Secret Santa Generator: Draw Names Online, Free

How to draw names online with a Secret Santa generator

Pulling names out of a hat only works when everyone is in the same room, and someone always draws themselves. An online Secret Santa generator solves both problems. With Gift2Gift it takes three steps:

• Create the exchange with a name, a date and a budget. You do not need an account.
• Invite with one link. Send it by WhatsApp, text, Slack or email; each person joins with their name and email.
• Run the draw when everyone is in. Each participant reveals their person by scratching a card on their phone, right next to that person's wish list.

You can also add everyone yourself if some people are not on their phones. Step-by-step instructions are in the guides to create a Secret Santa with Gift2Gift and to manage participants and run the draw.

Create my Secret Santa

Exclusions: who should not draw whom

A good Secret Santa generator lets you say who must not be paired. Gift2Gift lets the organizer add exclusions before the draw, so partners, roommates, or a parent and child never draw each other. If the exclusions make a draw impossible (for example, in a group of three where everyone excludes someone), the app warns you before the draw and asks you to remove one. Here is how to set up exclusions before the draw.

Secret Santa generator or Secret Santa app?

You do not need to install anything: the generator runs in any phone or computer browser, and participants join from the link you send. If you prefer an app, Gift2Gift is also on the App Store for iPhone, with the same exchanges, draw and wish lists. Either way, every participant joins with their name and their own email address, which is where they get their invitation and reminders.

What is Secret Santa?

Secret Santa is a gift exchange where every person in a group is secretly assigned someone else to buy a present for. You know who you are giving to, but your recipient does not know who their Santa is until the gifts are opened. It is the classic way to do holiday gifts at the office, with friends or with a big family: everyone gives one thoughtful present instead of buying something small for everybody.

The game goes by many names. In the UK and the US you will also hear Kris Kringle or White Elephant (a different game with stealing), in Mexico it is the intercambio navideño, and in Brazil it is amigo secreto. The mechanics are the same everywhere: a draw, a budget, a secret and a gift.

How does Secret Santa work?

1. Build the group. Decide who is in and agree on one budget for everyone.

2. Draw names. Each person is assigned one recipient in private. Nobody can draw themselves, and nobody else sees the result.

3. Share wish lists. Everyone writes down a few ideas so their Santa has something to go on.

4. Exchange the gifts. On the agreed day, gifts are handed out and every Santa is revealed (or stays secret, if your group prefers).

Want the long version, with variations and tips? Read how Secret Santa works.

Secret Santa rules that keep everyone happy

• One fixed budget. $20 to $50 per person is the most common range; say whether it is a limit or a target.
• Keep the secret until the exchange day. No hints in the group chat.
• Use exclusions. Couples, roommates or people who already swap gifts should not draw each other. Set them up before the draw.
• Set a sign-up deadline. Once names are drawn, nobody else can join.
• Buy from the wish list or ask the organizer for a hint. A gift the person actually wants beats a clever one.
• Pick the exchange date early, ideally when you send the invite, so remote people can ship on time.

Secret Santa at the office

Work exchanges are where Secret Santa shines: a few dozen people, one budget, and nobody has to shop for the whole team. A few things make them run smoothly:

• Let the team agree on the budget, not management, and keep it modest so nobody feels pressured.
• Make it opt-in. Share the link and let people join; do not add anyone who has not said yes.
• Draw names two to three weeks before the party, earlier if part of the team is remote and needs to ship gifts.
• Write the rules in the welcome message of the exchange so everyone reads them before joining.

Setting one up for a team? Here is how to create the exchange with one shared link and manage participants before the draw.

Secret Santa with family and friends

Big families use Secret Santa to replace the pile of gifts everyone buys for everyone. Exclusions matter most here: keep partners, parents and kids from drawing each other when that makes sense. Every participant needs an email of their own, so a child without one can use a family address nobody else in the exchange uses, and a parent can fill in their wish list. For friends who live in different cities, the link and the online reveal mean you can draw names weeks ahead and ship gifts, even if you only meet on the day. The wish list guide shows how each person adds what they would like.

Secret Santa gift ideas

Stuck on what to buy? Start with your person's wish list, then think about what they use every day: a better version of their coffee mug, a book from an author they like, a board game for their group, or an experience like a class or a tasting. Gift2Gift can also suggest ideas that fit the budget. For more inspiration, read what you can give for a Secret Santa.

Why use Gift2Gift for your Secret Santa

• Free, with no premium tier for the draw, invites or wish lists.
• No account needed for the organizer or participants: you join with a link and your email.
• Private draw with exclusions, and nobody can ever draw themselves.
• Wish lists inside the exchange, so every Santa knows what to buy.
• Works in nine languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Polish and Swedish), which helps international teams and families.

Comparing tools? Here is how Gift2Gift compares with Elfster.

More Secret Santa questions

Is this Secret Santa generator really free?

Yes. Creating the exchange, inviting people, running the draw with exclusions and sharing wish lists is free, with no paid tier.

Do participants need an account or an email?

No account. Each participant needs their own email address to join, so they can receive their invitation and reminders; a child without one can use a family address that nobody else in the exchange uses.

How do you do Secret Santa without drawing yourself?

Use an online generator. With one click, Gift2Gift assigns each person someone else, so nobody draws themselves and nobody has to redraw.

How much should you spend on Secret Santa?

Whatever the group agrees on. Most exchanges set $20 to $50 per person; offices tend to stay at the lower end.

Can you do Secret Santa remotely?

Yes. Everyone joins from a link, reveals their person on their phone and buys from their recipient's wish list, so gifts can be shipped straight to them. You can open gifts together on a video call.