Random Group Generator
Paste your class list, pick how many groups you need or how many people per group, and get a fair random split in one click. Pro Mode adds keep together and keep apart rules, saved class rosters, custom group names and more export formats.
Tip: you can paste a whole list into any box — names separated by commas or line breaks are split into their own rows automatically.
Force two people into the same group, or keep them in different groups.
How to Use the Random Group Generator
From a list of names to fair random groups in seconds — no signup, nothing ever leaves your browser.
Everything above runs entirely in your browser — your class list is never uploaded to a server, so it stays completely private from start to finish.
Random Group Generator for the Classroom
A random group generator is a tool that splits a list of names into groups by chance instead of by hand, so no student ends up with the same few classmates every time. Paste or type a class list, choose a number of groups or a number of people per group, and the shuffle happens instantly in your browser, with nothing sent to a server.
Search for a random group generator classroom teachers can actually rely on and most results either want an account, bury the tool behind ads, or cap how many names can be entered. This one skips all three. Type or paste a class list of any size, decide how the split should work, and get a finished set of groups before the bell rings for the next activity. It works just as well as a class tools random group generator for a single lesson as it does as a standing random group generator for teachers who reshuffle seating charts or project teams every week.
1Number of Groups vs People per Group
The tool supports two ways of thinking about the same split, and which one gets used usually depends on the activity itself.
| Method | Best For |
|---|---|
| By Number of Groups | A fixed number of stations, tables or breakout rooms is needed, for example exactly 5 groups for 5 lab benches. |
| By People per Group | The activity itself sets the size, for example pair work needs 2 per group or a debate format needs 4 per side. |
| Snake Draft (Pro) | The list is already sorted by ability, reading level or another order, and that order should spread evenly across groups instead of being shuffled away. |
| Keep Together / Apart (Pro) | Specific students need to be paired for an IEP or language support reason, or kept apart for behavior or seating reasons. |
2Why Randomize Instead of Picking Groups Yourself
Hand picking groups feels fair in the moment, but students notice patterns quickly, and being placed with the same few classmates every time (or never with certain ones) can quietly shape how included a student feels. Researchers who study cooperative learning have found that mixing group membership regularly, rather than relying on fixed teams, helps students build working relationships across the whole class instead of just their usual circle, and it removes the perception of favoritism that comes with a teacher visibly choosing. Peter Liljedahl's classroom research on what he calls visibly random groups found that students who watched the randomization happen in front of them were more willing to contribute ideas, share strategies with classmates they didn't already know, and stay on task, compared with classes where groups were fixed or teacher assigned. A random group generator does the job the deck of cards or the popsicle sticks used to do, only faster and with a written record that can be exported.
3Common Reasons Teachers Reach for This Tool
Classroom project teams and lab partners are the most common searches, but the same tool covers a lot of ground once seating charts and staff meetings enter the picture. A PE teacher building practice squads, a workshop facilitator splitting a room of adults into discussion circles, or an office running an icebreaker all reach for the same by number or by size logic a classroom uses, which is why the generator has no classroom specific limits built into it.
4Simple Mode vs Pro Mode
| Feature | Simple Mode | Pro Mode (Free) |
|---|---|---|
| Random group generation, unlimited names | ✓ | ✓ |
| Split by number of groups or people per group | ✓ | ✓ |
| Copy as text & download PNG | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fully random shuffle | ✓ | ✓ |
| Snake draft (preserves list order) | — | ✓ |
| Keep together / keep apart rules | — | ✓ |
| Saved class rosters | — | ✓ |
| PDF & CSV export | — | ✓ |
Simple Mode covers what most one off activities need: paste a list, pick a split, generate. Pro Mode is aimed at the teacher who reshuffles the same class often enough that saved rosters and constraint rules start to save real time, and it stays free rather than being locked behind a paywall. Pairing this with the Study Timetable Generator makes it easy to slot the resulting group work sessions straight into the weekly schedule, while the Random Name Picker is the faster option for calling on one student rather than splitting the whole room.
Every shuffle runs using JavaScript already loaded in your browser tab. Class lists are never uploaded to a server, and saved rosters in Pro Mode live only in your browser's local storage on this device.
5Frequently Asked Questions
Grounded in classroom research. The case for randomizing groups draws on Edutopia's review of collaborative learning research, Cornell's Center for Teaching Innovation guide to forming groups for in-class collaborative learning, and Peter Liljedahl's study of visibly random groups.
More Classroom Tools
Pair random grouping with the rest of the Educational & Classroom toolkit