How to do a Secret Santa online

Have you tried our tool to organize the Secret Santa gift exchange? If you still have doubts about how it works, what are the recommendations for everything to go perfectly and the multiple options that our online tool gives you to exchange gifts with your loved ones, stay! Below you will find the answer to all these questions.

What is a Secret Santa?

Secret Santa, is a fun game popular all over the world to exchange gifts in a surprising and exciting way.

In other countries it is often called Secret Friend, referring to the anonymous and secret giving of gifts, the main idea being to encourage the spirit of giving and receiving.

Have you ever played Secret Santa with your family or friends? In Rafflys we propose you to do it in a faster, easier and automatic way with our new app.

How does this gift exchange work?

The success of the Secret Santa gift exchange depends largely on the honesty of its participants. But, in brief, here are its main features:

• Random selection: Each participant is randomly assigned the name of the person to whom he or she is to give a gift.
• Secrecy: The identity of the secret Santa is kept secret until the moment of the gift exchange.
• Guess who your Secret Santa is! On the day of the exchange, each person tries to guess who their secret Santa is before the identity is revealed.

Use this way to exchange gifts for Christmas, Friendship Day, Hanukkah, New Year’s Day, or any celebration where you want to share gifts with the people you love.

How to create a Secret Santa online with Rafflys

Write the names of everyone on a piece of paper and draw them by hand? Nooo! That’s old-fashioned. Use an automatic, randomized, easy-to-use, quick-to-run application. Here’s how it works.

Step 1. Log in to Rafflys and click on Secret Santa.

At Rafflys, you do not need to have an active account to run your Secret Santa. Just log in to our site and select the tool from the list.

In any case, in order to access the Secret Santa data and, for example, the pairings, I recommend that you create an account or log in – it only takes a few minutes!

By logging into your account, you can see your previous Secret Santa draws and, with just one click, repeat or delete them to keep your dashboard organized.

Step 2. Add the names of the participants

First, you need to know the names of the people who will be participating in the online Secret Santa gift exchange.

Write down each person’s name, nickname, full name, username, or any other information that will help you identify them.

If there are duplicate names, the app will warn you so you can change them to avoid confusion in the future.

When you have everything ready, click “Go to Step 2”.

Step 3. Fill in the fields and write the message

Once you have entered all of the names of the participants in the Secret Santa Giveaway, you will need to fill in the required fields.

If you forgot to add a participant, or if someone joins at the last minute, you can go back to the list by clicking “Back”.

When you are finished, click “Send Invitations”.

Step 4. Send the invitations

You’re almost there! It’s time to send out your Secret Santa invitations. Take a look at all the options listed:

You can send the invitations by WhatsApp, email, copy the link and paste it into the social network of your choice, view the pairings and save your Secret Santa giveaway.

If you have configured everything up to this point without logging in to Rafflys, you will not be able to see the pairings or save your Secret Santa. To access this data, please create an account or login, it will take a few minutes!

Please note that only the host will be able to see the pairings – check out all your Secret Santa info on your dashboard!

Step 5. Repeat or delete the list

We have added 2 new features that will be available on every Secret Santa you create.

You can now rerun a previous giveaway by selecting it in your Control Panel and clicking the ” Repeat ” button. This option will take you directly to the original list to repeat the drawing.

You can also delete the Secret Santa drawings that you no longer need.

Uses and dynamics of Secret Santa generator

With Rafflys, you can do your online Secret Santa in many ways, each with its pros and cons:

• Send invitations via WhatsApp: it’s faster and easier, but it requires the cooperation and honesty of the participants.
• Send an email to participants: this is the most secure way, but you need to know their email address.
• Share the link in other messaging applications: share the features of the Secret Santa option via WhatsApp.

Don’t be left without knowing absolutely everything about the dynamics of our Secret Santa gift exchange.

How does the anti-fraud system work?

By sharing the invitation via WhatsApp or by copying and pasting the draw link, participants can access the names of the people involved.

With our anti-cheating system, each participant will be able to see the name of the person they are giving to once. Once you have done so, a green checkmark will appear indicating that you have already verified the result and know your match. After that, you will not be able to check it again.

This feature ensures that participants cannot spy on each other’s results, preventing any attempt to manipulate the draw and ensuring that it is fair and transparent from the start.

Tips for creating a great online Secret Santa

Finally, I would like to give you some recommendations on how to make your virtual Secret Santa a success in its organization and execution, here we go!

1. Define a budget

Set a spending limit on gifts. You can discuss this with everyone involved in the drawing and set a maximum and minimum spending limit. This will ensure that everyone feels comfortable and that the gifts are fair. Include this in the message with the instructions so it’s super clear!

2. Create a wish list

Each participant can write down some gift ideas according to the set budget. This makes it easier to choose a gift and ensures that everyone gets something they like. You can ask participants to add their wish lists to the WhatsApp group or a social network you share.

3. Set clear Secret Santa rules

Set the rules of the game from the start, such as the budget to be spent, the deadline for gift delivery, where the exchange will take place, and any other specific rules you want to follow.

4. Use the Rafflys Secret Santa generator to match

Our app makes it easy to organize and ensures a random and fair distribution of names. You can choose between different ways of sending invitations and select the one that best suits the group.

In addition, the tool prevents anyone from self-assigning and provides a fun and fast environment for communicating the results.

5. Keep the lines of communication open

Use group chat to keep everyone informed and excited. You can send reminders, pictures, questions, or anything else that will keep the spark going.

This also helps resolve any questions that may arise.

6. Plan a fun reveal

Host an in-person event or virtual meeting for the secret friend reveal. This adds an element of surprise and fun to the final game.

7. Include anonymous notes

Encourage participants to include an anonymous note with their gift. This adds a personal and fun touch, as well as clues to the Secret Santa’s identity.

8. Be creative with gifts

Foster creativity in the selection of gifts. They can be handmade, experiences, or something related to the recipient’s interests.

Creating a Secret Santa with Rafflys allows you to simplify the randomization process, ensure transparency in the results, prevent cheating, and facilitate the management of the drawing and the exchange.

Do you already have all the names of the participants for your next Secret Santa? It’s time for the drawing!

If you have any questions, we’re here to help!