Virtual Secret Santa
A virtual Secret Santa works just like the in-person version, except that the names are drawn online, the gifts travel by post or arrive as e-gifts, and the opening happens on a video call. Here is how to plan each part so nobody is left waiting for a parcel.
Who it’s for
Virtual Secret Santas suit any group that can’t easily meet in one place:
- Remote and hybrid teams spread across cities or countries.
- Families and friends who live far apart and want one shared tradition.
- Clubs and online communities who mostly meet on a screen anyway.
The good news is that the draw itself is easier online than on paper: nobody has to be in the room, and nobody can accidentally see someone else’s slip.
Step by step
- Agree the format. Decide whether gifts will be posted, delivered as e-gifts, or a mix. Mixed is fine as long as everyone knows what is allowed.
- Set the budget and two dates. One date for the video-call opening, and an earlier one by which posted gifts must be sent. Say whether the budget includes postage.
- Collect names and delivery preferences. Ask everyone how they’d like to receive a gift: at a work address, at a pickup point or parcel locker, by e-gift, or via the organizer. Those can go in the wish list. Keep home addresses out of wish lists and the group chat (see below).
- Draw names online. Add everyone to the generator, add exclusions (for example people in the same household), the budget, the date and wish lists, then press Draw.
- Send each private link. Use WhatsApp, a text, your team chat or email. Each person sees only their own match, with that person’s wish list and the budget.
- Shop and send early. Ask people to tell the organizer, without naming names, when their gift is on its way.
- Open together on a call. Everyone keeps their gift wrapped until the call, then takes turns opening.
Shipping and deadlines
Delivery is the one part of a virtual Secret Santa that can go wrong, and it is easy to plan around:
- Check the official last posting dates. Postal services and couriers publish recommended last dates for Christmas delivery, by destination and service. They change every year, so look them up rather than guessing.
- Set your deadline before the earliest one. If anyone in the group is in another country, the international date is the one that counts.
- Order direct. Having a shop send the gift straight to the recipient saves a trip to the post office. Ask the shop to leave out the receipt and add a gift note signed “Your Secret Santa”.
- Customs and duties. Parcels between countries can attract duties that the recipient has to pay. E-gifts or locally ordered gifts avoid that.
- Tracking. If the budget allows, a tracked service avoids “did it arrive?” worries, and lets the giver check without asking.
| Feature | Posted gift | E-gift |
|---|---|---|
| Feels like | A real parcel to unwrap | Instant and practical |
| Needs | An address and a posting deadline | An email or phone number for delivery |
| Good for | Domestic groups, families | International or last-minute groups |
| Watch out for | Postage eating the budget, customs | Feeling impersonal, regional restrictions |
E-gift ideas that don’t feel lazy
An e-gift can be thoughtful if it shows you read the wish list. A few kinds that work across most countries:
- A gift card for a shop, café or bookshop the person actually mentions.
- An e-book or audiobook by an author on their list.
- A month of a streaming, music or app subscription they don’t already have.
- A ticket to an online class or workshop: cooking, drawing, a language taster.
- A donation to a charity they care about, with a short note explaining why.
- A digital game, if you know the platform they use.
Before choosing one, check that it works in the recipient’s country: many gift cards and subscriptions are regional. For physical ideas by price, see the gift ideas hub.
Hosting the reveal on a video call
The opening is what turns a series of parcels into a shared event. A simple format that works for most groups:
- Keep it short. Agree a rough time per person before you start, so a big group doesn’t run over and people can drift back to work.
- Pick an order at random. The turn-order generator on the white elephant page shuffles names in a click.
- Guess first. Before opening, each person guesses who their Secret Santa is. The giver can reveal themselves afterwards, or stay secret if that’s your rule.
- Open on camera. Ask people to hold the gift up, and give the giver a moment to explain the choice.
- Have a plan for missing parcels. If a gift hasn’t arrived, the giver can describe it, and the recipient opens it later.
Large groups: above about 15 people, split into breakout rooms, or spread the opening over several team calls in the last week.
Games to add to the call
- Guess the giver: each recipient gets three guesses before the reveal.
- Clue cards: givers add a one-line riddle to the gift note as a hint to who they are.
- Show-and-tell: everyone shares the best gift they ever received in 30 seconds.
- Virtual white elephant: each person buys one gift for an online “pile” and the group plays white elephant by screen share, with the winners getting the gifts posted afterwards.
Privacy for online groups
Online groups often include people who don’t know each other well, so be careful with personal details:
- Keep home addresses out of the group chat and out of wish lists. A link is private, not secret: if it gets forwarded, everything in it goes too. Use a work address, a pickup point or e-gifts, or have givers send gifts to the organizer, who forwards them.
- The draw on this site happens in your browser. Names and wish lists are not sent to a server, and each person’s details travel inside their own link. See the privacy page for exactly how.
- Links are private, not secret: anyone who has a link can open it. Send each one only to its person.
- Anyone who would rather not share an address can ask for an e-gift or a work address.
A timeline for posted gifts
Suggested timings for a group in one country. Add a week or more if gifts cross borders, and always check the carrier’s dates.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 5 to 6 weeks before | Invite people, agree budget, format and call date |
| 4 weeks before | Draw names, send links, agree how each gift gets delivered |
| 2 to 3 weeks before | Order or post gifts |
| 1 week before | Check everything has been sent; e-gifts can go now |
| The call | Open together, guess the givers |
Organizer checklist
- Format agreed: posted, e-gift or both
- Budget set, including whether it covers postage
- Posting deadline before the earliest carrier date
- Video call booked and link shared
- Delivery agreed for everyone, with no home addresses in the group chat or wish lists
- Exclusions for people in the same household
- Links sent privately to each person
- “Sent” check-in a week before the call
Frequently asked questions
How early should we post gifts for a virtual Secret Santa?
Earlier than you think. Check your postal service’s published last posting dates for the destination, then set your group’s deadline a few days before the earliest one anyone needs. International parcels need far more time than domestic ones.
How do I get someone’s address without spoiling the surprise?
Avoid putting home addresses in wish lists or the group chat, because a link that gets forwarded takes its details with it. Simple options: send gifts to a work address or a pickup point (fine to put in the wish list), have every giver post to the organizer, who forwards the parcels, or choose e-gifts.
Are e-gifts OK for a virtual Secret Santa?
Yes, and they are the easiest option for international or last-minute groups. Agree in advance whether e-gift cards are allowed, because some people find them less personal. Digital subscriptions, e-books and online class vouchers are other options.
How do we open gifts together on a video call?
Ask everyone to keep their gift wrapped until the call. Go round one at a time, let each person guess their Secret Santa before the reveal, and keep each turn short in large groups, or split into smaller breakout rooms.
How do I run Secret Santa remotely?
Draw names here and send each link by WhatsApp, text or chat. Set an earlier deadline for posted gifts, and ask people to put any delivery details in a private message rather than in the wish list. Many remote groups open their gifts together on a video call, with each person guessing who their Secret Santa was.
Do I need email addresses?
No. Names are enough. You share each person’s private link however you like: WhatsApp, a text message, a chat app or by copying it. If you add an email address, it’s only used to open a pre-filled message in your own email app when you press Email; the site itself never sends anything.
How do you do Secret Santa over WhatsApp?
Draw the names here, then press WhatsApp next to each person. WhatsApp opens with a ready-made message containing that person’s private link, and you pick their chat. Send each link in a private chat, not in the group chat, or everyone could open everyone’s match.
Is it OK to give gift cards?
If your group allows them, yes: they’re practical, easy to post and impossible to get “wrong”. Some groups prefer to ban them because they feel less personal. Put your group’s decision in the rules or the note so everyone knows before shopping.
Is my data stored anywhere?
Only on your own device. Your groups are saved in this browser’s local storage so you can come back to them; you can delete one group or everything with one click. Each reveal link carries its details after the # sign, which browsers never send to a server. The site uses Google Analytics to count visits, but it never receives names, emails, wish lists or link contents.
Sources
- Merriam-Webster, “Secret Santa” (definition; first known use 1986): www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Secret%20Santa
Updated · Written by the GiftShuffle team