Step-by-step instructions
Prepare the participant list
Enter everyone once using unique labels. Confirm the final attendance before assigning groups.
Choose the maximum size
Enter the largest acceptable group size. The tool calculates how many groups are needed and spreads people across them.
Generate the groups
Select Make groups, check the resulting headcounts, and share the list with a meeting point or activity instruction.
Worked example
Fourteen attendees form discussion groups no larger than five. Facilitators are not included in the draw unless they participate as group members.
One valid result is shown below. Your generated outcome will vary.
Example input
Alex Jamie Morgan Taylor Sam Jordan Casey Riley Drew Avery Robin Cameron Blair Devon
Example result
Group 1 1. Robin 2. Avery 3. Devon 4. Casey 5. Morgan Group 2 1. Alex 2. Blair 3. Sam 4. Jordan 5. Drew Group 3 1. Riley 2. Cameron 3. Jamie 4. Taylor
The output creates three groups, sized five, five, and four. It does not allocate rooms or facilitation duties.
Attach a location and instruction to each saved group
Group 1 is useful only if people know where it meets and what it does. Add room or table labels after drawing and confirm that each location fits its assigned headcount. The generator does not mix experience levels deliberately or keep colleagues apart. Use a constrained process if either is a requirement of the workshop.
Settings and limits to check
The example has 14 retained entries. The maximum is a ceiling, not a promise that every group will reach that size. The tool uses enough groups to respect the ceiling and balances their headcounts. For example, nine people with a maximum of four form three groups of three rather than two groups of four and one single person. Choose a maximum from 2 to 100.
Settings used in this example
Maximum group size: 5 Remove duplicate entries: On
Keep a usable copy of the result
Use Copy to place the current result in your own notes, or Download to keep a text file. Keep the eligible input list with the result when you need to explain which entries took part. A new generation replaces the displayed result rather than adding to a saved history.
The tool runs in your browser and does not upload your input. Save the result before refreshing or leaving the page. If other people need to use the same outcome, share your saved copy rather than asking them to generate another independent result.
Frequently asked questions
Can the tool assign a facilitator to each group?
It does not distinguish roles. Assign facilitators separately or include them only when unrestricted random grouping is acceptable.
Can groups be smaller than my chosen maximum?
Yes. They are balanced while staying at or below the maximum. A maximum of four does not force every group to have four people.
How do I request an exact number of groups?
Use Team Generator, which takes a team count and balances the participant list across that many teams.
What should I check in the worked example?
The output creates three groups, sized five, five, and four. It does not allocate rooms or facilitation duties.