In Excel: use =RANDBETWEEN(1,100) for a whole number in a range, =RAND() for a decimal between 0 and 1, or =RANDARRAY(10,1,1,100,TRUE) in Microsoft 365 for a whole block at once.
Seed: 20260101
What this does
Excel has three generators. RAND() returns a decimal ≥0 and <1. RANDBETWEEN(bottom, top) returns a whole number in an inclusive range. RANDARRAY(rows, columns, min, max, whole_number) spills a whole grid in Microsoft 365. All three are volatile: they produce a new value on every recalculation, every edit and every file open. To freeze a draw, copy the cells and Paste Special ▸ Values. To shuffle a list rather than generate numbers, add a =RAND() helper column and sort by it — or use =SORTBY(A2:A50, RANDARRAY(49)) in Microsoft 365. The same idea underpins a lot of everyday Excel work, so the few minutes spent getting it right here pay back across every sheet you build afterwards. Treat it as a pattern, not a one-off, and it stops being something you look up and starts being something you reach for. Treat “excel randomize column” as a small repeatable workflow rather than a one-off click you hope to remember next time. Use a small test block before the live file, so any surprise in the affected columns shows up while it is still harmless. When a formula is involved, keep the inputs labelled beside it, reference cells instead of typing values, and apply number formatting only after the result checks out. That turns a layout choice that keeps the sheet readable and sortable into a method you can reuse, explain, and defend when the workbook leaves your screen.
A worked example
Ten random whole numbers from 1 to 100: enter =RANDBETWEEN(1,100) in A2 and fill down to A11. Press F9 and all ten change. To keep one particular draw, select A2:A11, Ctrl+C, then Home ▸ Paste ▸ Values. To pick 5 winners from a list of names in A2:A200 without repeats: =INDEX($A$2:$A$200, RANK(B2, $B$2:$B$200)) beside a =RAND() column, or simply =SORTBY(A2:A200, RANDARRAY(199)) and take the top 5. Random numbers drive sample selection, prize draws, test data and Monte Carlo models — and the two things that catch people out, volatility and repeated values, are both easy to control once you know they are there. A practical tip before you scale it up: build it once on a small block of test data, confirm the number against the tool on this page, and only then point it at your real sheet. That one habit catches almost every mistake while it is still cheap to fix, long before a wrong figure reaches a report or a colleague.
In Google Sheets
Everything above works in Google Sheets too. Excel and Sheets share the formula syntax used here; only the surrounding menus are arranged differently. That portability is deliberate — learn it once and it follows you between the two tools and across Windows and Mac. The aim was to get you unstuck fast and leave you a little more capable than a copy-paste would. The answer is at the top, the tool proves it, and the detail above shows why it holds — so the next time a colleague asks, you can answer without reaching for search. If you take one thing from this page on “excel randomize column”, make it the habit rather than the keystrokes: set the problem up with labelled inputs, reference those cells, and let Excel do the recomputing. Bookmark the page for the syntax, but do the example once in a blank sheet and check it against the tool above — five minutes of hands-on practice fixes the method in memory far better than re-reading, and it surfaces the small snags while they are still harmless. After that the technique is genuinely yours: faster than searching for it again, and reliable enough to drop into work that other people depend on.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the functions are volatile, so the "random sample" in a report changes the next time anyone opens the file.
- Assuming
RANDBETWEENgives unique values — it draws with replacement, so duplicates are expected. Use aRANDhelper column plusRANK, orSORTBYwithRANDARRAY, when you need distinct picks. - Building a big sheet on thousands of volatile cells, which makes every keystroke recalculate the workbook.
- Treating Excel's generator as cryptographically secure; it is fine for sampling and demos, not for keys or passwords.
- Referencing a random cell from another formula and wondering why the two disagree — they were evaluated on different recalculations.
Frequently asked questions
How do I generate a random number in Excel?
=RANDBETWEEN(1,100) gives a whole number from 1 to 100 inclusive. =RAND() gives a decimal between 0 and 1. Both redraw on every recalculation.
How do I stop random numbers from changing?
Select the cells, copy them, then Home ▸ Paste ▸ Values. That replaces the volatile formulas with the numbers they last produced.
How do I randomise a list of names?
Add =RAND() in a helper column beside the list, sort the list by that column, then delete the helper. In Microsoft 365, =SORTBY(A2:A50, RANDARRAY(49)) does it in one formula.
How do I get random numbers without duplicates?
Generate a =RAND() value per row and rank them: =INDEX($A$2:$A$200, RANK(B2,$B$2:$B$200)). Ranking a set of distinct random decimals yields distinct picks, unlike RANDBETWEEN.