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SocialContests.com

Random Name Picker

Pick a random name from any list of names or entries. Paste the list or upload a CSV or Excel file, then pick a winner. Free, no signup.

Add entries

Up to 200,000 lines. Your list stays in this browser.

Add at least one name
How to export Google Forms responses
  1. Open your form and go to the Responses tab.
  2. Click the Sheets icon (Link to Sheets) to open the responses in Google Sheets.
  3. In Google Sheets, choose File › Download › Comma-separated values (.csv).
  4. Upload that file here. We pick the name and email columns for you.
How to export from Excel
  1. You can upload the .xlsx file as it is. We read the first sheet.
  2. To make a CSV instead, choose File › Save As and pick CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited).
  3. Upload the .csv file here.

Set up the draw

Total rows

0

Duplicates removed

0

Excluded

0

In the draw

0

Alternates, in case a winner doesn't reply.

One prize per person

Someone with several entries can still win only once.

Your followers see it when they open the draw link.

Use a public random number

Optional. A number nobody knows before the draw, not even you.

Reveal options

Full screen and 9:16 are made for screen recording.

Your list stays in this browser. You get a winner post and a draw link to share.

How it works

  1. Paste names, one per line, or upload a CSV or Excel file.
  2. Pick the name column, then remove duplicates and anyone who can't win.
  3. Pick your winner. Add backup winners in case someone doesn't reply.
  4. Share the draw link so everyone can watch the same name come up.

Questions and answers

Is this random winner generator really random?

Yes. It uses a seed from your browser's secure random number generator (the Web Crypto API). The same seed always gives the same result, which is how the proof link works: anyone can open it and get the same winner. If you'd like the randomness to come from outside your device, choose Public randomness (drand).

How can others check that the winner was picked fairly?

Copy the proof link after the draw and share it. The verify page re-runs the draw from the saved seed and shows whether the result matches. For long lists the link can't hold every name, so also keep the draw record and entry list files: the verify page accepts both.

Is my list of names stored anywhere?

Your names stay in your browser and are never sent to a server. Only the last pasted list is remembered in this browser, so you can pick up where you left off; press Clear to remove it. Files you upload aren't saved. A proof link carries the names when the list is short, so share it with care.

Can some names get bonus entries?

Yes. Map a column such as Entries, Tickets, Bonus or Qty, and each row counts that many times in the draw. Values that aren't whole numbers of 1 or more count as 1, and we tell you how many rows that affected.

Can I pick a random winner from Excel or Google Forms?

Yes. Upload an .xlsx file as it is, or save it as CSV from Excel with File › Save As. For Google Forms, link the responses to Google Sheets and download them as a .csv file. We guess the name, email and entries columns, and you can change any of them.

Is there a limit on how many names I can use?

You can draw from up to 200,000 rows, whether you paste them or upload a file of up to 50 MB. There are no caps below that, no fees and no signup.

What are alternates for?

Alternates are runners-up picked in order during the same draw. If your winner doesn't respond or isn't eligible, Redraw one replaces them with the first alternate, and the new proof link records the change.

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