The worked scenario

This walkthrough uses a concrete small-event example: a community booth has 60 eligible entries, two different prizes, and a rule that one entry may win only once. Contact information was collected separately from the public entry codes. The draw operator has already checked the applicable event and promotion requirements.

Random Name Spinner is only the visible selection step. It does not create official rules, verify eligibility, contact winners, or determine whether a promotion is lawful. Use a qualified process when regulations, platform rules, or the value of the prize require one.

Step 1: freeze the rules before opening the tool

Complete the downloadable giveaway draw record before loading live entries. For this example, the fixed fields are:

Record the final eligible count and the file or roster version used. Do not put email addresses or phone numbers in the public wheel.

Step 2: separate public codes from contact details

Create a private lookup that maps E001 through E060 to the contact information collected under the event's privacy notice. Load only the entry codes into Manage Names.

This separation limits what spectators, screenshots, shared URLs, and exported result files can expose. Anyone with the private lookup can still connect a code to a person, so store that file according to the event's own retention and access rules.

After pasting the codes, verify three things against the frozen record: the visible count is 60, the first expected code is present, and the last expected code is present. Sample several middle entries as well. A count alone will not reveal that one valid code was replaced by a duplicate.

Step 3: test without contaminating the live draw

Open a separate tab or use a temporary list containing TEST-A, TEST-B, and TEST-C. Confirm that the wheel spins, Results History records a selection, and Remove winner after pick removes the selected test entry.

Clear the test names and test result completely. Then reload the 60 validated entry codes. Never use the live list for a practice spin; a recorded or witnessed practice result can be confused with the official selection.

Step 4: configure the two-prize draw

Enable Remove winner after pick because the rules prohibit one entry from winning twice. Keep the prize order visible. The operator should state the final entry count, the prize being selected, and the prewritten redraw rule before the first spin.

The browser chooses the selected index before the animation. The current implementation uses Web Crypto values and rejection sampling so each loaded position is backed by the same number of possible 32-bit source values. The full method and a live distribution lab are available on the Randomness page.

Step 5: record each result immediately

For the first prize:

1. State “gift basket” and the eligible count of 60.

2. Spin once.

3. Read the selected entry code and copy it to the draw record.

4. Record the local time and witness, if the rules require one.

5. Confirm the selected code has been removed before the next draw.

For the second prize, repeat the same steps with the remaining count of 59. Do not reorder the prize list or restore the first winner after seeing either result.

Results History can be exported as a convenience, but it is not an immutable audit log. The downloadable draw record is designed to capture the rule version, entry-list version, result, redraw reason, and witness in one place. Preserve it only as long as the event's actual retention policy requires.

Step 6: handle a redraw without erasing the first result

Suppose E023 is selected but the private roster shows that the entry was submitted after the published deadline. If late entry is a prewritten disqualifier, keep E023 in the record as the original result, document the exact rule, mark the entry ineligible, and then perform one redraw.

Do not describe a redraw as the first draw. Do not use a vague reason such as “operator decision.” If the rules did not authorize disqualification, stop and obtain appropriate guidance instead of rewriting them after the result.

Step 7: close the data trail

After the winners are contacted and the response period ends, remove the active list and Results History from the browser. Delete saved lists and exported files that the event no longer needs. A shared URL contains the included entries, so do not create or distribute one for a private live roster.

What this walkthrough demonstrates

Transparency comes from the combination of a frozen eligible list, prewritten rules, consistent tool settings, preserved original results, and a separate contact lookup. A wheel animation by itself provides none of those controls.

Last product check: August 4, 2026. The workflow was reviewed against the current Manage Names, Remove winner after pick, Results History, and export behavior.