Random Groups

Random seating generator

Names 12 names Per row 4

Press Draw for a seating plan

Seed (optional) Type anything here and the same seed always gives the same result — useful when somebody wants the draw checked.

Local · rows fill left to right, blanks at the end

Paste the names and choose how many seats there are per row. The list is shuffled and laid out row by row, with any empty seats at the end so the plan reads like the actual room.

How to make a seating plan

1 Paste the names, one per line.

2 Set how many seats each row has.

3 Draw, then copy the plan or read it straight off the screen.

Random seating is a blunt instrument and that is usually the point — it breaks up the seating habits that form in the first week without anyone having to be singled out. It is worth being clear about what it will not do: it has no idea who should be near the front, who works badly together, or who needs to be next to a window. Draw again if a row looks wrong; the tool has no opinion about it either way.

Questions

How are empty seats handled? −

They are left at the end of the last row rather than scattered, so the plan matches how a room fills up.

Can I keep two people apart? +

Can I get the same plan back? +

Does it handle a room with different row widths? +

Is the class list stored? +

Sources

MDN — Crypto.getRandomValues()

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INTERNAL SIGNAL ONLY · WE USE IT TO FIND TOOLS WORTH REBUILDING