Secret Santa Matcher
Enter names and any exclusion pairs, generate a fair Secret Santa draw where nobody gets themselves, then reveal assignments privately by passing the phone. Works offline.
Built by the AbraCalc team
How to play
- Type each participant's name on its own line (3 or more).
- Optionally add exclusion pairs for couples or last year's matches.
- Tap Generate assignments to create a fair, validated draw.
- Pass the device around — each person taps only their own card to reveal.
Secret Santa Matcher takes the awkward math out of a gift exchange. Type in everyone's name, add exclusion pairs for couples or people who drew each other last year, and it generates a fair random assignment where no one ever draws themselves or someone on the exclusion list. Instead of texting names around and risking a leak, pass the same phone or tablet to each person — they tap their own card, see who they're buying for, and pass it on, with every earlier reveal staying hidden. The whole draw runs in your browser with nothing uploaded or stored, so the matches never leave the room and the tool works fully offline.
Frequently asked questions
- Will anyone ever draw their own name?
- No. The matcher only accepts a result where every single person is assigned someone other than themselves, and it retries automatically until it finds one.
- Can I stop two specific people from matching, like a couple?
- Yes. Add them as an exclusion pair before generating, and neither person can draw the other in either direction.
- What if my exclusions make a fair draw impossible?
- With very small groups and several exclusions, no valid arrangement may exist. The tool tells you plainly and suggests removing one exclusion rather than silently breaking the rules.