A free seating chart maker you can drag, print and reuse
This seating chart maker turns a list of names into a seating plan. Set up round or rectangular tables with a given number of seats, or a classroom of rows and desks, then let the tool seat everyone in list order, shuffle them with a seed, or drag names between seats yourself. Dropping a name on an occupied seat swaps the two people; dropping it on “Unseated” frees the seat.
When the plan is right, print a chart — tables drawn as circles or rectangles with the names around them, or a desk grid with the front of the room marked — and a set of folded tent name cards that say the guest’s name and table. Wedding planners use it for receptions, teachers for a new class, trainers for workshops and anyone organising a dinner for more than two tables.
The plan is kept in your browser’s local storage so it survives a refresh; nothing is uploaded.
How to use the Seating Chart Maker
- Paste the guests or students into the list, one per line. Duplicates are ignored.
- Choose Tables (how many, seats per table, round or rectangular) or Classroom rows (rows and desks per row).
- Press Auto-assign in order to fill seats from the top of the list, or Shuffle & assign for a random arrangement — change the seed for a different one, keep it to get the same result again.
- Drag names between seats to fine-tune. On a phone, tap a name and then tap the seat. Names left in Unseated are not printed on cards.
- Set the Paper and Orientation, tick the Chart page and Name cards you want, then Download PDF, Download PNG or Print.
Seating Chart Maker features
Tables or classroom
Up to 40 tables of 1–16 seats, round or rectangular, or a grid of up to 12 rows × 12 desks with a “front of room” marker.
Drag, tap or keyboard
Pointer drag with a live drop highlight, tap-to-select for touch screens, and Enter on a focused seat to place the selected name.
Swap and unseat
Drop on an occupied seat to swap the two people; drop on the Unseated area to clear a seat. The tool never silently drops a name.
Seeded shuffle
Random arrangements are generated from a seed, so a shuffle can be reproduced later or shared with a colleague who types the same seed.
Chart plus name cards
A one-page chart with every table and name, followed by folded tent cards (four per portrait sheet, three per landscape sheet) showing the name and table number.
Saved in your browser
The list, layout and every seat assignment persist between visits on the same device, and editing the list keeps the seats of names that remain.
Planning a seating chart that works
- Start from the fixed points. Seat the top table, hosts, speakers or pupils with specific needs (near the front, away from a window) first by dragging, then auto-assign or shuffle the rest.
- Round tables of 8–10 are the reception standard; rectangular tables suit banquet rows and boardrooms. Seats on a rectangular table are numbered along one long side and then the other.
- Classroom grids number desks row.column from the front, which matches the printed chart and the name cards (“Row 2, seat 3”).
- Shuffle with intent. For an icebreaker, shuffle so colleagues who sit together every day are mixed; for a class, shuffle every term with a new seed and keep the seeds in your notes to recreate any arrangement.
- Need teams rather than seats? The team generator splits a list into balanced groups, and the random name picker chooses one person at a time.
Printing the chart and cards
The chart page scales tables to fit the paper: four tables of six on A4 landscape print at a size that is readable from arm’s length; forty tables will be small, so print A3 at a copy shop or split the list into two charts. The name cards are 90 × 50 mm per face and print four to a sheet with a fold line, like the table tent card maker; print them on card, cut on the dashed line and fold.
For badges to wear rather than cards to stand, the name tag maker accepts the same list.
Seating Chart Maker FAQ
How do I move a guest to another table?
Drag the name chip onto the seat you want. If someone is already there, the two swap. On touch screens, tap the name, then tap the destination seat.
What happens if there are more names than seats?
Auto-assign fills every seat and leaves the rest under “Unseated” with a note telling you how many. Add tables or seats and press auto-assign again, or drag the remaining names into free seats.
Is my guest list stored anywhere?
Only in your browser’s local storage on this device, so the plan is there when you come back. It is never uploaded. Clearing site data removes it, so download the PDF when you are done.
Can I give the same seat to two people?
No. A seat holds one name, and a name sits in one seat. Dropping a name on an occupied seat swaps rather than stacks.
Can the seating chart maker do a U-shape or a specific room layout?
Not yet. It supports round and rectangular tables in a grid, and classroom rows. For an unusual room, make a chart with one table per cluster and hand-draw the room outline on the printout.
Why does a shuffle give the same result every time?
Because the shuffle uses the seed shown next to the button. Type a different seed — any word or number — for a new arrangement. Keeping a seed lets you recreate an arrangement exactly.