About Secret Santa Exchange

This site helps groups run a gift exchange without the spreadsheet, the hat, or the one person who knows who drew whom.

What it does

An organizer creates an exchange, sets the rules (budget, favourite stores, a theme, the date), and shares one link, QR code or short pass code. People sign up themselves and confirm their email address. For a Secret Santa, when the organizer closes sign-up (or a deadline passes) the site draws names at random and emails each person who they're buying for. For a White Elephant there is no draw: guests say yes, get the rules by email, and can share a gift registry. See the Secret Santa generator and the White Elephant organizer.

Built so the secret stays secret

• The organizer can see who has signed up and whether each email was delivered, but never who drew whom.
• Nobody creates an account or a password. Everyone gets a private link that only they hold.
• Every guest is asked whether they want to take part, and is only included in the draw if they say yes. They can opt out until names are drawn.
• Organizers can delete an exchange, and everyone in it, with one button, and old exchanges are cleared automatically after the event.

The details are in the privacy page.

Two kinds of exchange

Secret Santa and Kris Kringle assign a secret recipient to each person. A White Elephant has no assigned recipients, so the site organizes sign-ups, rules and the registry, and the game is played at your party. Our White Elephant guide explains how the game works, and how to choose between the two.

Guides

We also publish practical guides on rules, budgets, office and remote exchanges, themes and etiquette, written to be useful whether or not you ever use this site.

Who runs it

Secret Santa Exchange is run by the team behind it. Questions, feedback or a problem with an exchange? Please get in touch.