How to

How to do Secret Santa in three short steps

Skip paper slips and spreadsheet formulas. Here is the modern path that takes under a minute.

Start the three-step draw

Before you start

You need three things: the list of people buying gifts, a budget everyone can live with, and the date of the exchange. That is the whole checklist.
You do not need anyone's email address, a shared spreadsheet, or an app install. Every step below happens in the browser, and each participant only ever taps one link.

1. Gather names

List everyone who is buying. Include yourself only if you want a gift too; organizers can host without taking a name.
Paste the list straight from your group chat. Commas or new lines both work, so a copied text thread drops in cleanly.
Add a group name, budget, and date while you are here. Those details show up on every reveal page, which kills the where-is-the-party follow-up questions before they start.
If gifts will be shipped rather than handed over in person, flag the exchange as remote. Participants then get a private form to share their shipping address with only their Santa.

2. Set exclusions

Block couples, siblings, roommates, or anyone who should not match. Bans are mutual by default, so blocking Maya from Jordan also blocks Jordan from Maya.
This is the step paper hats cannot do. With slips in a bowl, you redraw in public until the pairs work out, and everyone learns something from the do-overs.
If the rules make a fair loop impossible, DrawSecret flags the conflict before anything is shared and tells you which rule to loosen. No silent bad draws.

3. Share and draw

Send each person their private link, or copy the ready-made group invite that includes the event details and every personal link in one message.
Save your admin link somewhere safe. It is your only way back into the group and it never requires an account.
Start the draw when the roster is final. Everyone's page updates on its own to show exactly who they are gifting, along with the budget and date.

After the draw

Your admin page shows who has opened their result, so you can nudge the one person who never checks their messages.
Someone dropped out or joined late? Update the roster and redraw once. Announce the redraw so nobody shops for a stale assignment.
For remote exchanges, watch the address checklist fill in, and remind gifters to mark their Amazon order as a gift so prices stay hidden and the sender stays secret.

A timeline that works

Two to three weeks before the party: run the draw. Enough shopping time without the assignment going stale.
One week before: check the opened-link list and nudge stragglers. Remote groups should have gifts shipping by now.
Day of: gifts land, guesses fly, and nobody remembers the setup because it took under a minute.

FAQ

How long does setup take?

Most organizers finish in under a minute once they have the name list.

Do I need email?

No. Chat apps work fine. Email is optional for delivery, never required by DrawSecret.

Can I redo the draw?

Yes. Open your admin link and redraw anytime. Best practice is to redraw only when the roster changes, and to tell the group when you do.

How do remote groups exchange gifts?

Mark the exchange as remote when you create it. Each participant privately adds a shipping address that only their Secret Santa can see, and gifters ship directly.