Change Secret Santa participants or redraw names

Review the participant list before drawing names. After a draw, changing the group can affect existing assignments, so tell participants before using a redraw or other management action.

Before the draw

Open the exchange's participant area as an organizer. Check names, invitations, declined participants and exclusions. Correct mistakes before drawing. Pending invitations and name-only participants can be included in the draw if they have not declined; an unanswered invitation is not automatically excluded.

To add someone, open the exchange's People tab (Participants in older app versions) and choose Add people (on larger screens it is at the top of the exchange). Share the invite link, or choose Add friends or an email instead. To resend an invite, edit an email or remove someone, use the ⋯ menu on their row. Check the saved participant list instead of assuming that closing an invite dialog sent everyone an invitation.

Adding people after the draw

You can't add new people once names have been drawn; GiftList refuses the addition so existing matches aren't broken. Add everyone before you choose Draw names. If the exchange uses Draw automatically after a join-by date, names are drawn the morning after that date, so add late joiners before then or change the date in Edit details.

If someone must join after the draw, the options are to run a separate exchange for them, or to start a new exchange with everyone and draw again. Tell the group first, because people may already have bought gifts.

Redraw carefully

If Redraw is available, open it and read the confirmation. A redraw replaces assignments; people may receive a different recipient and may already have bought gifts. Coordinate with the group before confirming.

Afterward, ask participants to reopen their own match in the exchange rather than rely on an old email or screenshot. A redraw is not an order cancellation or a refund for gifts already bought.

Help someone with access

Ask the participant to sign in and use their own personal invitation. A participant invited by name only still signs in and claims their own name; it is not account-free match access. Do not give them another person's private invitation or match link. Follow Join Secret Santa for access problems.

Related: Set exclusions, organize an exchange.