Secret Santa generator
Enter names, exclude couples, draw: everyone gets their own Secret Santa link and only sees who they are buying for. Nobody draws themselves – no sign-up and no email addresses required.
How it is calculated
How it works
- Enter all names, one per line.
- Optionally set who must not draw each other – couples or siblings:
Anna + Ben. Several names on one line (Anna + Ben + Clara) block a whole family from drawing each other.Anna > Benblocks one direction only. - Add the event, budget, date and a message – they appear on every Secret Santa card.
- Click "Draw names and create links" and send each person their link via WhatsApp, email or copy and paste. Whoever opens the link clicks "Reveal" to see who they are buying for.
How does the draw stay secret without a server?
There is no account and no database. Instead, each assignment is stored in the personal link, in the part after the # (the fragment). Under the internet standard RFC 3986 the browser does not send this part to the server – so our server never sees the names.
The recipient’s name is not in the link as plain text: it is obfuscated with a random key (XOR, then Base64 encoded), so the link looks like gibberish. To be honest: the key is inside the same link, so the person can open it without a password. That protects against accidental peeking – but anyone who deliberately opens someone else’s link can see who they drew. As the organizer you only see the links on screen, never the pairs. Just don’t open other people’s links and you won’t know either.
Because everything lives in the link, a new draw creates new links. Old links keep showing the old draw – then send everyone their new link.
Fair: nobody draws themselves
The draw is a random arrangement in which every person gives exactly one gift and receives exactly one. The generator shuffles the list with the Fisher–Yates method and your browser’s crypto.getRandomValues(), and rejects every shuffle in which someone draws themselves or an excluded person. That makes every allowed assignment equally likely. With three people, for example, there are exactly two possible rounds (A→B→C→A or A→C→B→A), each with a 50% chance.
When does it not work?
Exclusions can make a draw impossible. Example: with three people, two of them a couple, both partners would have to draw the third person – impossible. In general, if a blocked group is larger than half of all participants, there are not enough recipients for it. The generator checks this while you type and tells you before you draw.
Secret Santa tips
- Agree on a budget first so nobody feels awkward – fixed amounts are common at work.
- A White Elephant or Yankee swap works differently (gifts are stolen in turns) – this generator is for classic one-to-one Secret Santa.
- For an open draw, e.g. in a classroom, the random name picker with "Shuffle order" is enough.
Frequently asked questions
How does an online Secret Santa draw work without sign-up?
Enter the names, draw, and send everyone their personal link. The link contains, obfuscated, who that person is buying for – no account and no email addresses needed.
Can the organizer see who drew whom?
Not on screen – only the links are shown. But since the key is inside the link itself, the organizer could open someone else’s link and see the pair. The method protects against accidents, not against intent.
Can I stop couples from drawing each other?
Yes. In "Who should not draw each other?" enter one rule per line, for example Anna + Ben. With more names per line you exclude whole families from drawing each other.
Can someone draw themselves?
No. The generator only allows assignments where nobody draws themselves and every person gives and receives exactly one gift.
Are the names stored or sent anywhere?
No. The draw runs entirely in your browser. The data only lives in the links, and the browser does not send the part after the # to our server.
What happens if I draw again?
You get new links with a new assignment. Old links that were already sent keep showing the old draw – so send everyone their new link.
How many people can take part?
From 3 up to 200 people. With two people, each would know right away who they are buying for.
Is the Secret Santa generator free?
Yes – no sign-up, no limits, no app. It works on phones, tablets and computers.
Sources and legal basis
- W3C Recommendation: W3C Web Cryptography API – getRandomValues()
- MDN Web Docs – Crypto.getRandomValues()
- IETF RFC 3986 § 3.5: RFC 3986 – Uniform Resource Identifier, Abschnitt 3.5 (Fragment)
- Secret Santa
- MDN Web Docs – URL.hash
As of:
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