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Secret Santa for work,
without the spreadsheet.

Draw names for your team in a minute. Everyone joins from their own phone with a code, no account needed. Remote people are in, managers don’t draw their own reports, and nobody (not even you) sees who has whom.

Start the office drawGet the announcement

Free for 3 to 50 people. Bigger company? One group per team.

Why it works for teams

Built for a group where not everyone knows everyone, and half of them are on a call.

Everyone on their own phone

Post one link in the team chat. People tap it, type their name and pick a 4-digit PIN. No account, no app, no email addresses to collect.

The organizer plays too

The draw happens on our server and each person sees only their own name. You can’t peek, so you can take part like everyone else. Or just organize and stay out of the draw.

Pairs kept apart

Managers and their reports, couples, the two people who share a desk: add them as pairs and they won’t draw each other.

Anonymous questions

Drew someone from another floor? Ask them “coffee or tea?” without giving yourself away. They answer their Secret Santa, not you.

Wishes, sizes and “please, no”

Each person adds a few likes and what to avoid. Only the person who draws them sees it, so nobody gets a fourth mug.

Latecomers, no redraw

Someone starts in December or leaves before the party? Only one name changes. Nobody else has to start over.

How to run it, in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Start the group

    Give it a name, set the budget and the exchange day. It takes about a minute, and nobody needs an account.

  2. 2

    Post the link in the team chat

    Copy the announcement below into email, Slack or Teams. People join from their own phone and add a wish or two.

  3. 3

    Draw on the deadline

    Press draw once everyone’s in. Each person unwraps their name on their phone, and the questions and gift ideas take it from there.

The announcement, ready to paste

Fill in the blanks, pick where you’re posting it and copy. The link comes from your group once you’ve started it.

SubjectOffice Secret Santa: join by Friday, November 27

You can change any word before you copy it.

Open in my email

A timeline that works

Most offices exchange in the last week before the break. Count back from there.

  1. 4 weeks before

    Announce it and share the link. Check the budget with your manager or HR if the company chips in.

  2. 3 weeks before

    Close sign-ups and draw names. Late joiners can still be added after the draw.

  3. 2 weeks before

    Remind people to shop. Remote teams: gifts should go in the post now.

  4. 1 week before

    Ask everyone to mark their gift as ready, so you know who to nudge.

  5. The day

    Swap gifts at the party or on a video call, then reveal the whole loop if you like.

What to spend

Pick one number, not a range: “$20” is easier to stick to than “$15 to $30”. It shows on everyone’s screen in the group, so nobody turns up with a $60 present and makes the rest of the table feel bad.

Go lower when pay varies a lot across the team, and spend close to the limit, not far under it. If the company chips in, say so in the invite.

WhereUsual budget
United States$20 is the most common figure.$20–25
United Kingdom£5–20 is the range; £10 is what most offices pick.£10
CanadaSame habits as the US.C$20–25
GermanyMany teams cap it at €10.€10–15
FranceRarely above €30.€10–20
Spain€20 is a common ceiling.€10–15
ItalyA fixed cap that nobody goes over.€10–15

Gifts that work for a coworker

You may know them only from meetings. That’s fine: aim for useful, small and easy to enjoy at work or at home.

Safe bets

  • Good coffee, tea or hot chocolateAsk “coffee or tea?” first. A nice version of something they drink every day gets used.
  • A treat to share, or notFancy chocolate, local cookies, a snack from your hometown. Check allergies in their wishes.
  • Something for the deskA good pen and notebook, a small plant that’s hard to kill, a phone stand, a mug warmer.
  • Cozy and practicalWarm socks, a nice water bottle, a soft scarf in a plain color. One size, no guessing.
  • A small game or puzzleA pocket card game or a 500-piece puzzle: easy to give, fun to open in front of everyone.
  • From their wishesThe best idea is usually in what they wrote. Read it twice before you shop.

Skip these at work

  • Perfume, lotions, bath sets and anything about how someone looks or smells
  • Clothes that need a size, diet or fitness products, self-help books
  • Alcohol, unless you know they drink and the office is fine with it
  • Religious or political items, and jokes about age, weight or someone’s work
  • Anything you wouldn’t be happy to see opened in front of the whole team

Still stuck?

Describe your coworker in a sentence and the gift finder suggests ideas in your budget, each with a reason why.

Ask the gift finder

Gift guides for work

Ideas that suit people you know from the office, sorted by budget.

More guides (4)

The rules that keep it pleasant

  • Opt-in, always

    Say clearly that it’s optional, and that everyone is welcome at the party either way. A quiet “no thanks” beats a resentful $5 candle.

  • Not everyone celebrates Christmas

    Call it a “holiday gift swap” or an “end-of-year gift exchange” if that fits your team better. The draw works the same.

  • Check the gift policy

    Some companies have rules on gifts, budgets or where the exchange can happen. A two-line message to HR saves an awkward week.

  • Keep the reveal for the day

    Swap gifts at the party or on a video call. People can guess their Santa in the group first, then you reveal the whole loop.

When things get awkward

Someone drops out after the draw
Remove them from the group. Their Santa gets a new name and the loop closes up, so nobody else is affected.
A new person starts in December
Add them, even after the draw. They slot into the loop and only one other person gets a new name.
You drew your boss
Treat it like any other match: stay in budget, keep it useful. A good notebook or great coffee is never wrong.
Someone forgot their gift
It happens. Keep one wrapped spare (in budget) in a drawer and nobody leaves empty-handed.

Remote teams: shipping and who pays

Half the team on video? Settle these in the invite, and nobody has to ask awkward questions later.

  • Ship straight to them

    Order from a shop that delivers to your person’s door, so the gift never has to pass through you. Most shops let you add a gift note and leave out the price.

  • Shipping is on top of the budget

    Say it in the invite: the giver pays for delivery, and the budget is for the gift itself. Then a $20 gift is a $20 gift, wherever it’s going.

  • Order two weeks ahead

    Ask everyone to order two weeks before the exchange and ship one week before, so nothing turns up after the video call.

  • Addresses stay private

    Nobody posts their address in the team chat. The Santa asks their person in the group’s anonymous questions, and only they see the answer.

  • Colleagues abroad

    Pick something sold in their country, or a digital gift they can use there. Customs fees and slow post can eat a small budget.

Not everyone celebrates Christmas

A different name keeps everyone in without changing a thing about how it works. Name the group whatever suits your team; the draw, the wishes and the questions stay the same.

  • Holiday gift exchange
  • End-of-year gift swap
  • Winter gift swap
  • New Year gift swap

Keep the rest neutral too: no religious items, and an exchange day that isn’t on anyone’s holiday.

A rules sheet to print or send

Fill in the budget and the dates, then print it for the kitchen wall or save it as a PDF for the team chat.

PDF to download (US Letter)

Our Secret Santa rules

  1. 1It’s optional. Joining is a yes; not joining is fine.
  2. 2Spend the budget: not more, and not much less.
  3. 3Keep it work-friendly: nothing you wouldn’t open in front of the whole team.
  4. 4No perfume, alcohol, diet products or clothes that need a size, unless their wishes ask for it.
  5. 5Read your person’s wishes, and ask them anonymously if you’re stuck.
  6. 6Remote? Order early and ship straight to them. Shipping is on top of the budget.
  7. 7Keep the secret until the exchange day.
  8. 8Bring your gift wrapped, with your person’s name on it.
Draw names, add your wishes and ask your person anonymously at giftruly.com/secret-santa
Want everyone’s likes on paper?Print the work Secret Santa questionnaire: 12 coworker-safe questions on one page, in A4 or US Letter.Print the questionnaire

Questions office organizers ask

Can the organizer see who drew whom?

No. The draw happens on our server and each person is only shown their own match, the organizer included. You can see who has opened their name, so you know who to nudge. After the exchange you can choose to reveal the whole loop to the group.

Can I stop a manager drawing their own report?

Yes. In the group, add the two of them as a pair to keep apart, and they won’t draw each other in either direction. Add as many pairs as you need; the draw tells you if the rules leave no fair way to draw.

Do people need an account, an app or an email address?

No. A link (or the 6-character code) and a phone are enough. People pick a 4-digit PIN to get back in from another device. Email is optional, for those who want reminders.

How many people can join one group?

From 3 to 50. For a bigger company, start one group per team or floor. Each group gets its own link.

How much should we spend on a work Secret Santa?

In the US, $20 to $25; in the UK, £10; in most of Europe, €10 to €15. Pick one number and put it in the group, so it’s on everyone’s screen.

How does it work with remote and hybrid teams?

Everyone joins from wherever they are. Send the invite about four weeks ahead and ask people to post gifts two weeks before the day. The Santa can ask their person anonymously where a parcel should go, so nobody posts their address in the team chat.

Can I organize without taking part?

Yes. In your group, untick the box that puts you in the draw, and you just run it: people, pairs, reminders and the reveal.

Someone joins late or leaves after the draw. Do we redraw?

No. Add or remove them and only one name changes (sometimes two). The people affected see a note that their person changed.

Is it really free?

Yes. Groups, pairs kept apart, wishes, anonymous questions and emails are free, with no ads. Giftruly earns a small commission when someone buys a gift through an Amazon link, at no extra cost to them.

What happens to our data?

A group holds first names, wishes and messages, and an email only for people who add one. It deletes itself 30 days after the exchange day, and the organizer can delete it at any time.

We tried 11 free Secret Santa generators side by side →

Ready when your team is

Start the group now and post the link whenever you like. It keeps until the party.

Start the office draw

Updated October 2026