Secret Santa email template
Three emails are all a Secret Santa needs: the invite, the reminder, and the note before the exchange. Copy the wording below and change the parts in brackets – or run the draw on this page and let each person get their own match by email instead.
1. Your group
2. Participants
0 participants · At least 3 names. You can add yourself too.
3. Who should not draw each other (optional)
For couples, siblings, or people who always end up with each other.
4. How to share the links
I will share the links myself
You get one private link per person to send on WhatsApp, Messenger or anywhere else. No email addresses needed.
Email everyone — Add an email after a name (Nora, nora@mail.com) and we send that person their link automatically.
1. The invitation
Send this once you know who is invited. Keep the budget and the date in the first three lines – everything after that is optional reading.
Subject: Secret Santa [team/family name] – [exchange date]
Hi everyone,
We are doing a Secret Santa this year. Budget is [amount], and we open the gifts on [date] at [place/time].
Reply by [reply-by date] if you want in. Once I have the list I will draw the names and send each of you a private link with the person you drew.
Thanks,
[your name]
2. The draw result
This one is per person, because each recipient sees a different name. If you draw here with email addresses added, this email is sent for you and nobody else can see the match.
Subject: Your Secret Santa match
Hi [name],
The draw is done. Open your private link to see who you are buying for: [link]
Budget: [amount]. Exchange: [date] at [place].
Do not reply-all – nobody else should see your match.
[your name]
3. The reminder
Send it about a week out. Most people have not bought anything yet and will quietly thank you for it.
Subject: Secret Santa – one week to go
Hi everyone,
Quick reminder: gifts are due [date], budget [amount]. Your match and your wishlist are in the link I sent you – open it again if you have lost the name.
If you added a wishlist, now is a good time to check it is still accurate.
[your name]
Wording that avoids the usual problems
Name one budget figure, not a range – ranges become a competition. Give a reply-by date for the invite and a due date for the gift, because "before Christmas" is not a deadline. Say where the exchange happens, including the video link if part of the group is remote.
Finally, say explicitly that nobody should reply-all with their match. It is the single most common way a Secret Santa is spoiled.
Or skip the templates
Enter the names and email addresses in the tool on this page and every participant gets their own match by email, with the budget and date attached. You never see the pairings, so you can take part yourself. Groups are deleted 60 days after the exchange date.
FAQ
- Can I send the matches myself?
- Yes – draw here, copy each private link, and paste it into your own email or message. The tool never forces you to use email.
- What if someone does not use email?
- Share their private link in a chat message instead. The link works the same way regardless of how it reaches them.
- Will the organizer see the matches in the emails?
- No. Each email is generated per participant and the organizer's view never shows who drew whom.
- Can I resend an email if someone lost theirs?
- Yes. The organizer page has a resend button for everyone or for a single participant.
- Is there a Spanish version of the wording?
- The Spanish tool sends its emails in Spanish. You are welcome to translate the templates above for your own invitation.
Want the version that needs no email addresses at all? Use Secret Santa without email