drawings & Giveaways: Shuffle participant names to pick winners fairly
  • › Team Selection: Randomize player order for team drafts or assignments
  • › Presentation Order: Shuffle speaking order for presentations or interviews
  • › Playlist Shuffling: Randomize music or video playlists
  • › Task Assignment: Randomly distribute tasks among team members
  • › Survey Randomization: Shuffle question or option order to reduce bias

List Randomizer Best Practices

  • _ Use newlines (one item per line) for best compatibility
  • _ Remove duplicates if you want each item to appear exactly once
  • _ For large lists (1000+ items), consider splitting into smaller batches
  • _ Double-check your separator matches your input format
  • _ Save important lists before randomizing (export feature available)

Technical Implementation

Uses the Fisher-Yates shuffle algorithm with PHP's cryptographically secure random_int() function for statistically perfect random permutations with zero bias.

// Fisher-Yates shuffle with CSPRNG
for ($i = count($items) - 1; $i > 0; $i--) {
    $j = random_int(0, $i);

    // Swap items[i] with items[j]
    $temp = $items[$i];
    $items[$i] = $items[$j];
    $items[$j] = $temp;
}

// Result: Uniformly random permutation

API Access for Developers

GET https://generate-random.org/api/v1/generate/list-randomizer
VIEW FULL API DOCUMENTATION →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this truly random or just pseudo-random? ▶
Our list randomizer uses cryptographically secure randomization (PHP's random_int() with OS entropy) combined with the Fisher-Yates algorithm. This provides statistically perfect random shuffling with no predictable patterns, suitable even for security-sensitive applications.
What's the maximum list size? ▶
The tool handles lists up to 10,000 items efficiently. For extremely large lists, consider splitting into smaller batches for better performance. There's no strict limit, but browser performance may vary.
Can I shuffle the same list multiple times for different results? ▶
Yes! Each randomization is independent with fresh random values. Click "Randomize" multiple times to get completely different orders. Every shuffle has equal probability of producing any possible permutation.
Does this work with Excel and Google Sheets? ▶
Yes! Simply copy cells from Excel or Google Sheets and paste directly into our tool. The list randomizer automatically detects tabs and newlines used by spreadsheet applications.
What's the difference between a list randomizer and a name picker? ▶
A list randomizer shuffles your entire list into a random order (all items remain). A name picker selects one or more random items from your list (subset selection). Use randomizer when you need the whole list reordered, picker when you need to select winners.

[ HOW TO CITE THIS PAGE ]

APA Style:
Generate-Random.org. (2025). Random List Shuffler & Randomizer. Retrieved from https://generate-random.org/list-randomizer
Web Citation:
Random List Shuffler & Randomizer - Generate-Random.org (https://generate-random.org/list-randomizer)