Home › Random Group Generator
Free · No sign-up · Runs in your browserRandom Group Generator
Paste a class or attendee list, set the group size, and get fair random groups you can rename, print or save as an image.
Keep together / apart (optional)
Add rules and the generator searches for a split that meets every one. If that is impossible it tells you which rule failed.
Earlier draws on this page
Kept in this tab only until you reload.
Random groups for classes, workshops and breakout rooms
This page opens with the settings most teachers want: people per group rather than number of teams. Paste your class list, enter the group size, and press the button. The names shuffle on the screen and settle into groups that you can rename, print or save as an image. Because it uses a fair shuffle, nobody gets picked for the same group out of habit, and nobody can say the teacher chose.
Ways to use random groups
- Cooperative learning. New groups for each task mix pupils who would not otherwise work together, and they stop cliques from forming.
- Jigsaw and expert groups. Draw one set of home groups, then re-roll for a second set that mixes members of different home groups.
- Lab partners. Set group size to 2 and shuffle the class for a new partner each practical.
- Workshop breakouts. Split attendees into rooms without letting colleagues from the same team cluster together.
- Presentation order. Use the groups for who presents together, then rename each group with its topic.
Mixed-ability groups without a long spreadsheet
If you want each group to contain a spread of strengths, put a number after each name, such as 1 for needs support, 2 for secure and 3 for confident, and tick Balance teams by skill rating. The generator evens out the group averages and shows the gap, so you can see how close it got. Re-roll if you want a different arrangement. Keep the numbers private if you prefer, because the page shows ratings only next to the groups on your own screen.
Separating or pairing particular pupils
Open Keep together / apart to add rules. Keep apart suits two pupils who distract each other, and keep together suits a pupil who needs a support partner or two siblings. When every rule can be met, the groups respect them all. When they cannot, the page tells you which rule failed, so you are never left guessing why two names ended up together.
Uneven class sizes
With 26 pupils in groups of 4, the generator makes 7 groups: five of four and two of three, since the sizes differ by at most one person. If you would rather have six groups of four with two floating, choose the number of groups (6) instead and decide what to do with the extra pupils. Deciding this before you press the button avoids awkward moments in front of the class.
A note on pupil data
Everything runs in your browser. Class lists are not uploaded, but the page does remember your last list on the device so it can offer to restore it. On a shared or school computer, press Clear when you finish and clear the site's data in the browser settings. A share link includes the names, so keep it to your own class channels.
Related tools
For a plain team split use the random team generator. To balance by skill, see the balanced team generator. Once groups are made, the team name generator has kids and school names.
- What is a gruppegenerator, gruppgenerator or Gruppengenerator?
- They are the Danish and Norwegian, Swedish and German words for a group generator, and this is the same tool. Paste the names, set the group size or the number of groups, and press Generate teams. The page is in English, but the generator itself needs no language settings.
- How do I make random groups of 4?
- Paste the names, set Split by to people per team, enter 4, and press Generate teams. If the class does not divide by 4, a group will be one person short, or you can choose the number of groups instead.
- How do I make mixed-ability groups?
- Give each pupil a number for the skill you want to mix, such as 1 to 3, put it after their name, and tick Balance teams by skill rating. Every group gets a similar mix.
- How do I keep two pupils apart?
- Open Keep together / apart, choose the two names and the rule keep apart from, and add it. If every rule can be met, the groups will respect them.
- Does it store pupil names?
- Names are processed in your browser and are not sent to a server. The page keeps your last list in local storage on that device so it can offer to restore it. On a shared computer, press Clear and then clear the site's data in your browser settings. A share link contains the names inside the link, so do not post it publicly.
- Can I print the groups?
- Yes. Press Print for a clean sheet with just the groups, or Download image for a picture to put on a slide.
- Can I put captains or leaders in each group?
- Yes. Put the leaders at the top of the list and tick First N names are captains. Each leader goes to a different group.
- Can I use it for staff or workshop groups?
- Yes. It works for any list of people: workshops, breakout rooms, committees or lab partners.