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 Pick Random Lines

Paste a list of lines and randomly pick one or more of them, or shuffle the entire list into a new random order. The Pick Random Lines tool runs entirely in your browser — no uploads, no data storage — making it perfect for random winner selection, randomized sampling, and shuffling names, tasks, or any text-based list.

🎲 Pick settings
⚙️ Options
Lines selected/shuffled: 0  |  Total eligible lines: 0

Pick Random Lines

The Pick Random Lines tool is a fast, privacy-friendly way to randomly select one or more lines from a list, or shuffle an entire list into a new random order. Paste any list of names, tasks, prizes, or entries, and let the tool pick a fair random winner, random sample, or a fully shuffled version — all directly in your browser.

⭐ What Does This Tool Do?

Every line you paste is treated as a separate item. The Pick Random Lines button randomly draws the number of lines you choose, giving every eligible line an equal chance of being selected. The Shuffle All Lines button instead reorders every eligible line into a new random order, without removing or changing any of them.

🔎 Common Use Cases

  • Pick a random winner (or several winners) from a list of contest entries or names
  • Randomly select a sample of rows or items for testing or quality checks
  • Shuffle a playlist, question list, or task list into a random order
  • Randomly assign teams, seating, or turn order from a list of names
  • Draw random raffle tickets while keeping every entry's exact text intact

⭐ Example

Input:

Alice
Bob
Charlie
Diana
Ethan

Pick 2 random lines (output, draw order):

Diana
Bob

Shuffle all lines (output):

Charlie
Ethan
Alice
Diana
Bob

⚙️ Options Explained

  • Number of lines to pick — How many lines the "Pick Random Lines" draw should select.
  • Allow duplicate lines — When enabled, the same line can be picked more than once in the same draw. When disabled, each line can only be selected once and the pick count cannot exceed the number of eligible lines.
  • Ignore empty lines — Enabled by default. Skips blank lines and lines containing only spaces so they are never picked or shuffled.
  • Keep selected lines in original order — When enabled, the selected lines are displayed in the order they originally appeared in your input, instead of the random draw order.

⭐ Fair, Unbiased Randomness

Random picks use JavaScript's random number generator to give every eligible line an equal chance of selection. Shuffling uses the Fisher-Yates shuffle algorithm, a proven unbiased method where every possible ordering of the list is equally likely.

⭐ Duplicate Lines Stay Separate

If your list contains the same text on more than one line, each occurrence is treated as its own separate entry with its own independent chance of being picked or repositioned during a shuffle.

⭐ Import Your List

You can paste your list directly into the input box, or upload a .txt file from your computer. The file contents are loaded straight into the input area so you can immediately pick random lines or shuffle the list.

🔒 Privacy & Security

All processing happens locally in your browser using JavaScript. Your list is never uploaded to a server, never stored, and never shared with third parties, making this tool safe to use for private or sensitive lists.

This tool is also known as

  • random line picker
  • pick random winner from list
  • shuffle list online
  • random name picker from list
  • random sample generator from list

Frequently Asked Questions

It lets you randomly select one or more lines from a list, or shuffle the entire list into a new random order. Every line you paste is treated as a separate item.

Paste your list into the input box, choose how many lines to pick, configure the options if needed, and click "Pick Random Lines". The selected lines appear in the output area.

Shuffle All Lines reorders every eligible line into a new random sequence without removing any of them. Picking random lines instead selects only a subset of lines, based on the number you choose.

Only if you enable "Allow duplicate lines". By default this option is off, so each line can be selected at most once in a single draw.

If duplicates are not allowed, the tool shows a clear validation message telling you the pick count cannot exceed the number of eligible lines, and no draw is performed.

No, by default empty lines and lines containing only spaces are ignored. You can review this in the "Ignore empty lines" option, which is enabled by default.

Yes. Enable "Keep selected lines in original order" to display the picked lines according to their position in the input instead of the random draw order.

No. If the same text appears on multiple lines, each occurrence is treated as a separate, independent entry with its own chance of being picked or repositioned.

Yes. Random picks give every eligible line an equal chance of selection, and shuffling uses the Fisher-Yates algorithm, so every possible ordering of the list is equally likely.

No. The exact text of every line, including spacing and punctuation, is preserved. Lines are only selected or reordered, never added, removed, or edited.

Yes. Use the file upload field to load a .txt file directly from your computer. Its contents are placed into the input area so you can pick random lines or shuffle it right away.

No. All processing runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your list is never sent to any server, stored, or shared.

Use the Copy button to copy the output to your clipboard. You can also run another pick or shuffle on the same input at any time without re-entering your list, or use Clear to start over.

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