The spreadsheet problem
The usual DIY approach — a shared spreadsheet or a names-in-a-hat draw over a group chat — runs into the same issue every time: whoever does the drawing sees every match, and anyone with edit access to the sheet can quietly check who they're buying for (or worse, who's buying for them). It works, but it relies entirely on everyone's honesty and nobody accidentally leaving the sheet open on a shared screen.
A dedicated tool solves this by keeping each person's assignment private to them specifically — nobody, including whoever set the event up, ever sees the full match list in one place.
Setting it up
- Create the event and give it a name — you can also add a custom wishlist question if you want people to answer something specific (rather than just "anything you'd like"), like a size or a favorite category.
- Share the join link that generates with your group — everyone enters their own name and, optionally, a short wishlist.
- Once everyone's joined, draw names. This locks the participant list — nobody new can join after this point, and the matches are final.
How everyone finds out who they've got
After the draw, each participant gets their own private link showing only their assignment — who they're buying for, and that person's wishlist if they left one. Nobody else's match is visible from that link, including the organizer's own view, which only shows who has and hasn't joined, not who's been matched with whom.
Practical tips for a smoother exchange
- Set a deadline for joining. Names can only be drawn once everyone's in, so a clear cutoff (e.g. "join by the 1st") avoids the event stalling on one straggler.
- Encourage a wishlist, even a short one. "Anything from the kitchen, I'm not picky" is more useful than nothing, and takes ten seconds to write.
- Double-check names before drawing. Once you draw, the list locks — so it's worth a quick look to make sure everyone who should be in is actually there.
- Running it for a group that already knows each other well? A slightly longer wishlist prompt ("include a size and a color you like") tends to produce better gifts than a generic one.
Try it yourself
The Secret Santa Randomizer handles the whole flow above — event creation, a shareable join link, wishlists, and a private assignment link for each participant once names are drawn.