Organize a Secret Santa exchange on GiftList

Create a GiftList exchange to invite people, set a budget and exclusions, draw names, and share wishlists or gift hints. The organizer and participants use free accounts to manage the exchange and view their matches. At least three eligible participants are needed to draw; an exchange supports up to 100 people.

Create and invite

1. Sign in and open Secret Santa. Start a new exchange from the exchange dashboard.
2. Enter the exchange name and details, including the gift budget and exchange date. Set a join-by date and other options if appropriate.
3. Add participants by the offered email, name or GiftList-person options. You can also create an invitation link to share yourself.
4. Continue through Next, review the details and choose Create exchange or Create & copy link for the link-sharing path.
5. Check the participant roster. If someone was added by name without an email, send their personal invitation link yourself; GiftList cannot email an address you have not provided.

Keep personal invitation links private to the person they are intended for. Before adding the same person again, check whether they already appear under a name or email invitation.

Set exclusions and draw names

1. Open the exchange's exclusion controls and add pairs that should not be matched, such as partners. Review the direction and people shown for each exclusion.
2. Check the roster and resolve invitation mistakes before drawing. The draw includes people who have not declined, including pending and name-only participants; they do not all have to finish joining first. Remove anyone who should not participate before drawing. Do not assume an undeliverable email means the person has no assignment.
3. Choose Draw names, review its participant count and warnings, then confirm Draw names.
4. Open your own match and ask participants to open theirs. People use their accounts to view matches; an invitation preview alone is not the match.

Too many exclusions can make a valid draw impossible. Review restrictions if GiftList cannot draw. A redraw replaces assignments; use its confirmation carefully because people may already have started shopping.

Wishlists, privacy and later changes

Participants can link a GiftList wishlist or choose Mystery Q&A. Santa Mail supports anonymous questions after the draw when enabled. The budget is a guideline, not a payment limit enforced by GiftList.

Do not promise that an organizer can never discover assignments. Normal match views show a person's own recipient, but organizer tools and personal invitation links create other ways assignments can become known. If complete organizer blindness is essential, do not treat GiftList as a guarantee of it.

The separate quick Secret Santa generator is a different no-account draw tool where the organizer sees the pairings. It is not the full invitation, wishlist and match-account workflow.

Related: Join and find your match, buy from a shared list, family groups.