The Secret Santa Generator makes organizing gift exchanges effortless. Whether you’re planning a holiday party at work, a family gathering, or a friend group exchange, this free tool handles all the complicated parts: random pairing, keeping assignments secret, and distributing invitations to everyone.

No more drawing names from a hat or risking spoiled surprises. Create your Secret Santa event in under 2 minutes, and each participant gets a personalized link to view their assignment privately. Everything stays organized, trackable, and completely confidential.

Note: you can start creating your free Secret Santa event here: Free Secret Santa Generator

Table of Contents

Creating Your Secret Santa Event
Managing Your Event
- Dashboard Overview
- Organizer View
- Invite Links
- Managing Participants
- Sending Bulk Emails
Participant Experience
- The Reveal Page Experience
Best Practices

Creating Your Secret Santa Event

Setting up a Secret Santa event takes just three simple steps. The tool guides you through adding participants, configuring event details, and sharing invitation links.

Step 1: Add Participants

Start by adding everyone who will participate in your gift exchange. You need a minimum of 3 participants to create a Secret Santa event.

How to add participants:

Type each participant’s name in the input field
Press Enter or click the + button to add them to the list
Repeat until you’ve added everyone
Drag and drop names to reorder them if needed
Click the trash icon to remove someone

Important notes:

You must add at least 3 participants
There’s no maximum limit on participants
Names don’t have to be unique (though it’s recommended to avoid confusion)
You can add email addresses later in the participant management section

Once you’ve added your participants, click “Continue” to move to the event details.

Step 2: Event Details

Configure your Secret Santa event with all the important details participants need to know.

What do you want to draw names for?

Choose the occasion for your gift exchange. This helps personalize the experience:

Secret Santa (default)
Christmas
Hanukkah
Thanksgiving
New Year’s Eve
Valentine’s Day
Christmas in July
Eid
Kwanzaa
Eid al-Adha
Diwali
Halloween
Purim
Father’s Day
Mother’s Day
Easter
Other (custom)

Required fields:

Organizer Name – Your name as the person organizing the event. This will be shown to all participants so they know who’s running the exchange.
Group Name – A name for your Secret Santa event (e.g., “Secret Santa 2025”, “Office Christmas 2025”, “Family Gift Exchange”). The tool provides helpful suggestions like “Secret Santa 2025”, “Christmas 2025”, “Holiday Gift Exchange”, etc.

Optional fields:

Gift Exchange Date – When will everyone exchange gifts? Select a date using the calendar picker. This helps participants plan ahead.
Gift Budget – Set a suggested spending amount per gift. Choose your currency (USD, EUR, GBP, etc.) and enter the amount. This keeps the exchange fair and prevents anyone from overspending.
Additional Message – Include a custom message to all participants. Use this to add instructions, theme suggestions, or any other important information. There’s a checkbox to enable this feature, and a text area where you can write your message (e.g., “Welcome to our 2025 secret Santa group!”).

The form validates automatically and shows a green checkmark with “All required information provided” when you’re ready to proceed.

Click “Create Secret Santa” to generate your event and move to the sharing options.

Once your event is created, you’ll see the success screen with multiple ways to share Secret Santa assignments with participants.

You have three ways to share assignments:

Option 1: Automatically Email All Participants

The fastest way to notify everyone at once.

Click “Send to All 3 Participants” to email personalized invitations
Each participant receives their unique Secret Santa assignment link
Free tier allows up to 25 participants per email blast
Note: Participants must have email addresses added for this option

How it works:

Copy the link or click WhatsApp/Email to share with each participant
They click their link and confirm their name
They see who they’re Secret Santa for – it’s a secret!

Option 2: Universal Link (Easy Sharing)

Perfect for group chats! Share one link, and everyone claims their name.

One single link for all participants
Each person selects their name from a list
They immediately see their Secret Santa assignment
Perfect for WhatsApp, Slack, or Discord groups
Copy button makes sharing instant

Best for: Informal groups where everyone is in the same chat or communication channel.

Option 3: Individual Links (Recommended)

Send each person their own personalized link. More secure and tracks views.

Each participant gets a unique invitation link
Copy individual links or share via WhatsApp/Email buttons
Track who has viewed their assignment
More secure since links are personalized
Professional appearance for work settings

Best for: Professional environments, larger groups, or when you want to track engagement.

The screen also includes a “View All Pairings (Organizer View)” button so you can see all the Secret Santa matches and manage your event. For logged-in users, there’s a “Go to Dashboard” button to access all your events.

Managing Your Event

After creating your Secret Santa event, you have full control to manage participants, view pairings, send reminders, and track engagement.

Dashboard Overview

Your dashboard shows all your Secret Santa events in one place.

What you’ll see:

Event Name – Your group name (e.g., “Secret Santa 2025”)
Participant Count – Total number of people in the exchange
Exchange Date – When the gift exchange happens
Viewed Percentage – How many participants have seen their assignment (0% means nobody has viewed yet)
Manage Button – Access the full organizer view

You can filter events by “All” or just “Secret Santa” using the tabs at the top. The search bar helps you find specific events quickly.

Organizer View

The organizer view is your command center for managing the entire Secret Santa event.

Key Statistics Dashboard:

Total Participants – Count of everyone in the exchange
Viewed Assignments – How many people have clicked their link and seen their match
Pending Views – Participants who haven’t viewed their assignment yet

Quick Actions:

Edit Details – Modify event name, date, budget, or message
Manage Participants – Add, remove, or edit participant information
Send Emails – Bulk email participants their invitation links

Event Details Card:

Shows a summary of your event configuration:

Organizer name
Exchange date with calendar icon
Gift budget with currency
Participant count
Custom message to participants

Navigation Sidebar:

Overview – Main dashboard (current view)
Event Details – Edit event configuration
Invite Links – Access all invitation links
Manage Pairings – View or manually adjust Secret Santa matches
Participants – Manage participant details and invitations

Invite Links

Access and manage all the invitation links for your Secret Santa event.

Universal Invite Link:

Share this single link with all participants. They’ll select their name to see their assignment.

One-click copy button
Perfect for group chats
Everyone claims their own name

Manage Your Event Section:

Quick access buttons to:

Edit event details
Manage participants
Send bulk emails

All Pairings:

See the complete Secret Santa match list. � Keep this information confidential!

Shows who is Secret Santa for whom
Displays “Not viewed yet” status for each person
Edit Pairings button allows manual adjustments if needed
Example: “John is Secret Santa for: Lisa” with gift icon

This page is for organizer eyes only. Never share this view with participants!

Managing Participants

Add email addresses, edit participant information, and manage individual invitation links.

For each participant, you can:

Add/Edit Email Address – Required for sending email invitations
View Status – See if they’ve viewed their assignment (shows “Not viewed yet” with clock icon)
Copy Unique Link – Each participant has their own personalized invitation URL
Share via WhatsApp – Green button to send link directly via WhatsApp
Send Individual Email – Send a single invitation email to this person
Save Changes – Save email address updates

Managing Individual Participants:

Each participant card displays:

Gift icon and participant name
View status indicator
Email address input field with placeholder “participant@example.com”
Unique invite link (auto-generated, unique per person)
Copy button for the link
WhatsApp share button for instant messaging
Save and Send Email action buttons

Pro tip: Add email addresses before sending bulk invitations. You can always come back and add them later, but having them ready makes distribution much faster.

Sending Bulk Emails

Send invitation emails to multiple participants at once with built-in rate limiting to prevent spam.

What will be sent?

Each participant with an email address receives a personalized invitation with their unique Secret Santa assignment link.

Rate Limit Protection:

Maximum 25 total emails per day (single + bulk combined)
Prevents spam and abuse
Helps maintain high email deliverability

Today’s Email Usage Dashboard:

Real-time tracking shows:

Emails sent today – Count of emails already sent
Remaining today – How many more you can send
Single emails – Individual invitation emails sent
Bulk emails – Emails sent via bulk send
Visual progress bar showing usage

Select Participants:

Checkbox next to each participant
“Deselect All” button to uncheck everyone
Participants without email addresses are grayed out with “No email address” message
Counter shows how many are selected (e.g., “1 selected”)

Sending the emails:

Select which participants should receive emails
Review your usage to ensure you have enough sends remaining
Click “Send Emails (X)” button where X is the number selected
Emails are sent immediately
Click “Cancel” if you change your mind

Important notes:

Add email addresses before trying to send bulk emails
The 25-email daily limit resets every 24 hours
Single emails and bulk emails count toward the same limit
Each email contains a personalized link unique to that participant

Participant Experience

When participants receive their invitation link (via email, WhatsApp, or direct message), here’s what they experience:

Universal Link Flow

Click the universal link
See a list of all participant names
Select their own name from the list
Confirm their identity
See who they’re Secret Santa for!

Individual Link Flow

Click their personalized link
See their name automatically selected
Confirm it’s them
Instantly see their Secret Santa assignment

What participants see on their profile/management page:

Bookmark reminder message explaining they can return anytime
Who they’re buying a gift for
Event details (organizer name, group name)
Gift exchange date (if set)
Suggested gift budget (if set)
Custom message from the organizer (if included)
Gift preferences from their assigned person with beautiful card-style display (if provided)
“Update Your Preferences” button to modify their own gift ideas or add an email
Download button to save assignment details

The Profile & Management Page Experience

After confirming their identity and optionally adding their gift preferences, participants are redirected to their secure, bookmarkable profile page. This beautifully designed page includes everything they need to find the perfect gift, and they can return to it anytime to update their preferences or check for updates from their assigned person.

On first visit, participants see a delightful confetti animation celebrating their reveal. The page prominently reminds them to bookmark it for easy access later.

Gift Preferences (If Provided):

If the person they’re buying for added gift preferences, these appear as beautiful priority-ranked cards with direct shopping links:

#1 Top Choice – Highlighted with a gold “⭐ Top Choice” badge, special purple gradient styling, and prominent “🎯 Shop Top Choice on Amazon” button
#2, #3, and beyond – Additional gift ideas with purple numbered priority badges and “Shop on Amazon” buttons
Budget-aware Amazon links – Each preference includes a direct link to search for that item on Amazon, automatically filtered by the event’s budget if one was set
Email notifications – If the participant provided an email and their assigned person later adds preferences, they’ll receive a beautifully formatted email with the same card-style display

The gift preferences are displayed in a responsive grid (up to 3 cards per row) that adapts to different screen sizes for optimal viewing on any device.

Gift Shopping Categories:

Below the gift preferences, participants have access to 12 curated Amazon shopping categories to help find the perfect gift:

Today’s Deals – Current sales and promotions (marked with a “HOT” badge)
Best Sellers – Top-rated popular items
Tech & Electronics – Gadgets and tech accessories
Home & Living – Decor and household items
Fashion – Clothing and accessories
Beauty & Personal Care – Cosmetics and skincare
Kitchen & Dining – Cookware and kitchen gadgets
Books & Media – Books, movies, and music
Health & Wellness – Fitness and self-care products
Toys & Games – Fun gifts for all ages
Sports & Outdoors – Active lifestyle gifts
Jewelry & Watches – Accessories and timepieces

Each category features beautiful photography and links directly to curated Amazon collections. The categories are displayed in a responsive grid (2-4 columns depending on screen size) for easy browsing.

Note: Amazon affiliate links help keep the Secret Santa Generator free for everyone. Purchases through these links support the tool at no extra cost to you.

Download Details Button:

Participants can download their assignment details as a text file for offline reference, including who they’re buying for and all event information.

Adding Your Own Gift Preferences:

Before revealing their Secret Santa assignment, participants are prompted to optionally add their own gift preferences. This helps their Secret Santa (whoever is buying for them) choose the perfect gift. Participants can add up to 5 gift ideas, and these can be updated anytime later through their bookmarkable profile page.

When a participant adds gift preferences for the first time, their Secret Santa is automatically notified via email (if they provided an email address), making sure they don’t miss these helpful suggestions.

Gift preferences can include:

Specific items (e.g., “Blue coffee mug”, “Wireless headphones”)
General categories (e.g., “Books”, “Kitchen gadgets”, “Skincare products”)
Interests or hobbies (e.g., “Gardening supplies”, “Running gear”, “Art supplies”)

The first preference will be marked as their “Top Choice” with special highlighting when their Secret Santa views it.

Managing Your Assignment:

After revealing their Secret Santa assignment, participants receive a secure, bookmarkable profile link that serves as their personal management page. This page allows them to:

Bookmark and return anytime – The page is bookmarkable so participants can check back whenever they need
Update their own gift preferences – Click “Update Your Preferences” to open a modal where they can edit their gift ideas or add an email address
Check for preference updates – See if their assigned person has added or updated their gift preferences since the reveal
Get email notifications – If they provided an email address, they’ll be notified when their assigned person first adds gift preferences
Download assignment details – Save their assignment information for offline reference

Privacy and security:

Participants only see their own assignment
They cannot see other pairings
The assignment is kept completely confidential
Each profile link is secured with a unique token

Best Practices

Get the most out of your Secret Santa Generator with these organizer tips.

Before Creating Your Event

Collect participant information early – Get names and email addresses before you start
Decide on a budget – Agree on spending limits beforehand to keep things fair
Pick an exchange date – Make sure it works for everyone’s schedule
Consider exclusions – Think about whether any pairings should be avoided (like spouses or roommates)

During Setup

Use clear group names – Include the year or occasion (e.g., “Office Secret Santa 2025”)
Write helpful custom messages – Include theme suggestions, wish list instructions, or exchange logistics
Double-check participant names – Fix typos before generating pairings
Set a realistic budget – Choose an amount everyone can comfortably afford

Gift Preferences

Encourage participants to add preferences – Makes gift shopping easier and more successful. Remind them they can always update preferences later via their profile page
Suggest adding email addresses – Participants who add emails will be notified when their assigned person adds gift preferences, so they don’t miss helpful ideas
Be specific but flexible – “Stainless steel water bottle” is better than just “water bottle”
Mix specific items with categories – Combine exact items with general interests
Keep budget in mind – Suggest items that fit within the event’s budget
Put your favorite first – The #1 preference gets special “Top Choice” highlighting
Remind participants to bookmark their page – They can check back anytime to see if their assigned person updated their preferences

Sharing Invitations

For professional settings: Use individual links sent via email
For friends/family: Universal link in group chat works great
For large groups: Individual links help you track who’s viewed their assignment
Send reminders: Check the “Pending Views” stat and follow up with people who haven’t looked yet

Managing the Event

Monitor engagement – Use the dashboard to see who’s viewed their assignment
Send reminders as needed – If someone hasn’t viewed their match, send a gentle nudge
Keep pairings confidential – Never share the “All Pairings” view with participants
Have a backup plan – Save the pairing information in case someone loses their link

On Exchange Day

Send a final reminder – A day or two before the exchange
Include logistics – Time, location, and what to bring
Plan the reveal – Decide how gifts will be exchanged (all at once, one by one, etc.)

Troubleshooting

If someone loses their link:

Go to the Participants page in your organizer view
Copy their unique link and send it again
Or use the “Send Email” button to resend their invitation

If you need to add someone late:

You may need to create a new event with updated participants
Or manually reassign pairings using the “Edit Pairings” feature

If emails aren’t being received:

Check spam/junk folders
Verify email addresses are correct in the Participants page
Use individual WhatsApp share as an alternative
Share the universal link as a backup

The Secret Santa Generator takes the stress out of organizing gift exchanges. With automated pairing, multiple sharing options, and full organizer controls, you can focus on the fun part: watching everyone enjoy the surprise of Secret Santa!

Ready to create your event? Start your free Secret Santa Generator now

Secret Santa Generator

Secret Santa Generator Documentation