How-to guide Secret Santa

How to Draw Names for Secret Santa Online

Here’s how to draw names for secret santa online: enter every participant with a unique label, generate the assignments, and share each giver’s recipient privately yourself.

How to Draw Names for Secret Santa Online

Five participants take part in a gift exchange. The organizer sees the complete giver-to-recipient list after drawing. Select Load example to populate the supplied list, or replace it with your own entries. Nothing is generated until you select Draw gift pairings.

Input

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Ctrl + Enter to generate (⌘ on Mac)

Result

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Add your entries and generate to see the result here.

Runs in your browser. Your input is not uploaded.2–10,000 unique participants

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Enter unique participant names

    Use one distinct label per person. Similar names need initials or another unique identifier.

  2. Agree on the exchange rules

    Set the budget, deadline, and sharing method before drawing. Any exclusion requirements need a separate process.

  3. Draw and share assignments privately

    Select Draw gift pairings. Save the full result as organizer, then tell each giver only their own recipient.

Worked example

Five participants take part in a gift exchange. The organizer sees the complete giver-to-recipient list after drawing.

One valid result is shown below. Your generated outcome will vary.

Example input

Alex
Jamie
Morgan
Taylor
Sam

Example result

1. Alex → Taylor
2. Jamie → Morgan
3. Morgan → Jamie
4. Taylor → Sam
5. Sam → Alex

Nobody is assigned to themselves, and every person gives and receives once. The output is not a set of private reveal links.

Choose an organizer and sharing method in advance

Keep the full list away from a shared display if recipients should be surprises. Copy or download it privately and send each person only their own assignment through your usual communication method. This site does not send emails, hide names from the organizer, collect wishlists, or enforce spending limits. Agree on budget and timing separately.

Settings and limits to check

The example has 5 retained entries. Each participant gives once and receives once, with no self-assignments. All assignments are visible on the organizer’s screen. The tool has no private reveal links, automatic emails, couple exclusions, or previous-year history. Reciprocal assignments are possible. It does not require an even number of people or force everyone into one single cycle.

Settings used in this example
Remove duplicate entries: Off

Keep a usable copy of the result

Use Copy to place the current result in your own notes, or Download to keep a text file. Keep the eligible input list with the result when you need to explain which entries took part. A new generation replaces the displayed result rather than adding to a saved history.

The tool runs in your browser and does not upload your input. Save the result before refreshing or leaving the page. If other people need to use the same outcome, share your saved copy rather than asking them to generate another independent result.

Frequently asked questions

Will participants receive an automatic email?

No. The organizer must communicate each assignment privately.

Are recipients hidden from the organizer?

No. The full list appears on screen. The organizer must share each assignment privately.

Can I exclude couples or last year’s recipient?

There are no exclusion settings. Use a different process if those constraints are required.

What should I check in the worked example?

Nobody is assigned to themselves, and every person gives and receives once. The output is not a set of private reveal links.