How to Draw Names for Secret Santa Online with Exclusions

How do I add participants?

Type one name and press Add, or paste several names into the box, one per line, and add them all at once. Blank lines are dropped and extra spaces are tidied. You need at least 3 people, and the tool supports up to 200. Each name can be up to 60 characters.

Every person gets a hidden internal ID, so two people with the same name are kept apart. The tool warns you when names repeat and labels them (1) and (2), but adding a surname initial makes the cards clearer.

Each person can also have a wishlist with gift ideas, favourite categories, hobbies and interests, preferred colours, things they would rather not receive, and links. A wishlist appears only on the card of the person who draws its owner. There is an optional email field, but this version never sends email.

How do exclusion rules work?

A one-way rule stops the first person drawing the second, but the second may still draw the first. A mutual rule blocks both directions, which suits couples and siblings. Nobody can draw their own name in any case, so there is no need for a rule for that.

Before drawing, the tool checks the rules. It stops you if a rule points at someone who has been removed, if someone is excluded from everyone else so they have nobody to give to, or if everyone is excluded from one person so nobody can give them a gift.

How is the draw made fair?

The draw uses the browser’s cryptographic random number source when it is available. It shuffles the order, deals first with the people who have the fewest allowed recipients, and tries recipients in random order, backing up when it reaches a dead end.

If that search runs long, the tool switches to a matching method that is guaranteed to find a valid set of pairings if one exists. Every result is then checked again against the rules before it is shown. If no valid draw is possible, you are asked to remove or relax an exclusion.

Drawing again replaces the current pairings with a completely new draw.

What event details can I add?

You can set an event name, gift exchange date, currency (USD, GBP, EUR, AED, CAD or AUD), minimum and maximum budget, gift theme, event description and wishlist instructions. Budgets must be 0 or more, and the minimum cannot be higher than the maximum.

The budget is written as a range such as $20 to $40, as up to $40 when only a maximum is set, or as at least $20 when only a minimum is set.

How do the messages and placeholders work?

Each giver gets a message built from an editable template. The default greets the giver, names the event and the recipient, and lists the budget and exchange date.

The template can use {giver}, {recipient}, {event}, {budget}, {date}, {theme}, {description} and {wishlist}. If a line’s placeholder has no value, such as no budget, that line is dropped, so the message never says Gift budget followed by nothing. Restore default message brings back the original text.

How do I share each pairing privately?

Pairings are hidden after the draw. Reveal one giver at a time, then Copy message or Print card for that person, and hide it again. On a shared screen anyone nearby can see a revealed pairing, so this is not the same as private delivery.

Print all cards prints one card per page, and choosing Save as PDF in the print dialog gives a separate PDF page per person. The organiser can also download an organiser CSV or organiser PDF listing every giver, recipient, wishlist, event, budget and date. Those files show all pairings, so keep them to yourself.

What goes in the invitation?

Before the draw, the tool builds an invitation from your event details, such as the event name, date, budget, theme, description and wishlist instructions. It contains no pairings, so you can send it to the whole group by any chat or email app. Copy invitation puts it on your clipboard.

Sending the invitation first gives people time to share wishlists. Add what they send to their participant entry, and each wishlist then appears on the card of whoever draws that person.

How do I run a draw for a remote group?

Because the tool never sends anything itself, the organiser shares each result. Reveal one giver, use Copy message, paste it into a private chat with that person, then hide it and move to the next. Doing this alone, without screen sharing, keeps the pairings secret from everyone, including other participants.

If you would rather not know who has whom, ask someone outside the exchange to run the draw and send the messages, or print the cards and fold them without reading.

How do I run a Secret Santa draw step by step?

1. Add everyone. Type names one at a time or paste a list with one name per line.
2. Add wishlists if you like. Fill in gift ideas, hobbies, colours and things to avoid for anyone who shared them.
3. Set the rules. Add mutual rules for couples and one-way rules for anything else.
4. Fill in the event. Add the event name, date, currency, budget and theme, and copy the invitation to send before the draw.
5. Generate and share. Press Generate Secret Santa, then reveal, copy or print each card in turn.

Example

What happens to the data?

FAQ

What is the smallest group I can draw for?

Three people. With only two, each would simply draw the other.

Can my partner and I be kept apart?

Yes. Add a mutual rule between you, and neither of you can draw the other.

What is the difference between a one-way and a mutual rule?

One-way blocks only the first person drawing the second. Mutual blocks both directions.

Why does the draw say no valid pairings exist?

Your rules leave no way to give everyone a recipient. Remove or relax an exclusion and draw again.

Can two people have the same name?

Yes. Each person has a hidden ID, and duplicates are labelled (1) and (2), though a surname initial is clearer.

Does the generator email people their recipient?

No. This version never sends email. Copy each message or print the cards to share them.

Will I lose the pairings if I refresh?

Yes. Pairings are never saved, so copy or print them first.

Which currencies can I use for the budget?

USD, GBP, EUR, AED, CAD and AUD.

Can I add a wishlist for each person?

Yes. Gift ideas, categories, hobbies, colours, things to avoid and links appear on the card of whoever draws that person.

How do I make a PDF card for each person?

Use Print all cards and choose Save as PDF in the print dialog. Each card prints on its own page.

Should I draw names before or after collecting wishlists?

Collect wishlists first when you can—givers shop faster once they know both their recipient and preferences.

How do I handle a last-minute new coworker?

Add them and regenerate if the group agrees, or run a tiny side draw so existing pairs stay intact.

Can I print assignments without showing everyone else’s matches?

Export or copy one pairing at a time into sealed notes so only each giver sees their recipient.

What naming format works best for large offices?

Use first name plus last initial or team so duplicates like “Alex” stay unique in the list.

Does a seed or redo button change fairness?

Each valid shuffle should be equally fair; redo only when constraints or dropouts require a new graph.

How should international teams pick a ship-by date?

Work backward from the party using the slowest postal lane, then add a buffer for customs.

Can kids’ groups use the same draw rules?

Yes—simplify exclusions and have an adult manage private reveals so surprises stay intact.

What if someone wants to gift as a pair?

Treat the couple as one giver entry only if your rules allow joint gifts; otherwise keep separate draws.

Should organizers participate in the draw?

They can, but use private delivery so seeing the full list is unnecessary.

How do I archive this year’s pairings?

Save a private copy for dispute checks, then delete public posts after gifts are exchanged.

Sources and further reading

• Crypto.getRandomValues() (MDN)