THE GUIDE
How to run an office Secret Santa everyone enjoys
An office Secret Santa works when it is optional, cheap and simple. Everyone buys one small gift for one colleague, and nobody knows who their Santa is until the exchange (if ever).
This generator draws the names for you and gives each person a private link, so nobody has to pull names out of a hat or trust the organiser not to peek.
Set it up in five minutes
- Ask who wants to join. Make it clearly optional, with no questions asked.
- Set a small budget, for example S$15 to S$25, so nobody feels pressure.
- Add exclusions for couples, close desk-mates or last year’s pairs.
- Draw names, then send each link in a private message.
- Pick a date for the exchange, ideally during work hours so everyone can come.
Keep it kind
- Suggest people add a short wish list or “no alcohol, no scented things” note.
- Avoid joke gifts that could embarrass anyone.
- Have a spare gift or two for anyone who forgets, so nobody goes without.
Frequently asked questions
Only if you click “show all matches”. Otherwise you just copy each person’s link, so you can join in too.
They are private, not secret. Anyone who opens a link sees that one match. Send them by direct message, not in a group chat.
If you sign in, the draw is saved to your account. As a guest it is kept only while the page is open. The names in each link are never sent to our servers.
Add them and draw again, then resend all the links. The old links will show old matches, so tell everyone to use the new one.