Create a Secret Santa Draw

Run a simple and private Secret Santa draw

This Secret Santa draw randomly decides who prepares a gift for whom. It is designed for families, groups of friends, school classes or small teams that can gather around one device. Every participant receives exactly one recipient, nobody is matched with themselves and every participant receives one gift. Names are checked before the draw so duplicate entries cannot create ambiguous results.

How the one-device draw works

Enter every unique name on a separate line and start the draw. The page then shows only whose turn it is. That person takes the device, reveals their assignment, remembers it and hides it before passing the device on. Previous assignments do not appear on the page again. At the end, the tool confirms only that everybody has viewed a result.

Random matching without self-draws

Recipients are randomized with the browser’s cryptographic random function. Without exclusions, any shuffle containing a self-match is discarded. With exclusions, the tool finds a complete one-to-one assignment containing neither self-matches nor forbidden pairs. Every recipient appears exactly once. If the rules make a complete draw impossible, the tool shows a clear error instead of silently ignoring a rule.

Names and results stay local

All names and assignments exist only in the memory of the open browser window. There is no upload, account, email or permanent storage. Other participants should still look away while an assignment is revealed. Reloading or closing the page destroys the assignments, so the complete draw must be repeated if that happens.

Limits of this first version

Exclusions are directional: “Anna > Ben” prevents only Anna from drawing Ben, so couples need a second rule for the opposite direction. The tool does not send private links and is suitable only when everybody can use the same device in turn. Remote groups or binding audit trails require a system with protected individual access.