What the Secret Santa generator does
Drawing names out of a hat works until someone pulls their own name, a couple draws each other, or half the group can't make it to the draw. This Secret Santa generator handles the whole draw online. It shuffles your group, makes sure no one gets themselves, respects any pairs you exclude, and creates a separate private link for every person so each gift giver learns only their own match.
How to use it in 3 steps
- Type or paste every participant's name, one per line. Add an email next to each name if you want a reminder of where to send their link.
- Add exclusions for anyone who shouldn't draw each other, then fill in the optional event name, gift budget, exchange date and note.
- Click Generate. Copy each link and send it to that person, or copy all of them at once to share them yourself.
Ideas and tips
- Set a clear budget, like $25, so gifts feel even and nobody overspends.
- Use the note to share a theme, such as "something handmade" or "a favorite book."
- For office exchanges, exclude people who share a desk or team so gifts feel more surprising.
- Don't open other people's links. Each link shows its person's match.
- If someone drops out, just generate a new draw and resend the links.
Each reveal page plays a short spin before showing the match, the budget, the date and your note, which makes opening the link feel like unwrapping a small gift of its own.