Conditional Random Picker
Pick from items that match a rule.
Built and maintained by Paul Clark, Redmoon Software · Last checked
The Conditional Random Picker chooses one item at random, but only from entries that match the rule you set. Tag your items, then include or exclude certain tags to narrow the pool before picking — ideal when your list mixes categories like "quick" meals or "indoor" activities and you only want one kind right now. The final pick among the matching items is fully random.
Tag. Add your items and append #tags to the ones you want to filter on.
0 items
Click Pick (filtered) to see a result.
Options
Recent results
- No history yet.
How it works
- Tag. Add your items and append #tags to the ones you want to filter on.
- Filter. Set an include or exclude tag in the Options to narrow the pool.
- Pick. Click Pick (filtered) to choose from the matching items.
- Re-roll. Adjust the filter or click Pick again for another result.
About the Conditional Random Picker
Tag your list, then filter it
Add hash tags to any line — Sushi place #dinner #expensive — and the two filter boxes narrow the draw. Include requires every tag you list, so "dinner, cheap" matches only lines carrying both. Exclude rejects a line carrying any of the tags you name.
Include behaves as AND and exclude as OR, and that asymmetry is deliberate — it matches how people actually describe what they want. "Something quick and vegetarian, but nothing spicy" is exactly an include of two tags and an exclude of one.
Tags are matched case-insensitively and stripped from the displayed result, so your list stays readable.
An empty match returns an empty result
This is the behaviour worth knowing. If your filters match nothing, the tool returns a blank result rather than an error or a fallback to the full list.
A blank result is therefore always a filter problem, and almost always one of two things: a mistyped tag, or an include list where no single line carries every tag you asked for. It is not the tool failing to draw — there was genuinely nothing to draw from. Clear one filter and press again to confirm.
What makes a good tag
- Facts that do not change: cuisine, length, cost band, who it suits.
- Constraints you actually filter on, rather than a full description — three or four tags per line is plenty.
- Keep them short and consistent.
#quickand#fastare two different tags to the tool. - Tag as you add lines rather than retrofitting; a half-tagged list filters badly, because untagged lines match no include filter at all.
Frequently asked questions
How do tags work?
Tag an item by appending #tag, for example "Pizza #quick #italian". Then use "Include tag" or "Exclude tag" to filter the pool.
What if no items match my filter?
If your include and exclude rules leave no eligible items, there's nothing to draw — loosen a tag filter so at least one entry qualifies.
Is the final pick really random?
Yes. Once filtering narrows the list, the choice among matching items uses the Web Crypto API for an unbiased pick.
Does my tagged list get uploaded?
No. Filtering and picking happen entirely in your browser, so your items and tags never leave your device, and it works offline.
Related randomizers
Further reading
- One tagged list, many decisions: designing a master list for filtered random picks
Most decision lists die because you end up with six overlapping copies — weeknight meals, weekend meals, takeout-only. Here's how to build one tagged master list instead, design a tag vocabulary that stays usable, and let a conditional picker slice it per occasion.
- Filter first, then pick: narrowing a mixed list before a random draw
One big list of options is convenient until the moment you only want a certain kind — a quick meal, an indoor activity, anything but spicy. Here's how tagging your items and filtering before the draw lets one list serve every mood, and the include/exclude rule that catches people out.