Secret Santa generator: draw names online and email every match
A Secret Santa generator draws one gift recipient for every person in your group at random, so nobody gets themselves. Here, guests join with a link, QR code or pass code, and each match is emailed privately, so nobody, including the organizer, can see who drew whom.
How it works
- Create the exchange. Name it and set a budget, favourite stores, a theme, the date and place. Start from a template (classic, Kris Kringle, handmade, book exchange, stocking stuffers or office-friendly) and change anything.
- Share one link. Send the sign-up link, show the QR code on a screen or on paper, or read out the short pass code.
- Guests say yes. Everyone enters their name and email, confirms it with a 6-digit code, and answers "Do you want to take part?". Only people who say yes are drawn.
- Draw and email. Press one button, or set a sign-up deadline and it happens by itself. Names are drawn at random on the server and every person is emailed who they are buying for, with your rules and their person's gift ideas.
What you get
- A fair, random draw. Nobody gets themselves, and the draw is built as a single loop so two people never end up buying only for each other, unless your rules leave no other option.
- Pairs who skip each other: keep partners, housemates or anyone else from drawing one another. We check that a valid draw exists before sending anything.
- A sign-up deadline that draws names and sends every match for you, so you do not have to remember to close sign-up.
- Gift ideas: guests can share likes, sizes and allergies on their own private page, and whoever draws them sees it in their match email. Turn it off for a pure surprise.
- Lost emails handled: guests can ask for their match again, and you can see delivery status and fix a mistyped address. You still never see who drew whom.
- No accounts or passwords for anyone, and one button deletes the exchange, every name and every match.
What it doesn't do
It is built for assigned recipients, where each person buys for one other person. If you would rather play a party game where gifts are opened and stolen, see our White Elephant organizer.
Rule templates to start from
- Classic Secret Santa: Names are drawn, gifts stay anonymous until the reveal.
- Kris Kringle: The same idea under its Australian and New Zealand name.
- Handmade gifts: Make it, bake it, grow it or fix it up.
- Book exchange: A book you love, with a note about why.
- Stocking stuffers: Several small things instead of one big one.
- Office-friendly: Optional, inclusive and work-appropriate.
Frequently asked questions
Is the draw really random?
Yes. Names are drawn on the server with a cryptographically secure random number generator. The draw prefers a single loop (A buys for B, B for C, and so on back to A), which guarantees nobody just swaps with one other person.
Can the organizer see who drew whom?
No. Each match goes straight to that person by email, and no screen shows the assignments, including to the organizer. That means the organizer can take part and be surprised too.
Can I stop partners from drawing each other?
Yes. Add "can't draw each other" pairs, and they will never be matched in either direction. If your pairs make a valid draw impossible, we tell you before anything is sent.
How many people do I need?
At least three people have to say yes before names can be drawn. An exchange can hold up to 100 people.
What if someone joins late or drops out?
People can join, be added by you, or opt out until sign-up closes. Once names are drawn, sign-up is closed so the matches stay fair.
Can it draw automatically?
Yes. Set a sign-up deadline when you create the exchange or later. When it passes, names are drawn among the people who said yes and every match is emailed. If it cannot be done, we email you and leave sign-up open.
Do guests need accounts?
No. Guests join with a link, a QR code or a pass code, confirm their email with a 6-digit code, and get a private page of their own.
Keep reading
- Secret Santa rules: the classic rules and how to adapt them
The classic rules, why they exist, and the house rules that stop arguments before they start.
- How to organize a Secret Santa, step by step
The order to do things in, from the guest list to the reveal, so nobody is confused on the day.
- How to set a gift exchange budget (and what to do when people go over)
How to pick a number that feels fair to everyone, and what to do when someone ignores it.
- How to run an office gift exchange that everyone is comfortable with
Keeping a workplace exchange optional, inclusive and low-pressure, with a sensible budget.
- Kris Kringle rules: how it works and how it differs from Secret Santa
The same idea as Secret Santa under a different name, with a few habits of its own.
- How to run a virtual or remote gift exchange
Shipping, addresses, time zones and a reveal that works over video.
Prefer a gift-stealing party game? See the White Elephant organizer