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Secret Santa Assignment Maker

Create one-to-one gift assignments with no self-draw and entered exclusions, then download organizer-visible results.

Inputs stay on your device No sign-up Free to use
How this works

The tool runs in this browser. Your file or text is not uploaded to UseFreeTools. Check this tool's limits for anything it may save on your device.

Privacy details

One name per line, 2 to 24 names. Each person gives a gift to exactly one other person on this list.

Optional. One rule per line as "Name > Name", read as "the first person must not draw the second". Everyone is already excluded from drawing themselves.

How many shuffles to try, up to 2000. A valid draw usually appears in the first few tries; after this many the tool switches to a step-by-step search.

Processed in your browser. Your inputs stay on this device.

Showing a generated example. Generate again for a new result.

How to use Secret Santa Assignment Maker

  1. List distinct participants and any prohibited giver-to-recipient pairs.
  2. Run the bounded draw and review whether every participant has one recipient.
  3. Download assignment cards or the project, and share individual results yourself.

Example: Secret Santa Assignment Maker

Create one-to-one gift assignments with no self-draw and entered exclusions, then download organizer-visible results. The example records one run; generated arrangements and cells can vary.

You add
Participants: Ada Ben Cleo Dev Eve Who must not be paired: Dev > Ben Random draws to try: 2000
You get
Assigned 5 gifts with no self-draw and every exclusion rule met.

Options

Exclusions
A giver-to-recipient exclusion is directional. Enter the reverse line too when both directions should be prohibited.
Organizer visibility
The full result is visible to the person running the page. No invitation, authentication or private delivery service is included.

Supported inputs and limits

Finite participants/exclusions and search limits. No secrecy from the organizer, messaging, participant authentication or uniformly sampled matching claim. 2 to 24 participants and up to 200 directed exclusion lines. After at most 2,000 shuffles, the fallback search has a 200,000-step budget. Random draws to try: 1–2000. PDF text uses the supported built-in font character set; unsupported characters are refused rather than silently replaced.

Where your input is processed

This tool processes your input in this browser. Your text and files are not uploaded to UseFreeTools. Check this tool's limits for anything it may save on your device.

Randomized order does not make every valid matching equally likely

Random shuffles and a bounded fallback search can find a valid assignment under your rules. They do not prove uniform sampling across all valid matchings. Keep organizer visibility in mind when sharing the full CSV or project instead of an individual card.

Questions about Secret Santa Assignment Maker

Can someone draw themselves?

A completed assignment excludes self-draws.

Will the page send each result?

No. You download and distribute results yourself.

Can I exclude a couple in both directions?

Enter both directional exclusions.

Project manager: Tony Hines · Content updated 4 October 2026 · Report a problem

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