What's the difference between sample mode and generate mode?

Sample mode draws items without repeats (each item can appear at most once, so it needs at least as many pool items as you're requesting); generate mode draws independently, so the same item can appear more than once in the output.

What happens if I don't provide a pool?

The tool falls back to a small built-in generic word pool, so you can try it out immediately without preparing your own list first.

How is this different from the Random List Generator in the Random Tools category?

They're conceptually similar, but this one is part of the List Tools family: it uses this category's configurable separator model (newline, comma, or a custom delimiter) for both the input pool and the output, matching the rest of this category's tools, whereas the Random category's version is newline-based and lives alongside that category's other randomizers.

Why does the output change every time I load the page?

Random selection only happens after the page finishes loading in your browser, this avoids a mismatch between the server-rendered page and what you see, and means a fresh result is generated on each visit and each time you click Regenerate.

Random List Creator - Generate a Random List Online

Overview

Introduction

Picking a handful of random items from a larger pool, or generating a random sample list, is a common need for raffles, test data, and quick decision-making.

The Random List Creator generates N random items from your own pool (or a built-in default), using this category's shared separator model for both the pool input and the output list.

What Is Random List Creator?

This is a random-generation tool with two modes: sample (draw without repeats) and generate (draw independently, repeats allowed).

It's the List Tools family's version of a random list generator, sharing this category's separator controls rather than being newline-only.

How Random List Creator Works

If you supply a pool, it's parsed using your chosen separator and trimmed of blank entries; otherwise a small built-in word pool is used.

Sample mode shuffles the pool with a Fisher-Yates shuffle and takes the first N items (requiring N to not exceed the pool size); generate mode draws N items independently, picking a random pool index each time, so repeats are possible.

When To Use Random List Creator

Use sample mode when you need a unique random subset, like picking raffle winners or a random unique test dataset.

Use generate mode when repeats are fine or even expected, like generating random test data where duplicate values are realistic.

Often used alongside Random List Generator, List Item Appender and List Statistics Generator.

Features

Advantages

Supports both unique sampling and repeat-allowed generation from the same tool.
Works out of the box with a built-in pool if you don't have your own list ready.
Uses the same separator controls as the rest of the List Tools category for consistency.

Limitations

Sample mode can't produce more unique items than exist in the pool.
Not cryptographically secure randomness; unsuitable for security-sensitive selection.

Examples

Sampling unique items from a custom pool

Input

pool: red,green,blue,yellow (count: 2, mode: sample)

Output

blue, red

Two unique items are drawn without repeats; the exact items and order vary each run.

Generating with repeats allowed

Input

pool: heads,tails (count: 5, mode: generate)

Output

heads, tails, heads, heads, tails

Each of the 5 draws is independent, so the same value can appear more than once.

Best Practices & Notes

Best Practices

Use sample mode whenever the real-world scenario shouldn't allow repeats, like picking distinct winners.
Provide your own pool whenever the built-in generic word pool isn't relevant to your use case.

Developer Notes

Sample mode uses an in-place Fisher-Yates shuffle (`for i from length-1 down to 1, swap with a random index <= i`) then slices the first N items; generate mode calls `Math.floor(Math.random() * pool.length)` independently N times. Output is gated behind `useHasMounted()` with a `refreshKey`-driven Regenerate button so server and client renders match on first load.

Random List Creator Use Cases

Picking random unique raffle or giveaway winners from a list of entrants
Generating quick random test data with or without duplicate values
Randomly selecting a subset of items from a larger candidate list

Common Mistakes

Requesting more items than the pool contains in sample mode, which always fails since unique items can't be manufactured out of nothing.
Assuming this tool is cryptographically secure; it uses standard `Math.random()`, fine for casual randomness but not for security purposes.

Tips

Click Regenerate to get a fresh random result without changing any of your settings.
Leave the pool blank to quickly try the tool out with the built-in default word pool.

Random List Creator