Secret Santa, drawn and ready to hand out

How do you draw Secret Santa names without email?

Type everyone's name, let the generator draw, and print a paper slip for each person. Each slip has the giver's name on the outside and the person they are buying for on the inside, hidden behind a fold. Hand the slips out at work, at a family dinner or through the letterbox, and nobody needs to share an email address or download an app.

The draw happens in your browser. Names are kept in the page's link on your device and are never sent to us. It is a good fit for families with young children, groups where not everyone uses email, and offices that would rather not pass staff details to an outside service.

How do Secret Santa exclusions work?

Exclusions stop particular people from drawing each other. Couples who already buy for each other, siblings who did each other last year, or a manager and their direct report are common examples. Write one rule per line in the exclusions box:

• Sam > Alex means Sam must not draw Alex. Alex may still draw Sam.
• Sam <> Alex blocks both directions, which is what most couples want.
• Names must match the names list. Capitals do not matter, but spelling does. If a name in an exclusion is not on the list, a note appears above the preview, and that rule is skipped.

How does the generator make sure the draw is fair?

Every draw follows the same rules: nobody draws their own name, every person gives exactly one gift and receives exactly one gift, and every exclusion is respected. The generator shuffles the names and checks those rules, then shuffles again if any rule is broken. If the exclusions make a valid shuffle hard to find, it switches to a careful search that tries every possible arrangement.

Sometimes there is no fair way round. In a group of three where Sam and Alex are blocked both ways, Sam and Alex can only draw the third person, and one person cannot receive two gifts. Instead of breaking a rule, the generator shows a page that explains the problem and what to change. Removing one or two exclusions usually fixes it.

The shuffle is tied to the names, the exclusions and the draw number. Reopen your link and you get the same matches, which is handy if a slip goes missing. To draw again, pick a different number under Draw.

How do the fold-over slips keep the name secret?

Each slip has three panels. The top panel shows the giver's name. The middle panel says who they are buying for, with the spending limit, swap date and your note. The bottom panel is a patterned flap.

1. Cut along the dashed outline of each slip.
2. Fold the patterned flap up along the dotted line so it lies over the middle panel.
3. Hand each slip to the person named on the top panel, who opens it in private.
4. On thin paper, the pattern on the flap helps hide the name if someone holds the slip up to the light.

What if the organiser is taking part too?

Then the organiser should not see the matches. Two settings help. On screen, Blur the matches hides the receiving names in the preview; the printed slips are not blurred. And Hide the organiser sheet leaves out the page that lists every pairing. Print, cut and fold without reading the inside panels, and you can join in with everyone else.

If you are not taking part, print the organiser sheet and keep it somewhere private. It lists every giver and receiver with boxes to tick when each slip is handed out and each gift is ready, so you can quietly sort things out if someone loses their slip.

What should you agree before the draw?

• A spending limit, so nobody feels awkward about spending too much or too little.
• The swap date and place, which print on every slip.
• Whether gifts should be wrapped and labelled with the receiver's name only.
• Whether people may drop hints or share a short wish list. A small card with three ideas is a kind way to help your Secret Santa.
• What happens if someone cannot come on the day: a later handover, or posting the gift.