Secret Santa generator: draw names together or by email
Secret Santa is a gift exchange with one simple rule: everyone draws a name and gives one gift to that person, in secret. This free Secret Santa generator makes the draw for you, with no account to create. It asks one question per screen, so a group is ready in a minute or two, on a phone, tablet or computer.
Together or by email: which one to pick
The first screen asks “How do you want to draw names?” and offers two big choices.
- Together, right now is for a group in the same place: a family dinner, a classroom, a team lunch. Nothing leaves your browser.
- By email is for a group that is apart: a family spread across several states, a remote team, friends who will only meet on the day. Everyone gets their match in their inbox, with a wish list.
A simple rule of thumb: if you can gather everyone for two minutes, draw together. If you can’t, send the draw by email.
Moving through the questions
A progress bar shows how far along you are. Press OK or Enter to confirm an answer, or the letter next to a choice (A, B, C…) to pick it from the keyboard. Back returns to the previous question, and Start over, in the bottom bar, clears everything. Your answers stay in this browser, so you can close the page and come back later. And try touching a bauble on the garland: it swings, under a light snowfall.
How to draw names together, right now
- Who’s taking part? Type a name and press Enter or Add: each person becomes a chip. You can also paste a whole list. You need at least 3 people.
- Any couples? Tap two names to pair them so they won’t draw each other, or press Skip.
- A budget per gift? Tap No budget, an amount from $10 to $100, or Other amount.
- How will everyone find out? Choose Pass the phone or Private links. The names are drawn right away, and nobody draws themselves.
With Pass the phone, the screen says “Who has the phone? Tap your name”. Each person taps their name, then presses and holds Hold to reveal: the match shows only while the button is held. Then they tap Hide and pass the phone. A counter shows how many people have seen their match, so you know when everyone is done.
With Private links, you get one link per person. Press Copy link next to a name, or Copy all links, and paste them in your group chat. Each link opens only that person’s match, with the budget. The match is tucked inside the link itself, so nothing is stored online. A link is not a password, though: send them unopened, and ask everyone to open only their own.
You can switch between the two at any time, and New draw draws the names again. The draw uses your browser’s cryptographic random generator, and the names stay on your device.
How to run a Secret Santa by email
This mode works like the classic Secret Santa websites, without the account. The form asks ten short questions:
- The name of your exchange, like “Family Christmas 2026”.
- Who’s organizing: your first name.
- Your email, where you get the link to manage the group.
- Are you taking part too? Yes, I’m in or No, I’m just organizing.
- Who else is in: a first name and an email per person, 3 to 50 people in all. Press Add someone for a new row, or Paste a list (one “name, email” per line).
- Any couples who should not draw each other.
- A budget per gift.
- The date: December 24, December 25, Pick a date or Not decided yet.
- A word for everyone, an optional message for every email.
- A recap, where each line has an Edit button that takes you back to that question.
The last button counts the emails for you, for example Draw and send 8 emails. The draw is made on our server, and each person receives an email with the name of the person they give a gift to, the budget, the date, your message and a button to open their private page. There, they can write a wish list that their Secret Santa will read, and see the wish list of the person they are buying for.
As the organizer, you get a separate email with a link to Manage the group. That page shows who has opened their page and who has written a wish list. Press Change email to fix an address, Resend to send an email again, or Delete the group. What you never see is who drew whom. Nobody does, so the surprise holds even when the organizer takes part.
Email addresses are used only to send this draw: no newsletter, no ads. Everything is deleted 30 days after the exchange date, or 60 days after the group was created if no date was set.
Couples and other pairs who should not draw each other
Couples, roommates, or people who had each other last year: on the “Any couples?” screen, tap one name, then the person they shouldn’t draw. The pair works both ways, and the × removes it. Each pair takes a few possible matches away, so in a small group with many pairs, there may be no possible draw left. The tool tells you, and you can remove a pair or add people.
Secret Santa budget ideas
Agree on one amount so gifts feel even, and keep it lower at work.
| Budget | Gift ideas |
|---|---|
| $10 | Fun socks, a mug with hot cocoa mix, a small plant, homemade cookies |
| $20 to $25 | A card game, a paperback, cozy gloves, gourmet snacks, a puzzle |
| $30 | A board game, a cookbook, a nice candle, a coffee or tea sampler |
| $50 | A soft throw blanket, a small speaker, a good water bottle |
| $100 | A quality kitchen tool, a backpack, tickets or a class to share an experience |
Secret Santa etiquette
- Write a wish list. Three ideas are enough to help.
- Keep the secret until the exchange. Label the gift with the recipient’s name, not yours.
- Plan the reveal. Open gifts one at a time and let each person guess their Santa. Far apart? Ship the gifts ahead and open them on a video call.
- If someone drops out after the draw, make a new draw so nobody is left without a gift.
A tradition with many names
Secret Santa is called Kris Kringle in some places, such as Australia, and Kris Kindle in Ireland. In Germany it is Wichteln, and in Spain amigo invisible (“invisible friend”).
Need an order for opening gifts? The list randomizer shuffles your names. To split the party into groups for games, use the random team generator, or spin the wheel of names to pick who opens first.