--- title: "Secret Santa on GiftList" description: "How a GiftList Secret Santa works: invites, the organizer-blind draw, wishlists and Mystery Q&A, Santa Mail, and the reveal." url: "https://giftlist.com/exchange" --- # Secret Santa on GiftList Organize a free Secret Santa online. Invite friends and family by email, name or a shareable link, draw names with exclusions respected, and let everyone share a wishlist or Mystery Q&A answers so their giver has somewhere to start. - Free, for groups of 3 to 100 people. - The draw is organizer-blind: everyone, the organizer included, sees only their own match. - People added by email or name are in the draw before they sign up; a free account is needed to view a match. - Start one: https://giftlist.com/exchange/create ## How a GiftList exchange runs 1. **Set up your gift** — Link a wishlist so your match shops from what you already want, or answer the Mystery Q&A and let them surprise you. 2. **Names get drawn** — The organizer draws names — everyone is secretly matched with one person to gift, and you'll see who you're gifting. 3. **Ask with Santa Mail** — Your Santa can ask questions anonymously. Replies from the recipient show their name, which their Santa already knows. 4. **Reveal your Santa on the day** — From midnight Pacific on the exchange date, choose Reveal my Secret Santa to see who drew you. ## Basics ### What is a gift exchange? A gift exchange is a group gifting activity where each participant is randomly assigned another person to buy a gift for. GiftList runs Secret Santa name-draw exchanges, where each person is matched with someone to gift and identities stay hidden until the reveal. Planning a White Elephant or Yankee Swap instead? We offer free no-signup tools and printable rules for those formats too. ### Is GiftList's gift exchange feature free? Yes, completely free. Create unlimited exchanges, invite up to 100 people to each one, and use all features — name drawing, wishlists, activity feed, and gift reveal — at no cost. ### How many people can participate? You need at least 3 people to draw names — with two, you'd each draw the other and there's no secret left. One exchange can hold up to 100 people, which covers everything from a small family group to a large office party. ### Do participants need a GiftList account to join? Organizers can add people by email or name before they sign up. Everyone added is in the draw unless they decline before names are drawn. A free GiftList account is needed to view a match, share gift hints, and use Santa Mail. A personal invitation link lets someone claim their place even if they sign up with a different email. For name-only participants, the organizer needs to share their personal link or add an email address. ## The draw ### How does the name drawing work? The organizer can draw once at least 3 people are on the roster, or enable automatic drawing for the morning after a join-by date (7–8am Pacific). The draw shuffles participants and finds a valid assignment for everyone, with no self-matches and all exclusions respected. Each person sees only their own match; organizers cannot view the complete draw. If there is no valid draw, we explain what needs attention. ### Can the organizer see who drew whom? No. The draw is organizer-blind: the organizer draws a name like everyone else and sees only their own match. Who drew you stays hidden until the exchange date. ### Can I prevent certain people from drawing each other? Yes. Organizers can pair people off so couples or roommates never draw each other — and it works for everyone on the roster, including people invited by email or added by name alone. In a small group it is possible to add so many exclusions that no valid set of matches exists; we tell the organizer before they draw rather than failing partway through. ### When do we find out who our Secret Santa was? You can view the person you are gifting as soon as names are drawn. On the exchange date, starting at midnight Pacific, Reveal my Secret Santa becomes available so you can choose when to see who drew you. Opening your shopping match earlier does not reveal your own Santa. ## Gifts and privacy ### How do participants tell their match what they want? Each person chooses a linked GiftList wishlist or the Mystery Q&A. The Q&A starts with interests and things to avoid, with optional sizes, shipping details, and fun questions. Their assigned giver sees the option they chose and can ask the AI gift assistant for ideas within the exchange budget. ### Can I message my match or my Secret Santa? After names are drawn, Santa Mail opens a private thread between each giver and recipient. The giver appears as Your Secret Santa; the recipient's replies show their identity, which their giver already knows. Organizers can only read threads they are part of and can turn Santa Mail off in settings. ### Who can see our exchange? The full exchange is available to its organizer and participants. An invitation link can show an exchange preview, including its name, cover, description, dates, budget, and organizer. When the shareable link is enabled, anyone holding it can join before the draw. Turning it off stops general link joins; personal invitations and existing participants retain access. --- Source: https://giftlist.com/exchange Planning White Elephant or Yankee Swap instead: https://giftlist.com/tools/gift-exchange-rules Published by GiftList (https://giftlist.com) — free universal wishlist and gift registry.