Random Number Generator

How to use the random number generator

1. Set your minimum. This is the lowest number that can come out. It's usually 1, but it can be anything — including a negative number.
2. Set your maximum. This is the highest number that can come out. If you're drawing a raffle with 240 tickets, your maximum is 240.
3. Pull the lever. One number appears, and every number in your range had exactly the same chance of being the one.

Both ends of the range are included, so a range of 1 to 6 can give you a 1 or a 6, just like a real dice. If you're in a hurry, the preset buttons underneath fill the range in for you — dice, months of the year, lottery numbers and the common round ranges.

The Yes / No picker

Switch to the Yes/No tab when the question isn't a number at all. Ask your question out loud first — it sounds silly, but committing to the question before you press the button is what stops you quietly re-rolling until you get the answer you wanted. It's a straight 50/50 coin flip, nothing weighted.

What people use it for

A random number is a surprisingly useful thing to have on hand. Some of the most common reasons people land here:

• Raffles and giveaways. Number your entrants, set the maximum to however many you have, and let the generator pick the winner. It's visibly fair in a way that "I picked one" never quite is.
• Instagram and Facebook comment draws. Count the comments, generate a number, and count down to that comment.
• Classrooms. Number the students on the register and use it to pick who answers next, or to split a class into groups without anyone feeling singled out.
• Games night. A replacement for lost dice, a way to decide who goes first, or a random target score.
• Secret Santa and gift swaps. Assign everyone a number and draw the order.
• Breaking a tie. Two options, two numbers, one pull. Done.
• Beating your own indecision. Number your options — dinner, films, which job to apply for first — and let the lever choose. Half the time you'll feel a flicker of disappointment at the result, and that flicker tells you which one you actually wanted.

Is it really random?

As close as a browser can get, yes. Random Noodle uses your browser's built-in cryptographic random number generator — the same category of randomness used to secure web traffic — rather than the simpler, more predictable method most websites reach for. The result is drawn the instant you press the button, on your own device.

Two things worth knowing about randomness, because they trip people up:

Repeats are normal

If you pull the lever ten times on a range of 1 to 10, you will very likely see the same number twice. That isn't the generator misbehaving — it's what genuine randomness looks like. Each pull knows nothing about the pulls before it. A number that came up last time is exactly as likely to come up again as any other.

Nothing is "due"

If 7 hasn't appeared in twenty pulls, 7 is not due. The generator has no memory and no sense of fairness over time. Every pull is a completely fresh draw. This is the gambler's fallacy, and it's remarkably hard to shake even when you know better.

Running a fair draw

If you're picking a prize winner and want the result to hold up, a few small habits make all the difference:

• Fix the list before you draw. Close entries, count them, and don't change the number afterwards.
• Announce the range first. Saying "there are 240 entries, so I'm drawing 1 to 240" before you press the button is what makes it verifiable.
• Take the first result. One pull, one winner. Re-rolling because you don't like who won is the one thing that makes a draw unfair.
• Record it. A screenshot or a quick video of the draw settles any question later.
• Draw your reserves in the same go. If a winner doesn't respond, having a second and third number already drawn saves an awkward re-run.

Common questions

Can I generate several numbers at once?

Not yet — right now it's one number per pull, which suits most draws. For a handful of picks, just pull the lever again and note the results down. A multi-number mode is on the list.

Can the same number come up twice in a row?

Yes, and it should be able to. Preventing repeats would mean the generator remembers previous pulls, which would make it less random rather than more. If you're drawing several winners and need them to be different people, simply pull again whenever you get a number you've already used.

Does it work on my phone?

Yes. It's built to work on phones, tablets and computers, and needs no app or download.

Do you store my numbers?

No. Numbers are generated in your browser and never sent anywhere. Once you close the page they're gone, including from us — we never had them.

Is there a limit to how big the numbers can be?

You can go into the billions comfortably. Very large numbers beyond that start to run into the limits of how browsers handle whole numbers, so stick to sensible ranges for anything that matters.

Can I use it for a prize draw at work or for a business giveaway?

Yes, and plenty of people do. It's free to use for personal and commercial draws alike. Do check your own local rules on prize competitions — those vary by country and are your responsibility, not ours.