Free tool · No sign-up
Secret Santa generator
Put the names in the hat, keep couples apart, and send everyone their own private link. It all happens in your browser.
1. Who's in?
2. House rules
Who shouldn’t draw who
Couples, roommates, or last year’s pairs. Fill in names first.
3. On the slip (optional)
How the private links work
When you press Draw names, the generator draws in this tab using the same rules as a Snowglobe Village: nobody draws themselves, your exclusions are honoured, and (if you like) nobody draws the person who drew them.
Each person’s name is sealed into their own link, in the part after the #. Browsers keep that part to themselves, so the names never reach our server and there’s nothing for us to store. Each link has its own key, so one link can’t be used to read another.
The honest bit: anyone holding a link can open it, including the organizer. That’s fine for most families, and if it isn’t, ask someone outside the draw to press the button and send the links.
Tips for a smooth draw
- Exclude couples both ways. Partners already buy for each other, and they share a mailbox.
- Don't over-exclude in a small group. With too many rules there may be only one possible draw, and then anyone could work out who has whom. The generator won't draw in that case.
- Add the budget and gift day so they appear on every slip.
- Send links one by one in private messages, not in the group chat.
- Want paper? Use Print slips, or try our printable name cards for a hat draw at the table.
New to running one? Start with Secret Santa rules for families, then send everyone the questionnaire so Santas know what to buy.
Questions people ask
Is this Secret Santa generator really free?
Yes. There's no account, no email, and nothing to buy. The draw runs in your browser, and the names never reach our server.
Can the organizer see who drew who?
The organizer never sees a list, but each private link holds one person's name, and anyone who opens a link can read it, the organizer included. If that matters, ask someone outside the draw to send the links, or print folded slips. In a Snowglobe Village the draw runs in the app, each person sees only their own name, and the organizer doesn't get a list of who drew whom.
How do exclusions work?
Add a rule like "this person shouldn't draw that person." Turn on Both ways for couples, so neither partner can draw the other. If your rules leave no possible draw, or only one, the generator tells you which rule to loosen.
What does no swapping pairs mean?
If one person draws another, that person won't draw them back. It stops two people from simply trading gifts, and it needs at least three people.
Is anything saved?
No. Names and rules live only in this browser tab. Close it and the draw is gone, so send every link first. Each link carries its own name in the part after the #, which browsers don't send to servers.
Secret Santa guides
- Rules for familiesSimple Secret Santa rules for families: setting a budget, keeping couples apart, including kids, handling in-laws, and running a gift day everyone enjoys.
- Gift ideas by budgetThoughtful Secret Santa gift ideas for $15, $25 and $50, sorted by the kind of person you drew. Evergreen ideas, no sponsored picks, and how to read a wishlist.
- Long-distance Secret SantaHow to run a long-distance or mixed in-person Secret Santa: drawing names online, shipping deadlines, postage in the budget, and a video gift day that still feels cozy.