SeatSolver by Lesson Shuffle
A seating chart add-on for Google Slides.
SeatSolver helps you plan classroom seating. Drag students onto desks. Shuffle with your own rules. Keep student photos. Send the chart to a slide.
Made by Patrick McMillan, Lesson Shuffle.
Get started
- Open any Google Slides deck in a web browser.
- Install SeatSolver by Lesson Shuffle from the Google Workspace Marketplace. (The Marketplace link goes here once the listing is live.)
- Choose Extensions › SeatSolver by Lesson Shuffle › Open SeatSolver.
- Press Help inside the window for step-by-step directions.
The first time you open it, Google asks you to allow it. It only asks to work with the presentation you have open and to show its menu and window.
Using it on a classroom board
- Sign in to the same Google account on the board.
- Open any deck and open SeatSolver.
- You see the same chart as on your laptop.
- Press Full screen for a clean display.
- Or press Send to slide, then present the slide from Slides.
Something not working?
- Choose Extensions › SeatSolver by Lesson Shuffle › Check setup. It tests your private storage and the open deck, then shows the result.
- If you see “Storage is full,” remove photos you no longer need, or use Setup › New term.
- Your district may need to allow the add-on. Ask your Google Workspace administrator.
- SeatSolver runs in Google Slides in a web browser. It does not run in the Slides phone or tablet app.
Frequently asked questions
Does Lesson Shuffle collect my students’ names or photos?
No. Nothing is collected. SeatSolver has no server, no database, no analytics and makes no outside web requests. Lesson Shuffle never sees what you enter.
Where is my data kept?
Student names, photos, notes and room layouts are saved in SeatSolver’s private storage inside your own Google account. Only your account can read it. It is not saved in the Slides deck. People who open the same deck do not see it.
What permissions does it ask for?
Two. It works with the presentation you have open (presentations.currentonly). It shows its menu and window inside Slides (script.container.ui). That is all.
How do I delete my data?
- In SeatSolver, use Setup and choose Erase all my SeatSolver data.
- To remove access, go to myaccount.google.com/connections, pick SeatSolver and remove access. You can also uninstall the add-on from Google Workspace Marketplace.
How do I start a new term?
Open SeatSolver and choose Setup › New term. It clears students and photos. It keeps your room layouts.
What happens to a chart I send to a slide?
It is drawn into your own deck as a picture, with a small SeatSolver reminder picture in the corner that you can delete. Who sees the slide depends on how you share that deck. You choose whether the slide includes photos. You are responsible for photos you put in decks you share.
Can students use it?
No. SeatSolver is for teachers. Students do not sign in to it.
Should I keep a backup?
If you download a backup file, it holds the names and photos you entered. Keep it private, like any class list. Please keep a backup of any class list you cannot easily recreate.
Contact
Email Patrick@lessonshuffle.com. Please do not put student names or photos in your message.