Secret Santa, sorted
Secret Santa Generator: Draw Names Online, No Email or Sign-Up
Add three or more names, list any pairs who should not draw each other, and press Draw. The draw runs in your browser. Nobody draws themselves, and you decide how each person sees their match: a private link, a phone passed around the room, or a printed fold-over slip.
Your Secret Santa match
Example only
This example uses sample names, not your draw. After you press Draw names, your own results replace it.
| Giver | Buys for |
|---|---|
| Maya | Jordan |
| Jordan | Priya |
| Priya | Leo |
| Leo | Sam |
| Sam | Maya |
Your real results will not show the full list. You will get one private link per person, a pass-the-phone screen, printable fold-over slips, and an optional organizer file with a spoiler warning.
Names stay in your browser. We do not receive, save, or email them. Reveal links carry each match in the part of the address after the #, which browsers do not send to servers, but a link only encodes the match; it does not encrypt it. Anyone who opens or decodes a link can see that match, so send each one only to its person. Nothing is stored between visits, so download the organizer copy if you need it.
How to use the Secret Santa generator
Type or paste one name per line, add any exclusions, and press Draw names. If something is wrong, such as a duplicate name or an exclusion that makes the draw impossible, the status line under the buttons says what to fix.
- Use a last initial or a nickname when two people share a first name.
- Add an exclusion line for each pair who should not draw each other, such as partners or siblings. A line like "Ana + Ben + Cy" keeps all three apart.
- Budget, date, and note are optional. They appear on each reveal link and printed slip.
- You can start over at any time. Nothing is kept after you close or reload the page.
Three ways to hand out matches
Private links work best when people are in different places. Copy each link and send it to the right person by text or message. The link holds the match in the address itself, so it needs no server, but it also means the match is readable by anyone who has the link.
Pass the phone suits a family or a room of people. Each person taps their own name, confirms, reads their match, and hides it. A name can be opened once per draw, and the organizer can reset it.
Printed slips give each giver a card with their name on top and the match below a fold line. Use them when some people would rather not use a phone.
What this tool does not do
It does not email people, remember your group, or collect wish lists. It cannot confirm that someone bought a gift. For a questionnaire that helps people choose gifts, use the questionnaire builder on this site; for a swap where gifts are stolen, use the white elephant tool.
Secret Santa rules in short
Secret Santa rules are simple, and most groups settle them in one message. Agree on three things before the draw, then keep the rest flexible.
- Everyone who joins gives one gift and gets one gift.
- Set a budget and an exchange date up front.
- Keep your match secret until the reveal.
- Joining is optional, especially at work.
Why a name-drawing tool with no sign-up helps
Most organizers need to draw once, not create an account. This page works from the first visit and keeps names in your browser. That also means we cannot recover a draw for you later, so keep the organizer copy somewhere safe or share the links right away.
Where to go next
Build a questionnaire so each Secret Santa can shop with confidence. Planning a gift swap with stealing? The white elephant tool prints a rules card and number slips. The guides below cover step-by-step rules, office etiquette, impossible draws, budgets, kids, and how white elephant differs.
More for your exchange
Questionnaires and white elephant tools.
Secret Santa Questionnaire Template: Printable Form Builder
Build a printable Secret Santa questionnaire or wish list form. Pick from 27 questions, add your own, print up to 40 copies, or download a text template.
White Elephant Rules and Number Generator
Set your house rules for a white elephant gift exchange, then print a plain-language rules card and shuffled number slips for 3 to 60 players.
The studio notebook
A useful place to begin.
Clear steps, considered details, and ideas you can put to use.
How Does Secret Santa Work? Rules and Steps
The basic Secret Santa rules, the order to do things in, and what to settle before you draw names.
Secret Santa for Work: Remote Teams and Offices
How to run a workplace gift exchange that is optional, inclusive, and easy to manage, in person or remote.
Secret Santa Exclusions and Why a Draw Can Be Impossible
How exclusions work, how to write them, and what to do when a draw cannot be completed.
Secret Santa Budget Guidance and Gift Ideas by Price Tier
How to choose a fair budget and what to give at each level, without relying on specific prices.
White Elephant vs Secret Santa vs Yankee Swap
How the three gift exchanges differ, which suits your group, and how to settle the rules.
Running a Kids or Classroom Gift Exchange Fairly
How to organize a gift exchange for children so everyone is included, safe, and treated fairly.
A few helpful answers
Before you begin.
Do I need an email address or account to use this?
No. There is nothing to sign up for, and you do not enter anyone’s email. You add names, draw, and share the matches yourself.
Is the draw really random?
The tool uses your browser’s secure random number generator to shuffle choices. It guarantees that nobody draws themselves, that each person gives and receives exactly one gift, and that your exclusions are respected.
Can people see the matches in the reveal links?
Yes. A link encodes the match in its address; it does not encrypt it. Anyone who opens or decodes a link can see that one match, so send each link only to the person it is for.
Do you store the names or the links?
No. The draw happens in your browser and nothing is saved by us. The part of a link after the # is not sent to the server. If you close the page, the draw is gone unless you downloaded the organizer copy.
What if someone sees their link and wants a new one?
Run the draw again with the same names and send out new links. Old links will still show their old matches, so tell everyone to discard them.
How many people can join?
From 3 to 60. With heavy exclusions, a draw can be impossible, and the tool will tell you instead of showing a wrong result.
What if two people share a name?
Names must be unique, ignoring capital letters. Add a last initial or a nickname, such as "Sam R." and "Sam T.".
Can I use it for a white elephant gift exchange?
Use the white elephant tool on this site. It sets your house rules and prints number slips, since white elephant uses turn order instead of assigned matches.