Random number generator

How to pick a random number

1. Enter the lowest and highest numbers allowed, such as 1 and 100.
2. Choose how many numbers you want, from 1 to 1,000.
3. Tick "no repeats" or "sort" if you need them.
4. Press Generate, then copy the results.

Picking a raffle or ticket winner

If your raffle tickets run from 1 to 250, set the minimum to 1 and the maximum to 250 and generate one number. For first, second and third prize, ask for three numbers and tick "no repeats" so the same ticket cannot win twice. The same works for a competition where each entry has a number, or a spreadsheet where each person sits on a numbered row.

The numbers come from your browser's cryptographic random generator, so every number in the range is equally likely. Share your screen or record it if people want to see the draw happen.

Settings explained

• Minimum and maximum are both included, so 1 to 6 can give 1 or 6
• Whole numbers only, and negative numbers are allowed, such as -10 to 10
• "No repeats" means each number appears at most once, so you cannot ask for more numbers than the range holds
• "Sort" lists the results from lowest to highest, which is easier to check against a list

Without "no repeats", the same number can turn up more than once, just as a dice can roll a six twice in a row.

Other handy uses

Lottery-style picks: for six different numbers from 1 to 59, set the range to 1 and 59, ask for six numbers, tick no repeats and sort. No generator can improve your odds, but it saves arguing over birthdays.

Instead of dice: 1 to 6 gives a normal dice roll, and 1 to 20 a twenty-sided one for tabletop games. Ask for several numbers to roll a handful of dice at once.

In the classroom: pick a random question number from a worksheet, a page of a book or a pupil by register number. For maths practice, generate a list of numbers for times tables or rounding exercises.

Questions people ask