Random Group Generator

Random Group Generator is a free tool that splits a class list or team roster into random groups by number of groups or group size. It can keep certain people apart, keep partners together, balance groups by a tag such as gender or grade, and avoid partners from recent rounds, and it explains which rule is the problem when they can't all be met. It runs in your browser, so your list is never uploaded; saved rounds stay only in your browser.

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Paste your class list or team roster and split it into random groups in one click. Add rules the other generators don't have: keep two students apart, keep partners together, balance groups by a tag like grade or role, and avoid putting the same people together as last time. Then show the groups full screen, print them or copy them.

Split by

Rules (optional)

Spreads each tag (like girl/boy, grade or role) as evenly as possible across the groups.

Your groups will appear here. Paste your names, choose how to split them, and click Make groups.

How to Make Random Groups

Step by step

  1. Paste your names, one per line. Add tags after a comma if you want to balance groups, like "Ava, girl" or "Sam, 6th grade".
  2. Choose how to split: a number of groups, or a number of people per group.
  3. Add rules if you need them: who must be kept apart, who must stay together, balance by tag, or avoid partners from recent rounds.
  4. Click Make groups. Shuffle again until you like them, then save the round so the next one avoids the same partners.
  5. Show the groups full screen on the projector, print them, or copy them into a message.

Is this random group generator free?

Yes. It's free with no sign-up and no limit on names or groups. Everything runs in your browser, and your class list is never uploaded. See our Privacy Policy.

How do I keep two students apart?

Type their names on one line in Keep apart, like "Jake, Tyler". Put three or more names on a line to keep all of them in different groups. Add as many lines as you need. Names must match the list, but capital letters don't matter.

What happens if my rules can't all work?

The generator tries a very large number of arrangements. If none of them follows every rule, it tells you which rule is the problem, for example "Removing any one of these would work: Keep apart: Ava, Mia". Common causes are a keep-together set that's bigger than a group, or more people to keep apart than there are groups.

How does "avoid partners from the last rounds" work?

When you click Save as a round, the groups are saved in your browser's local storage on this device. With the option turned on, the next groups are chosen to pair people who haven't worked together in the saved rounds you picked. With a small class or many rounds, some repeats may be unavoidable, and the tool tells you how many. Click "Clear history" to remove the saved rounds.

Can I make random groups by gender?

Yes. Tag each name with "girl" or "boy" (or any label you use) and turn on Balance groups by tag. Each group then gets as close to the same number of each tag as possible. The same works for reading levels, departments or roles.

What if the class doesn't divide evenly?

Groups are made as even as possible, so they differ by at most one person. For example, 26 students in groups of 4 makes 7 groups: 5 groups of 4 and 2 groups of 3.