Secret Santa generator
Add the participants, mark who should not buy for whom, and draw names. Each person finds out who they have by passing the device around or by opening a private link, with no signup.
Your Secret Santa draw
Hello
Someone set up a Secret Santa draw, and this link is just for you. Tap the button when no one is looking.
You’re buying for
This link could not be opened
It is incomplete or was changed when it was copied. Ask whoever organized the draw to send it again, in full.
This link is not stored on any server: what you see is inside the address and opens on your device.
1. Participants
No participants yet.
Add the people taking part
You need at least 3 people. Type the names, paste them from a chat, or try an example.
2. Rules (optional)
Who cannot buy for whom
Useful for couples, relatives who live together, or so nobody repeats last year’s draw.
3. Wish lists (optional)
If you want, write a gift idea for each person. Only the person who has to buy for them sees it, inside their personal link or when the device is passed. It stays on this device and, if you share links, inside the encrypted link: it never goes through a server.
Add participants to enter their wish lists.
4. Exchange details (optional)
Each person sees them next to who they are buying for, even in their personal link.
5. Draw
Add at least 3 participants to draw names.
Draw complete
The result is not shown on screen. Choose how to hand it out: each person sees theirs when the device is passed or when they open their personal link.
Turn 1 of 1
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Pass the device to this person. Only they tap the button.
You’re buying for
Everyone has seen their result
Everyone knows who they are buying for. The result is no longer on screen.
Some people have not seen their result
How the links work
Each link carries, encrypted, the person’s name, the name of who they are buying for, and, if you added one, that person’s wish list. Send each person theirs by text message, by email, or by copying the message. Check “Already sent” as you hand them out: it is a checklist that stays on this device only. The links do not go through any server, but anyone who has the full link can open it: if you are playing too, do not open anyone else’s.Your browser cannot encrypt
Use “Pass the device” or open this page in an up-to-date browser over a secure connection (https).Generating links…
Organizer only: see the whole draw
If you open it, it will no longer be a surprise for you.
Privacy
The draw happens in your browser. Names, rules, wish lists, and the exchange details are saved only on this device so you do not have to type them again; the result of the draw is not saved.How to use it
- Type the names of the participants and press Enter, or paste the whole list from a group chat. You need at least 3. Use the buttons on each row to edit or remove anyone.
- If you need to, add rules: for example, so a couple does not draw each other. You can also add the price limit, the date, a message, and a list of gift ideas for each person.
- Select “Draw names”. The result is not shown on screen. With “Pass the device” each person sees only their own match; with personal links, the result is encrypted and only the person who opens the link can see it.
- Hand out the results: pass the device so each person sees theirs, or send everyone their personal link by text message or email in one tap. Check “Already sent” as you go: it is a checklist that stays on your device only.
Frequently asked questions
Can the organizer see who drew whom?
Not on screen: the result is not shown. With “Pass the device”, only each person sees their own match. With personal links, each link holds the encrypted result, so if the organizer opens other people’s links they could see it. If you are playing too, the fair thing is not to open them. The full list is only inside a section you have to open on purpose.
How do the personal links work without a server?
The draw happens in your browser. For each person it builds a link that carries, encrypted with AES-GCM, their name, the name of the person they drew, and the event details. All of that comes after the “#” in the address, a part your browser never sends to any server. Whoever opens the link sees their result on their own device, and nothing is sent to a server.
How do I keep a couple or two siblings from drawing each other?
Open “Rules”, pick the two people, and leave “Both ways” checked. You can also mark a single direction, for example so nobody gets the same person as last year. If the rules leave the draw with no solution, the tool tells you and you can remove one.
How many people can take part?
Between 3 and 60. With personal links, each link is short and works in any chat or email. If two people share a name, add an initial (“Sam R.”) to tell them apart.
Can I add a wish list for each person?
Yes. Under “Wish lists” you can write gift ideas for each participant if you want. Only the person who has to buy for them sees those ideas: they show up next to the result when the device is passed, and they travel inside the encrypted personal link when you share links. They are optional and are saved on your device.
Are the names or the result saved?
Names, rules, wish lists, the exchange details, and each link’s “Already sent” check are saved only in this browser so you do not have to type them again. The result of the draw is not saved anywhere: if you reload the page, you have to draw again. Nothing is sent to our servers.
How to run a Secret Santa without the hassle
Secret Santa is a gift exchange in which each participant buys a present for one other person, who does not find out who it came from. For it to work, the draw has to do three things: nobody draws themselves, each person gets exactly one gift, and the result stays secret until the day of the exchange.
Two ways to hand out the results
- Pass the device: ideal for an in-person party or office gathering. Each participant takes a turn, sees who they drew, and hides the screen before handing it on.
- Personal links: made for groups that are far apart. Each person gets their own link that shows only their result, with no signup.
Rules that make it fairer
Couples and families who live together usually prefer not to buy for each other. With rules you can block those matches, and with the option to avoid direct swaps the draw becomes a chain: each person buys for one person and receives from a different one.
Wish lists for getting the gift right
When someone has no idea what to buy, a list of ideas helps without spoiling the surprise. Under “Wish lists” you can write a few tastes or specific ideas for each participant. They are not shown in the general draw: each person sees them only when they find out who they are buying for, either while passing the device or by opening their encrypted personal link. If you would rather keep it simple, leave the lists empty.
Sending the links and keeping track
With “Pass the device” there is nothing to send: each participant sees theirs at the gathering. With personal links, each person gets a text message or email with their encrypted link. Next to every name there is an “Already sent” check so you know who is left: it is a checklist that stays on your device and is never shared. You can also edit a participant’s name or remove them; if you change the list, you have to draw again.
Tips for the exchange
- Set a price limit, such as $25, and a date before you draw, and add them so they show up next to the result.
- Ask each participant for a hint or a short list of likes in the group chat, without saying who they drew.
- If someone drops out, remove them from the list and draw again: the previous result is no longer valid.
Keep planning
Need to know how long until the party? Use the countdown clock. For a quick pick between a few options, try the wheel spinner, or make a shareable invitation with the QR code generator.
Updated on October 1, 2026