Random Subset Picker
Random number of items from your list.
Built and maintained by Paul Clark, Redmoon Software · Last checked
Instead of picking just one item, this tool grabs a random handful — a subset whose size lands somewhere between the minimum and maximum you set. It's useful for choosing a few winners, sampling a list, or building a surprise short-list. Both the size and the members are chosen fairly.
Paste. Enter your items, one per line, and set the minimum and maximum subset size.
0 items
Click Pick subset to see a result.
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How it works
- Paste. Enter your items, one per line, and set the minimum and maximum subset size.
- Pick. Click "Pick subset" to draw a random-sized handful from the list.
- Re-roll. Click again for a different subset whenever you want.
About the Random Subset Picker
The size is random too
Most pickers ask how many you want. This one asks for a range, then chooses a size uniformly between your minimum and maximum before drawing that many distinct items. So with a range of three to seven you might get four items, or seven, and you do not know which until you draw.
That is the whole point, and it is a genuinely different tool from a fixed-size multi-picker. When you specify "give me five", you have made a decision about how much; leaving the size to chance removes that decision too.
Where an unknown size is useful
- Sampling for a spot check, where choosing the sample size yourself invites you to choose a convenient one.
- Party games and challenges where the number of tasks should be a surprise.
- Drawing a variable-length reading or practice list so a routine does not become predictable.
- Testing: a random subset of a fixed size tests one shape; a random subset of a random size tests more.
Edge cases the tool corrects
Items are drawn without replacement, so the subset never contains the same entry twice. If your maximum exceeds the length of the list, the draw is capped at the whole list rather than erroring.
A minimum above the maximum is corrected rather than rejected. There is no seed, so a subset cannot be reproduced — copy it if it matters.
Choosing a sensible range
The two numbers do different jobs. The minimum is a floor on usefulness — a sample of one is rarely worth drawing — and the maximum is a ceiling on effort. Setting them close together, three to four, gives you an almost-fixed size with a little variation; setting them far apart, two to ten, makes the size itself the interesting part of the draw.
A maximum larger than your list is harmless: the draw is capped at the whole list. A range where minimum and maximum are equal turns the tool into a plain fixed-size picker, which is a legitimate way to use it if you want the interface without the variability.
Frequently asked questions
How is subset size chosen?
The size is picked uniformly at random in the inclusive range from your minimum to your maximum, so every allowed size is equally likely.
Does order matter?
No. The output shows the order in which items were drawn, but every possible subset has an equal chance of being chosen.
Is the draw really random?
Yes. Both the size and the items are selected with the Web Crypto API (crypto.getRandomValues) for unbiased, repeat-free sampling.
Is my list uploaded?
No. The whole pick happens in your browser and your list is never sent to a server, so it works even offline.
Related randomizers
Further reading
- Pick several names at once, not one slow draw at a time
When you need three winners or five volunteers, drawing them one by one invites doubt and double-takes. Here's how a multiple random picker deals a whole batch of unique names in a single click, and when to allow repeats.
- Draw a random-sized sample from a list, not just a fixed number
Sometimes you don't want exactly five — you want "a few, but I don't want to decide how many." Here's how a random subset picker draws both the size and the members of a sample, and when that beats picking a fixed count.
- Shuffling a list without bias: the one-line mistake almost everyone makes
The most popular way to shuffle a list on the web is also subtly broken. Here's why sort-by-random gives you a lopsided order, what a fair shuffle actually looks like, and when you want a shuffle versus a draw.