Random group generator: split the room into teams.

Why this works

Handing the split to a generator takes the politics out of it. Nobody reads anything into who they were put with, which is what you want when the whole point is mixing people who do not normally work together. Left to choose for themselves, a room reassembles into the clusters it walked in with.

What facilitators say

Everyone sees their own group on their own screen, so nobody has to read a list of names out loud and then read it again for the person who missed it.

Where it lands

Facilitator script

I'm splitting us into groups at random. Watch your own screen for the one you land in, and say something if you need to swap.

Use this in

• Workshops
• Team offsites
• Training sessions

Groups that follow the room

You set one number and the tool works out the other. Fix five groups and the sizes float as people arrive; fix four to a group and a fifth group appears once the room outgrows four. That matters because meetings fill up late. Most generators want the final list before they will do anything, so a straggler joining at minute three means starting the split over.

Splitting a live room, not a pasted list

Every other random team generator asks you to paste a list of names and then read the results back to the room. Here the room is the list. People join on their own devices and each of them sees the group they landed in, so nobody has to dictate it twice. You can still type names in for anyone who is not online, and when the split looks right, Copy puts the whole thing on your clipboard for Slack or your notes.

What people use it for

• Splitting a workshop into breakout groups
• Pairing people up for a training exercise
• Mixing departments at an offsite
• Putting a class into project groups
• Dividing a room into quiz teams
• Choosing who works with whom on a hackathon day

Common questions

Is the random group generator free?

Yes, and there is no paywall on the split. Open it, put your names in, and randomize as often as you like. Signing in only matters when you want a shared room, where everyone watches the same split on their own screen instead of on your shared tab, and even then the people you invite never sign up.

How do I split a list of names into random groups?

Get the names in, choose how the split should work, then randomize. Names come from people joining the room on their own devices, and you can type in anyone who is not online. In Settings you either fix the number of groups or fix how many people go in each, and whichever you leave alone adjusts itself. Press Randomize and everyone is dealt out.

Can I choose the number of groups or the size of each group?

Either, but only one at a time, because the other has to give. Fix the number of groups (2 to 10) and the sizes float as people arrive. Fix the people per group (2 to 12) and a new group appears when the room outgrows the ones you have. Setting both would mean turning people away when the room does not divide evenly.

Can I move someone into a different group after randomizing?

Yes, by dragging their avatar into the group you want. This is the part most generators leave out: they regenerate the whole split when you want one person moved. Randomize also only places people who are still unassigned, so you can put two or three people where you want them first and let it fill in around your choices. Groups stop accepting people once they are full, so to swap two people between full groups, drag one out to Unassigned to free the seat.

Do people need to sign up or install anything?

No. Players open the room link in any browser, on desktop or mobile, with nothing to download and no account to create. Only the facilitator signs in to open a shared room. If you would rather not share a room at all, run it on your own screen and type everybody's name in yourself.

Can I use it for a classroom?

Yes. Nothing about it is work-specific, so a teacher splitting a class into project groups uses it the same way a workshop facilitator does. The difference from the classroom tools is that students can join on their own devices and see their own group, rather than reading it off a projected list. Type the names in instead if the class is not on devices.

Can I do this in Excel or Google Sheets instead?

You can, with a RAND column and a sort, and plenty of people do. It is worth it when the list is long, stable, and already in a spreadsheet. It is not worth it in a live meeting, where the roster changes as people arrive and the result still has to be read out to the room. The formula also gives you no way to nudge one person into a different group without reshuffling everyone.

Can we use it on Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams?

Yes. It runs in a browser tab next to your call. Share the room link in the meeting chat and everyone sees their own group on their own screen, which is the fastest way to get breakout groups sorted before you send people off. It does not plug into Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams, so it behaves the same on all of them.

Can it generate team names as well?

It does by default. Each group gets a name from a built-in list rather than being called Group 1 and Group 2, and you can type your own list in Settings instead. You can also give it a theme and have it generate a set for you, which is how you end up with groups named after planets, coffee orders, or whatever fits the session. Click a group's name to rename it, and the new name survives every reshuffle.

Team and group name ideas

More icebreaker games

• Random name picker: add names and spin the wheel.
• Icebreaker Questions: one prompt, everyone answers.
• This or That, played live: where does the team stand?
• Two Truths and a Lie, played live in the browser.