Pick random winners from an Excel or Google Sheets list

Prepare the sheet

The tool reads the first column as the name and keeps the other columns as details that appear on the winner plate and in your export. A good layout looks like this:

Keep a single header row, no merged cells and no blank rows between entries. If your names are split across "First name" and "Last name" columns, add a column that joins them (in Excel use =A2&" "&B2) and move it to the front.

Export from Google Sheets or Excel

• Excel file: save as .xlsx and upload it directly. Only the first sheet is read.
• Google Sheets: choose File, Download, then Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) or Comma-separated values (.csv).
• Copy and paste: select the cells, copy and paste into the Paste names tab. Tab-separated rows from a spreadsheet are detected automatically.

Import and check the preview

Open the picker, choose Add entrants and drop your file. A preview shows the first rows and the entrant count. If the first row is a header, leave "First row has column titles" on; if it is already a name, turn it off. Match the count against your sheet before continuing.

Duplicates and extra entries

Each row is one entry. If you want one chance per person, remove duplicate names in your sheet first (Excel: Data, Remove Duplicates; Sheets: Data, Data cleanup, Remove duplicates), or use the Remove duplicate names button under Customize, Data. If some people deserve more chances, leave them in more than once.

Draw and label

Pick the number of winners, type a prize name and press Draw. Each winner appears on the winner plate along with the other columns from your sheet, so a department or entry number is visible to the room. Archive confirmed winners to keep the stage clear.

Export the result

Use Export results to download an Excel workbook with separate Winners and Archived sheets, or a CSV. The file contains your original columns plus prize, draw time and pool size. Cells beginning with characters such as = are neutralised in CSV exports so they cannot run as spreadsheet formulas.

Troubleshooting

• The count is too low: blank rows or rows with an empty name column are skipped.
• Weird characters: save CSV files as UTF-8.
• The Excel reader will not load: a firewall may block the library. Save the sheet as CSV or paste the names instead.
• Dates look odd: format those columns as text before exporting.