Secret Santa generator
Draw names and send everyone a private link showing who they're buying for. Free, with no sign-up.
Free. No sign-up. Nothing is stored.
How it works
- 1Add everyone's name.
- 2Press Draw names.
- 3Send each person their own link.
How the draw works
The draw gives every participant one person to buy for, so that everyone gives one gift and receives one. Nobody can draw their own name, and people you keep apart will not draw each other. Every valid arrangement of names is equally likely, which means the result does not depend on the order in which the names were entered. If the pairs you keep apart make a fair draw impossible, the tool says so and names the people concerned, so that you can adjust them.
How the private links keep the draw secret
Each participant's link shows their name and, when they choose to reveal it, the person they are buying for, together with any spending limit and exchange date you set. The pairing is encrypted inside the link itself, in the part of a web address that browsers do not send to a website. As a result, the draw is not recorded by Trending Sheet or passed to any other service, and the page that opens the link carries no advertising or analytics.
Limits
A link cannot be withdrawn once it has been sent, and anyone who is given a link can see the pairing it contains, so participants should not forward their links. The tool does not send reminders or show whether a link has been opened. Because nothing is stored, a lost link cannot be recovered after the organiser has closed the page, and in that case the simplest remedy is a new draw, with new links sent to everyone.
Do participants need an account or an email address?
No. Nobody signs up, and the tool does not ask for email addresses. You send each person their link yourself, by message or email.
Can I stop couples drawing each other?
Yes. Choose "Keep two people apart" and select the two names. Neither will draw the other. You can keep as many pairs apart as you need, provided a fair draw is still possible.
Can the organiser take part?
Yes, as long as the organiser opens only their own link. Opening another participant's link shows who that person is buying for.
What happens if I close the page after the draw?
Links you have already sent continue to work. The draw itself is not saved anywhere, so send every link before closing the page. If you start again, links from the earlier draw will still show the earlier result, so tell everyone which links to use.
How many people can take part?
Between 3 and 100 people can take part in one draw.
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