Free, no sign-up Secret Santa Generator

How to run a Secret Santa, step by step

Secret Santa is simple. Everyone draws one name and buys a gift for that person, and nobody knows who drew them until the gifts are open. The hard part used to be the hat: someone pulls their own name, a couple ends up buying for each other, or the organizer has to sit out to keep it fair. The generator handles all of that.

1. 1Agree on the basics first: who's in, the budget and the day you'll swap gifts. The rules further down cover what else to settle.
2. 2Type in every name, from 3 to 60 people. Add the event name, the budget, the exchange date and a short note, such as where to meet or how to wrap. All of these are optional.
3. 3Add any pairs who shouldn't draw each other. Each rule works both ways, so one rule covers a couple, two siblings or last year's match.
4. 4Tap to draw. Nobody gets their own name, and in a group of four or more, the draw also avoids two people drawing each other whenever that's possible.
5. 5Share the results. Send each person their own private link, or pass the phone around so everyone sees their match in private.
6. 6On the day, put the gifts in one pile, open them together and let people guess who their Secret Santa was before anyone tells.

Private links or one phone: how everyone sees their match

There are two ways to hand out the results. Pick the one that fits your group.

There's no sign-up, and nothing is stored on a server: the names stay in the organizer's browser. You can draw again, for example if someone joins late or drops out, but anyone who already opened their link will need the new one.

Secret Santa rules worth agreeing on

Most Secret Santa trouble comes from rules nobody said out loud. Settle these before the draw. The budget, the date and a one-line note fit right into the generator.

• The budget. Pick one number and treat it as a limit. When some people spend $10 and others spend $60, both sides feel awkward.
• The date and the handoff. Decide when gifts get swapped, and whether they are handed over at a party, left under the tree or mailed.
• Wrapping. Ask for wrapped gifts with the receiver's name on the tag and no sender name. Handwriting gives people away, so a printed tag is safer.
• Regifting. Some groups allow a new, unused gift from the back of the closet, and some don't. Either is fine, as long as everyone knows.
• Hints. Ask everyone to name two or three things they'd enjoy, like a favorite snack, a color or a hobby. It saves a lot of guessing.
• The secret. Nobody says who they drew until the gifts are open, not even to the person sitting next to them.
• Dropouts. If someone can't take part after the draw, draw again and send the new links instead of reshuffling gifts by hand.

Secret Santa at work

An office Secret Santa should be easy to join and easy to skip. Make it opt-in, keep the budget low and the same for everyone, and call it a holiday gift exchange if your team celebrates different things.

A budget of $15 to $25 works for most teams. Suggest gifts anyone could enjoy, like a good snack, a mug or a desk plant, and skip clothing, fragrance and anything that pokes fun at someone. If managers join in, the same budget applies to them.

For remote teams, send each person their private link by email or work chat. The organizer collects mailing addresses separately and passes each one on privately, so gifts can ship straight to the match. Ask people to order early, then open everything together on a video call so everyone sees the reactions.

If the exchange happens at the office party, plan a game or two around it. Our office holiday party games are all safe for coworkers.

Secret Santa with family

In a big family, Secret Santa means one thoughtful gift each instead of a pile of small ones for everybody. The budget can go higher than at work, and the gifts can be more personal.

Use the rules so couples and siblings don't draw each other, and add last year's pairs so everyone gets someone new. Relatives in other cities can get a private link. If the whole family is together at Thanksgiving, draw for Christmas right there: pass the phone around the table and let everyone tap their own name.

Young kids can take part with a grown-up helping on the shopping. Some families run a second, smaller draw just for the kids, so they can shop for each other. On the day itself, mix the gift opening in with a few Christmas games.

Secret Santa gift ideas by budget

Good Secret Santa gifts are small things people enjoy but rarely buy for themselves. If you don't know your match well, go for something useful, something to eat or something cozy.

Still stuck? A gift card to a local bakery or bookstore is rarely anyone's favorite gift, but it's never the worst one either.

Secret Santa variations

Once your group has done the classic version a few times, try a twist.

Questions