Staaarter Tools

Empty List Creator

Generates a list of a given size where every item is the same placeholder value, an empty string by default, or a custom placeholder like "TODO" or "-", useful for scaffolding a fixed-size list before filling in real values. A free online tool from Staaarter, right in your browser.

Runs locallyUpdated 2026-07-27
listgenerator

Overview

Introduction

Sometimes you need to scaffold a list of a specific size before you have real values to fill it with, a spreadsheet skeleton, a form with N repeated fields, or a placeholder dataset.

The Empty List Creator generates exactly that: N items, each set to the same placeholder value.

What Is Empty List Creator?

This is a pure generator tool: it doesn't transform existing input, it produces a brand-new list from a count and a placeholder value.

Every generated item is identical, which makes it different from tools like Custom List Creator or Symmetric List Creator that generate distinct, varying values.

How Empty List Creator Works

The tool builds an array of `count` entries using `Array.from()`, filling every slot with the same placeholder string.

That array is then joined using your chosen separator (newline, comma, or custom delimiter) to produce the final list text.

When To Use Empty List Creator

Use this to quickly scaffold a fixed-size list you'll fill in by hand afterward, like blank rows in a spreadsheet import template.

It's also useful for generating a run of identical placeholder markers, such as N dashes or N "TODO" entries to track outstanding work.

Often used alongside Custom List Creator, List Length Changer and Symmetric List Creator.

Features

Advantages

  • Extremely simple and predictable, every item is exactly the same.
  • Works with any separator style to match your target format.
  • No randomness, so results are perfectly reproducible.

Limitations

  • Can't generate varying or numbered values; use Custom List Creator for that.
  • Capped at 10,000 items to keep output manageable.

Examples

Generating blank placeholder items

Input

count: 3, placeholder: "" (newline separator)

Output

Three empty items are joined with newlines, producing two blank lines between them.

Generating a repeated custom placeholder

Input

count: 3, placeholder: "TODO"

Output

TODO, TODO, TODO

Every one of the three generated items is the literal text "TODO".

Best Practices & Notes

Best Practices

  • Use a visible placeholder like "TODO" or "-" rather than an empty string if you need the blank slots to be easy to spot later.
  • Follow up with List Item Appender or manual editing once you're ready to fill in real values.

Developer Notes

Uses `Array.from({ length: count }, () => placeholder)` to build the repeated array in one call, then the shared list separator helper to join it.

Empty List Creator Use Cases

  • Scaffolding a fixed number of blank rows for a CSV or spreadsheet import template
  • Generating a run of "TODO" markers to track a known number of outstanding tasks
  • Creating placeholder test fixtures of a specific size

Common Mistakes

  • Expecting each item to be numbered or unique; every item is identical by design.
  • Forgetting that the default placeholder is an empty string, which can look like nothing happened when using a separator that doesn't add visible characters.

Tips

  • Set a visible placeholder value if you plan to search-and-replace the blanks later, it's easier to find than an empty string.
  • Use List Length Changer instead if you want to pad an existing list rather than generate a brand-new one from scratch.

References

Frequently Asked Questions