How to run a Secret Santa
- Type everyone’s name, one per line. Press "Try an example" to see how it works first.
- If some people should not draw each other, such as couples, add them under "Can’t draw each other".
- Add a budget, a date and a short note if you like. Everyone sees them in their link.
- Press Draw names. You get one private link for each person.
- Send each person their own link. When they open it, they see only who they are buying for.
Not happy with the draw, or someone joined late? Add them and press Draw again. Remember to send the new links, because the old ones will not match.
Setting a budget
A clear budget keeps the swap fair and stops anyone from feeling awkward. Pick an amount most people are happy with, and write it the way your group talks, such as "Under £20" or "About $25". Small budgets often lead to the most fun gifts. Put a theme in the note if you like, such as "something homemade" or "a book you loved".
Couples, housemates and the exclusion rule
Couples and people who live together often swap gifts anyway, so most groups keep them apart in the draw. Type them on one line under "Can’t draw each other", like "Sam + Alex". A line can hold more than two people, such as a whole family. The draw keeps every rule. If the rules cannot all be kept at once, the page says which one to drop. This can happen when one group is more than half of everyone.
At the office, at home or in class
- Office: collect names in a group chat, set a modest budget and a swap date, and paste all the links back with "Copy all links as a message". Each person opens only their own.
- Family: keep partners apart with one rule each, and give the children their own small budget in the note.
- Class: a teacher can run the draw on the board with "Reveal with the wheel". Each student spins in turn and the wheel lands on their person.
In Australia and New Zealand, the same game is often called Kris Kringle. It works the same way here.
Doing the draw live
"Reveal with the wheel" turns the draw into a moment for the whole group. The draw is made first, fairly, and the wheel then shows each person’s result in turn, so it always follows the same rules. It suits a party or a class where everyone is in the room. For a surprise that stays secret, send the private links instead.
Fair and private
The names are shuffled with your browser’s secure random numbers until every rule is kept, so the draw is fair and nobody is favoured. No account is needed and no email is sent. Nothing is stored or sent anywhere: each result lives only in its own link. Need teams for a party game afterwards? Try the random team generator.