Secret Santa Generator

How to draw names for Secret Santa

1. Add the names. Type or paste everyone taking part, one per line. Add rules for couples or households if you need them.
2. Add the details. Optionally set a budget, the date of the exchange, a place or video-call link, a message for everyone, and each person's wishes or sizes.
3. Draw and send. Press Draw names. You get one private link per person. Send each link to its owner by WhatsApp, text, email, chat or a printed QR card.

When someone opens their link, they see a greeting with their name and a button to reveal who they're buying for, plus the budget, date and any wishes. They can add the exchange to their calendar in one tap.

Secret Santa without email: how private links work

Most Secret Santa websites ask everyone for an email address and send invitations from their own servers. That means more sign-ups, emails stuck in spam folders, and a company holding your colleagues' or relatives' details.

This generator works differently. Each person's match is locked inside their own link, and the link itself is the key. Nothing is saved on our side, so there are no accounts, no invitation emails and no mailing lists. The links are encrypted, so the names inside aren't readable in chat previews, browser history or a quick glance over your shoulder.

The one rule: treat each link like a secret. Anyone who has it can open it, so send it only to the person it's meant for, and ask people not to forward theirs.

Keeping couples, families and teams apart

There are two easy ways to stop people drawing someone they'd buy for anyway. For couples, add a rule such as "Anna and Ben won't draw each other". For bigger groups, such as a household or a team, add the same tag in square brackets after each name: Anna [Smith], Ben [Smith], Cara [Smith]. You can also make a one-way rule, for example so a manager doesn't draw a new starter.

Too many rules can make a fair draw impossible. If a household of three is in a group of five, those three can only give to the other two, so someone would be left out. Instead of a vague error, we tell you exactly which people are stuck and what to change.

Doing this every year? Save your draw, and next year open the file under "Avoid last year's matches" so nobody gets the same person twice.

Can the organizer play too?

Yes, and you won't spoil it for yourself. After the draw you only see each person's name with buttons to copy or send their link. You don't see the matches unless you deliberately type "show" to reveal them all, which is there for emergencies. Send everyone their link, then open your own. The honest catch: you could open other people's links, so this works on trust, just like drawing from a hat.

Draw styles: classic, no swaps or one big loop

• No swaps (recommended): two people never get each other. Without this, someone who gets a gift from the person they bought for can guess who their Santa was.
• Classic: anyone except yourself. Swaps can happen. Use it for very small groups or when lots of rules leave few options.
• One big loop: everyone forms a single chain. It's ideal for a party where each person opens their gift and then gives theirs, one after another, until the loop comes back to the start.

Every style uses a fair, random draw that follows all your rules, and nobody ever draws themselves.

Secret Santa at work: budget, rules and inclusivity

Office Secret Santa is fun when it's easy to join and easy to afford. A few tips that work in the US, UK and Europe alike:

• Keep the budget modest and clear. State one amount so nobody overspends or feels embarrassed.
• Make it optional. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, and some people would rather not take part. Calling it a gift exchange can help.
• Use the wishes box. A line about likes, sizes or allergies saves guesswork and avoids unwanted gifts.
• Agree on what's off limits. Jokes that work among friends can land badly at work. A short note such as "no joke gifts, please" sets the tone.
• Plan for remote colleagues. Add a delivery deadline and a video-call link, and ask people to post gifts in time.

What if someone drops out or loses their link?

Save your draw right after drawing. The file is locked with a passphrase you choose and stays on your device. With it, you can re-send any lost link in seconds.

If someone drops out, open the draw and choose "Someone dropped out". The person who was buying for them takes over their match, so usually only one person gets a new link and everyone else is unaffected. If someone joins late, choose "Someone wants to join": we slot them into the draw, and only two people need new links. If a quick fix would break your rules, we'll suggest a fresh draw instead.

Is my list private?

Yes. The draw runs in your browser, and we never receive the names, wishes or matches. Each person's page reveals only their own match, and it removes the secret part of the link from the address bar as soon as it opens. That page carries no ads and no tracking. Because we never hold your participants' details, there's nothing for us to store, share or lose.

Secret Santa around the world

The same tradition has many names. In Ireland and Australia it's often called Kris Kringle, and some families around Philadelphia call it Pollyanna. In Germany and Austria people do Wichteln, in Spain it's Amigo Invisible, and in Brazil and Portugal it's Amigo Secreto. In the Netherlands and Belgium, lootjes trekken is a big part of Sinterklaas on 5 December, often with a poem attached to each present. Whatever you call it, the idea is the same: draw a name, keep it secret, and find a thoughtful gift.

Last updated: 2026-11-14