Classroom seating chart generator

A seating chart is one of those small jobs that eats a planning period: who can't sit together, who needs to be up front because of their eyesight, and how to mix things up without it feeling like a punishment. On paper it takes half an hour and an eraser. Here it takes one click.

The generator seats students at random but follows your rules. Randomness helps: students can see the teacher didn't hand-pick who ends up in the back or who their desk partner is. If you want to change one spot, just drag the name.

A 30-student class with 3 rules is done in one click; try it with the sample class. For tables at a wedding, party or work dinner, use the seating chart maker instead.

Choose one of three layouts and set the size:

• Desk pairs: two seats per desk, with an aisle between desks. Here "not next to each other" means they can't be desk partners.
• Rows of single desks: every student has their own desk, and the student directly beside them counts as a neighbor.
• U-shape: left side, back row and right side, with the open end facing the board. Neighbors are the students seated next to each other along the U.

For a stricter version of "not next to each other", you can also count the students directly in front and behind as neighbors. If there are more students than seats, the generator adds a row and tells you.

Type rules one per line, or add them from the drop-down menus:

• "Aiden x Carter": they can't sit next to each other. Use three or more names, like "Bella x Chloe x Ella", to keep all of them apart.
• "Henry: front": goes in the front row, for example for vision or hearing needs.
• "Dana: 5": always sits in seat 5.

The generator fills fixed seats first, then front-row students, then everyone else, and keeps swapping until every rule is met. If a layout can't meet every rule (say, more front-row students than front-row seats), it tells you which rule is broken, and students in the wrong spot get a red outline.

In the finished chart, drag one student onto another to swap them, or click two seats one after the other. You can pin a selected student to their seat (📌) so reshuffling won't move them, which is handy for keeping part of an older chart.

Flip the view between the students' side (board at the top) and the teacher's desk (board at the bottom). Print / PDF prints only the chart, with the class name and date, and your browser's print dialog can save it as a PDF. You can also copy it as a list or download a CSV file.

Class lists are shared with the Random student picker, and students marked absent there can be left out. Everything is stored only in this browser; no names are uploaded.

• Few rules, the right ones. The more constraints you add, the less random the chart. Stick to what matters: pairs who distract each other, and students who need the front for vision or hearing.
• Reshuffle regularly. Many teachers change seats every month or each grading period. Random seating helps students work with new partners, and nobody gets stuck in the back.
• Pin what works. If a student's seat is working well, pin it (📌) and reshuffle everyone else.
• Match the layout to the lesson. A U-shape lets everyone see each other for discussions; desk pairs suit partner work.
• Show it on the projector. Students accept the result more easily when they see the draw happen.

To make groups instead of desk partners, try the random team generator or the group maker in the Random student picker.