Secret Santa Generator

What is Online Secret Santa Generator?

Secret Santa Generator draws names for a gift exchange and gives every person their own private link. Opening it shows who they are buying for, the budget, the date and the wish list of the person they drew, and nobody else's match. There are no emails, no accounts and no app: send the links by WhatsApp, text message, Messenger, Slack or any other chat, so it works for the office, the family, a group of friends or a class.

The organiser can take part too. The page lists the links by name only, so you can send them without seeing who drew whom.

What You Can Set

• Budget and date: shown on every link, so nobody has to ask twice.
• Wish lists: a few ideas or hints for each person, shown only to whoever draws them.
• Exclusions: keep partners, housemates or last year's pairs from drawing each other.
• No pairs: an option so that no two people draw each other.
• A message to everyone: where you meet, the theme, or a reminder to wrap the gift.

How to use Online Secret Santa Generator?

1. Give the exchange a name and, if you like, a budget, a date and a message.
2. Add everyone taking part, with a wish list for anyone who has one. You can paste a whole list of names into the first box.
3. Add exclusions for the people who should not draw each other.
4. Press "Draw Names".
5. Send each person their own link with the Copy, WhatsApp or Share buttons. Each one is ticked off once it is sent.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need everyone's email address?

No. Nobody signs up and no email is sent. Each person gets a link, and you send it however your group already talks: a WhatsApp or text message, a DM, or a work chat.

Can the organiser see who drew whom?

Not unless you choose to. The links are listed by the name of the person each one is for, and the matches inside them are scrambled. If you are not taking part, or you hand out the names for the whole group, "Show Who Drew Whom" shows the full list. Avoid opening other people's links if you want your own gift to be a surprise.

How do exclusions work?

An exclusion keeps two people apart in both directions: neither can draw the other. Use it for couples, people who live together, or to avoid repeating last year's pairs. If the rules leave no possible draw, for example when one person is excluded from almost everyone, the generator tells you instead of breaking a rule.

Is my list uploaded anywhere?

No. The draw happens in your browser, and each match is stored in the link itself, after the "#" sign, which browsers do not send to the website. Your list and the draw are kept on your device, so you can come back later to send the links you have not sent yet.

Someone lost their link. What now?

Open the generator again on the device where you made the draw: the links are still there, and you can send that person theirs again. The link never expires, so they can also find it in the chat where you sent it.

Someone dropped out or joined late

Change the list and press "Draw Again". A new draw gives everyone a new match, so send all of the new links and tell people to ignore the old ones.

How many people can take part?

From 3 to 60. With only two people each simply draws the other, so there is no secret to keep.

What else can I use it for?

Any gift exchange where each person gives one gift: Kris Kringle, Secret Santa at work, Amigo Secreto, Wichteln or a birthday swap. For a party game, the Christmas Bingo Card Generator makes holiday bingo cards, and the Reindeer Race Simulator picks who opens their gift first.