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Secret Santa

Draw names for Secret Santa, without the paper hat

Add everyone, mark who cannot draw whom, and Pindao sends each guest a private link. Nobody sees the full list of matches — you included.

Create my Secret Santa

Free · No account for your guests · Ready in three minutes

You are giving toMilo

What is a Secret Santa?

A Secret Santa is a gift exchange where everyone draws one name at random and buys a present for that person only. The match stays secret until the gifts are opened — that secrecy is the whole point.

It works for any group: a family, a team at work, a group of friends, a class. Instead of everyone buying for everyone, each person gives once and receives once. Less spending, more thought per gift.

How to organise a Secret Santa

  1. 1

    Agree on a date and a budget

    Decide when you open the gifts and how much each person spends. A shared ceiling keeps the exchange comfortable for everyone.

  2. 2

    Add everyone to the draw

    First name, last name, email. There is nothing for your guests to install and no account to create.

  3. 3

    Mark who cannot draw whom

    Couples, flatmates, siblings who already exchange gifts — flag the pairs and the draw works around them.

  4. 4

    Send the draw

    Everyone gets a private link and scratches a card to discover their person. You see who has opened theirs, never who drew whom.

Worth agreeing on before you start

A budget everyone is comfortable with
Somewhere around twenty to thirty works for most groups. What matters is that nobody feels pushed to overspend, and no gift looks thin next to the others.
A date that leaves time to shop
Run the draw at least two weeks ahead. Anyone who gets their name the night before ends up buying whatever is still on the shelf.
Exclusions, decided up front
Couples drawing each other is the classic disappointment. Settle the pairs before the draw rather than re-running it afterwards.
A theme, if you want one
Homemade only, second-hand only, deliberately useless. A constraint tends to produce better gifts than a bigger budget.

Common questions

How many people do you need for a Secret Santa?

Three is the minimum. With two people there is no secret left: each one knows they are giving to the other.

Can I stop two people from drawing each other?

Yes. Flag any pair — couples, flatmates, siblings — and the draw routes around them. If the exclusions make a valid draw impossible, Pindao says so before a single email goes out.

Will I see who drew whom?

No. The matches are encrypted and never displayed, including to you as the organiser. Your dashboard shows how many people have opened their card, never the matches themselves.

Do my guests need an account?

No. Each person gets a private link by email that works straight away. Only you sign in, and by email link rather than a password.

What if someone joins after the draw?

You can still add them. Pindao slots the newcomer into the cycle, so exactly one existing match changes and only that one person is told.

Can we use it outside Christmas?

Yes. The same draw works for birthdays, farewell gifts, team events or any exchange between friends. Only the theme changes.

Your Secret Santa is three minutes away

Add the names, send the draw, and let everyone scratch.

Create my Secret SantaPindao

Worth reading before you draw

Guides written for this kind of exchange — the rules, the budget, and the part that usually goes wrong.

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