Questions, meet answers
Secret Santa FAQ
Everything you might want to know about Secret Noël, our free Secret Santa generator, and about gift exchanges in general. If your question is not here, Santa is available in the app, bottom right, and he is surprisingly patient.
About the app in a nutshell
Secret Noël is a free Secret Santa generator that runs in your browser on a phone or a computer. There is no account and no password. The organizer creates a group in a few short steps (group name and type, participants, households and exclusions, budget, optional themes, group options), invites everyone, and launches the draw once people have confirmed.
The draw is random, done by the server, and respects households and exclusions. Each participant opens an animated virtual gift box to discover their person, then can fill in a wish list and exchange filtered anonymous messages.
Privacy in a nutshell
The connection is encrypted (HTTPS). There is no account, no tracking cookie, and nothing is sold. Visit statistics are anonymous: no names, emails or IP addresses are kept. Group data is deleted automatically 30 days after the exchange date, or 120 days after creation if there is no date, and the organizer can delete everything at any time.
SantaI know who has been naughty or nice. I do not know who drew whom. Nobody does, and that is the point.
Gift exchanges in a nutshell
Secret Santa: each person draws one name and buys one gift, secretly. White Elephant and Yankee swap: everyone brings a gift to a pile and players pick or steal in turn. The budget is the most important rule, and a wish list is the best way to avoid disappointment. Our guides on rules, gift ideas, office, family and friends exchanges go into more detail.
Frequently asked questions
Is Secret Noël free?
Yes. Creating a group, drawing names, invitations, wish lists, anonymous messages, reminders and printable cards are free to use.
Do I need to create an account?
No. Neither the organizer nor the participants create an account or a password. Everyone uses a personal link, or a personal code on a printable card.
Can the organizer see the results of the draw?
No. The server draws at random and the organizer never sees who drew whom, even if they take part. Nobody can ever see who drew them.
How do I stop couples from drawing each other?
Put them in the same household. People in the same household never draw each other. You can also add individual exclusions between any two people.
What budget options are there?
Four: a maximum price, a fixed amount, a range with a minimum and a maximum, or a random amount drawn for each person.
How do I invite people?
By automatic email, with a link to share, with a QR code, or with printable cards that carry a personal code for people without email. Each participant then confirms their participation.
Do I have to wait for everyone to confirm before the draw?
No. You can launch the draw when everyone has confirmed, or only with the people who have confirmed so far.
What is hat mode?
Hat mode lets everyone draw on a single phone passed from hand to hand, like pulling names from a hat but without the paper and the redraws. It is handy at a family gathering or with people who do not use email.
What can I put on my wish list?
Ideas with a photo, a link to Amazon or any other store, a price and a favourite marker, plus three quick answers: what I love, what to avoid, and sizes and colours. An idea above the group budget is flagged.
How do anonymous messages work?
You can write to your giftee and to your own Secret Santa, both anonymously. Messages are limited to 500 characters and filtered: no names, signatures, emails, links, phone numbers, social media handles or swear words.
Can the organizer turn off messages, photos or store links?
Yes. Anonymous messages, photos in wish lists and store links are on by default, and the organizer can turn any of them off at any time.
Can someone join after the draw?
You can add people any time before the draw, and after it as long as at least 3 gift boxes have not been opened yet.
I lost my link. What do I do?
Use the link recovery option: enter your email and your personal link is sent to you again. Reminders by email are also available.
How many people can be in a group?
From 3 to 5,000 participants per group.
What does the Santa assistant do?
The built-in Santa answers questions and can help you add an idea to your wish list, write a secret message or nudge the group, always after you confirm.
Can we do it again next year?
Yes. Do it again next year copies your group and avoids drawing the same pairs as the previous year.
When is my data deleted?
Automatically 30 days after the exchange date, or 120 days after the group was created if there is no date. The organizer can delete everything at any time.
Is it available in French?
Yes. The app is bilingual English and French. The French version is called Pige de Noël.
Who are the characters in the app?
Granny Turbo, Ti-Guy, Sasquatch, Kayla, Dennis, The Purist, The Rocket and Santa guide you discreetly with little jokes. If you prefer a plain interface, you can hide the characters. Soft Christmas music is optional too.
What is the difference between Secret Santa and White Elephant?
In Secret Santa, you draw a name and buy for one specific person. In White Elephant, everyone brings a gift to a shared pile and players pick or steal gifts in turn, with no names drawn.