How virtual Secret Santa works
An invitation for the group. A personal PIN for each member. A complete draw when the organizer is ready.
1. Create and invite
Set the exchange name, USD budget, gift date, and optional message. Save the organizer link: there is no recovery or replacement. Send the group invitation and six-digit group PIN together in your own chat. The organizer joins through that same invitation if taking part.
2. Join in one complete step
Each person submits a unique name, at least one wishlist item, and a confirmed 4–6 digit personal PIN. Preferences are optional. No name is reserved until that complete submission succeeds. Leading zeros and repeated digits in personal PINs are allowed. Remember your PIN; the site and organizer cannot recover it.
3. Set the right exclusions
After members join, the organizer can prevent couples or housemates from drawing each other in both directions. Last year's A → B excludes only A → B. Custom exclusions are one-way by default, with an explicit option to block the reverse direction. There are no rules involving people who have not joined.
4. Confirm the draw
A group needs 3–50 complete members. Joining and edits pause while the draw runs. If it fails, the group stays open. If it succeeds, all assignments become available together and joining and member details are locked. The exchange date is a gift date, not a deadline; nothing draws automatically.
5. Reveal only your own match
Open the group invitation and verify your joined name with your personal PIN. Your result shows your recipient's wishes and preferences. Organizer permissions cannot reveal matches. Reminders and the final group reveal are handled in your original group chat, not by the site.
6. Save, or coordinate a change
Verify again to download a free PNG of your current result. Before the draw, members can edit or leave after authentication. After the draw, removal requires an organizer-confirmed full redraw. A failed redraw changes nothing. A successful redraw resets viewing progress; saved images need to be checked again, even if some matches remain the same.
Start a free exchangeFrequently asked questions
Can I draw Secret Santa names without email or signup?+
Yes. Create a free exchange and share one group invitation in your own chat. Members submit their own names, wishlists, and personal PINs. No account, email address, or phone number is needed.
Can the organizer see everyone's matches?+
No. Organizer access shows settings, invitation information, and member progress, never matches. An organizer who joins must verify their own name and personal PIN like anyone else. A person who knows or guesses another member's name and PIN could view that member's result.
How do couples avoid drawing each other?+
After people join, add a Couple or housemates exclusion on the organizer page. It blocks both directions. Last year's pair blocks only the selected giver-to-recipient direction; custom exclusions are one-way unless you explicitly choose both directions.
Does Secret Santa work with an odd number of people?+
Yes. Every group of 3 to 50 can draw, whether odd or even. Each member gives one gift and receives one gift, and nobody draws themselves.
Is there a free participant limit?+
Each activity supports up to 50 members, with at least 3 needed to draw. All tool features, redraws, and PNG downloads are free. There are no paid upgrades. Larger groups can create separate activities, which do not draw across groups.
Can members leave before the draw?+
Yes. Open your details, verify your joined name and personal PIN, and confirm leaving. Your profile, wishes, PIN hash, and related exclusions are deleted. Rejoining creates a new membership and requires a complete new submission.
What happens if someone leaves after names are drawn?+
Contact the organizer in your group chat. They must confirm removing that member and redrawing everyone together. If fewer than 3 people remain or the rules have no solution, nothing changes. There are no partial replacements.
Can we redraw names?+
Yes. The organizer must explicitly confirm a full redraw. Matches may change, but some or all may stay the same. Success resets everyone's viewing progress. Failure leaves the old members, rules, matches, and progress unchanged. Previously saved images must be checked again.
What is the difference between the group PIN and my personal PIN?+
The shared six-digit group PIN lets people enter an activity. Your own 4–6 digit personal PIN, together with your joined name, verifies your identity. A group PIN or organizer link alone cannot reveal your match.
What if I forget my personal PIN?+
There is no PIN recovery or reset by email, phone, or organizer. Before the draw, ask the organizer to remove your membership so you can join again and refill your details. After the draw, a forgotten PIN cannot recover the result.
Who reminds people to join or view their result?+
The organizer does, in the same group chat used for invitations. Before drawing, the dashboard lists people who completed joining. After drawing, it lists who has not viewed this result. The site sends no email, text, or in-app reminders.
Is there a joining or wishlist deadline?+
No. The gift exchange date is not a submission deadline. The organizer draws when the group is ready. Joining and edits pause during the first draw, reopen if it fails, and close when it succeeds. A redraw does not reopen them.
What happens if the organizer link is lost?+
There is no recovery or replacement. Managing the group again requires creating a new activity and everyone joining again. An undrawn activity cannot be drawn without its organizer link. Already-drawn results remain available to members until expiry.
Why does my invitation ask for a group PIN?+
The full invitation ends in #pin= followed by six digits. The page removes this part after reading it. Re-shared address-bar links, bookmarks, previews, or some apps may lose it. Enter the separate group PIN from your organizer. Always share the original link from the organizer page, not the opened address bar.
Are all matches complete when View my result becomes available?+
Yes. A draw commits all matches together or none. The enabled view button means a complete draw exists. During a redraw, you can still verify and view the previous committed result until the new draw succeeds.
How long is an exchange kept, and can it be deleted?+
The exchange date uses America/New_York. Retention lasts 30 calendar days from midnight after that date. Access stops at expiry, and the next successful daily cleanup removes associated data. The organizer can delete earlier. Empty, undrawn, and drawn activities follow the same rule.
Can I save my result for free?+
Yes. Verify your name and personal PIN again to download your current personal result as a PNG. It includes the recipient, budget, date, wishlist, and preferences, but no PINs or access links. You cannot export the whole group's matches.
Can I send the invitation by text message?+
Yes. Copy the full group link and the separate group PIN into your usual text message or group chat. You send it yourself; this site does not collect phone numbers or send messages.