The host’s setup sheet
A fair draw starts with the list
Before the animation, check who is actually entered. The wheel picks an entry, so the way you prepare the list determines each person’s chance.
A clean first column
Mara Leo Noor Sam
Four entries, one for each person. Type one per line, or place them in column A of the first spreadsheet sheet. Leave out a header such as “Name”: it would become an entry too.
A duplicate changes the draw
Mara Mara Leo Noor
Mara occupies two of four entries: a 2-in-4 chance. Leo and Noor each occupy one. The tool trims whitespace and skips blank lines; it does not deduplicate names.
Decide the repeat rule before spinning
With winner removal off, every spin uses the same list, so the same entry can win again. With removal on, the winning entry is taken out after the spin. This removes one occurrence, not every matching name: if Mara appears twice, another Mara entry can still win.
For a classroom turn order, use unique names and enable removal. For independent choices such as picking a discussion prompt, leaving all entries in may be appropriate. Tell the group which rule you chose before the first result.
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| File | .xlsx, .xls, or .csv; no more than 5 MB. |
| Location | First sheet, column A. Other columns are ignored. |
| Count | At most 200 entries are used. Compare the displayed count with your intended list. |
| Review | Check the imported text for headings, duplicates, and misspellings before spinning. |
What the animation tells you
The winner is selected before the wheel finishes moving. A longer name does not get extra probability; separate entries do. Supported browsers use Web Crypto for the random choice. An animation is not an audit trail or proof of compliance with rules for a regulated prize draw.
At least two entries are needed to spin. Labels become harder to read on crowded wheels; the selected winner is still displayed separately. Fullscreen can help a group see the result. Keep your own participant list and results if you need a record: the tool processes files locally and does not save the session.