How do you organise a Secret Santa online?
Add the names
Write each participant’s first name and, if needed, the couples or brothers and sisters who must not draw each other.
Run the draw
The names are drawn instantly, without anyone seeing the result. Two-way swaps (A buys for B and B buys for A) are avoided too.
Send the secret links
Everyone gets their personal link by WhatsApp, text or email. They find out who they’re buying for and write their wish list.
Secret Santa, Kris Kringle, Saint Nicholas: the same idea
Secret Santa (or Kris Kringle) means drawing one single person to buy a present for, instead of buying presents for everyone. It’s cheaper, less stressful, and the surprise stays intact until the big day.
A family Christmas draw
In big families, drawing names for Christmas presents saves spending a fortune. Use exclusions so that partners don’t draw each other, and ask everyone to fill in their wish list: the person who drew them will see it.
Secret Santa with colleagues
At the office, set a small budget (usually €10 to €20) and an exchange date. Nobody needs to give their personal email: send the links in the Teams or Slack group, one per person.
Saint Nicholas and the festive season
In Belgium and the Netherlands, names are also drawn for Saint Nicholas on 6 December. The idea is the same: everyone gives a surprise to the person they drew. It also works for a joint birthday, a class party or a gift exchange between friends.
What budget for a Secret Santa?
The most common amounts are €10, €15, €20 or €30. What matters is that everyone sticks to the same budget: enter it in the draw and it will show in every secret link.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Secret Santa draw free?
Yes, completely free with no sign-up. The website is funded by a small partner box, with no advertising tracking.
Do I need the participants’ email addresses?
No. Each participant gets a personal link that you send by WhatsApp, Messenger, text or email. No address is required.
Can the organiser see who drew whom?
No. You can take part like everyone else: you only see your own draw. You can only see who has already opened their link, to nudge latecomers.
Can I stop two people from drawing each other?
Yes. Add exclusions, for example so that a couple or children from the same family don’t draw each other.
Someone lost their link, what now?
Open your organiser link: you can resend each participant’s link. If someone saw another person’s draw, you can redo the whole draw.
How long is the data kept?
The data is temporary: the draw is deleted automatically 30 days after the last visit (never earlier than a week after the exchange date), and at the latest 60 days after it was created. No cookies.
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