About the Secret Santa Generator
Secret Santa Generator draws names for a gift exchange so that everyone gives to one person and receives from another, and nobody draws themselves. Enter the names, one per line, and if you want, list pairs who must not draw each other, such as couples or siblings. Add a price limit and an event name for the messages. Press Draw names and the tool builds a random valid draw from your device's secure random generator. Nothing is emailed: pass the screen around, and each person taps their own name to see their match and taps Hide before passing it on. The organiser can show all pairs, or copy a short message for each person to send privately. The names stay in your browser and are not uploaded or stored.
Updated September 2026
How to use the Secret Santa Generator
- 1Type everyone's name, one per line. At least three people are needed.
- 2Optional: open Keep some people apart and list pairs such as Anna - Ben who must not draw each other.
- 3Optional: add a price limit and an event name for the messages.
- 4Press Draw names. Pass the screen around and let each person tap their own name to see their match, then Hide.
- 5Or press Show all as the organiser, or copy a message for each person and send them privately.
Planning a Secret Santa
In a Secret Santa each person buys one gift for one other member of the group, and the giver stays secret until the gifts are opened. It keeps costs down, since each person buys once, and it works for offices, classes, friends and families. The rules are few: agree a price limit, agree a date to give the gifts and draw the names so that it is fair.
Drawing names from a hat works, but it is easy to draw your own name or to pick someone your partner already buys for. The tool takes care of both problems.
Keeping it secret
- Tap your own name only, read the result and press Hide before passing the screen on.
- Do not send the whole list in a group chat, since that reveals everyone's match.
- Use Copy a message for each person and send each one privately.
- Keep Show all for the organiser and use it only if needed.
Tips for a good exchange
Set a price limit that everyone can afford, and say it in the messages. Ask each person for a few gift ideas or a short wish list, since receiving something useful is better than a novelty. For remote groups, pick a date to post the gifts so they arrive in time, and hold a video call to open them together.
If someone drops out after the draw, the simplest fix is to draw again with the new list. Ask everyone to forget their old match, which keeps things fair.
Related tools
Random Team Generator splits people into groups, Random Name Picker chooses one person from a list, Spin the Wheel decides between options, Dice Roller and Random Number Generator help with party games and Tip Calculator splits a shared bill at the dinner afterwards.
Features
- Fair random draw from a secure random generator
- Nobody draws themselves, and every person gives and receives once
- Pairs you choose are kept apart in both directions
- Private reveal one person at a time on one screen
- Organiser view with the chains of the draw
- Copy a message for each person with the budget
- Clear message when no draw is possible
- Runs in your browser, no email or account
Frequently asked questions
How does the Secret Santa draw work?
The tool shuffles the names and gives each person exactly one other person to buy for, so every name appears once as a giver and once as a receiver. It uses your device's secure random number generator, and no draw is favoured over another.
Can couples or family members be kept from drawing each other?
Yes. Open Keep some people apart and type each pair on its own line, for example Anna - Ben. Those two will never draw each other in either direction. You can list as many pairs as you like, and the tool tells you if the rules make a draw impossible.
How can everyone find out who they have without an email?
Pass the screen around. Each person taps their own name and sees who they have, then taps Hide before handing it on. This works at a party or a family table. You can also copy a message for each person and send them individually.
Can the organiser see everyone's match?
Only if they press Show all, which is meant for the organiser who wants to check the draw or who cannot take part. If you want to be surprised too, do not press it, and let a friend hold the phone while you tap your own name.
What if the draw fails?
It fails only when the rules leave no way for everyone to give to someone allowed, for example with three people where two pairs are kept apart. Remove a rule or add another person and draw again.
Why are three people the minimum?
With two people the only draw is that each buys for the other, which is not a secret. With three or more, the draw has real unknowns. The tool also avoids the case where someone draws themselves.
Are the names stored or sent anywhere?
No. The names and the draw stay in your browser and disappear when you close or refresh the page. No email addresses are asked for and nothing is sent to a server.