Quick Answer
Elfster is a free online Secret Santa organizer. You create an exchange, invite your group by email, and Elfster automatically and secretly draws names for everyone. Participants build Wishlists, Santas shop, and gifts are revealed on event day.
Why does Santa wear a red suit? Why are elves so happy? How do you play the Secret Santa game? How does Secret Santa work? These are questions we hear all the time at Elfster.com. The truth is we love questions. The elves here at Elfster.com are always eager to hear your questions, especially the questions about how to play the Secret Santa game. This is because Elfster.com is the go-to website online for gift exchanges and Secret Santa games.
Playing Secret Santa
Secret Santa is a fun gift exchange you can set up for any gift giving occasion. Office parties, family reunions, clubs, leagues, and all holidays - ESPECIALLY CHRISTMAS - Which is our favorite holiday!
An example of how to play Secret Santa goes like this
“My elf friends and I are going to exchange gifts on Christmas. We are going to play our favorite game: Secret Santa. Before the big day we all choose names randomly and we don't tell anyone which elf we picked. We then go out and buy a nice gift for the elf we picked within the declared limit (which can be any amount.) Our limit is set at 100 dinkles (that's elf money). On Christmas we get together and exchange gifts with each other. “SURPRISE!!! It's me Brother Elf….I'm your Secret Santa”.”
Playing Secret Santa on Elfster.com
We elves at Elfster.com have generated a Secret Santa system that makes the game even more fun.
- Playing Secret Santa on Elfster.com allows you to include anybody, no matter where they live. This is perfect for families that are spread out and unable to get together in person.
- People in your Secret Santa group can create wish lists from the Elfster.com website which provides access to the best places to shop online.
- Elfster.com has taken care of all the hard work, making the Secret Santa gift exchange easy to set up, manage, and participate.
How To Play Secret Santa on Elfster.com?
Become an honorary elf on Elfster.com and follow the simple steps in setting up a Secret Santa game for your office, family, fraternity, work, etc. Give us the names and email of the people that will participate, and us elves will take care of the rest. We know how to play Secret Santa, we know how it works, we know how to do Secret Santa - we're elves, after all. And we've made it all easy for you!
It starts with an invite. Players receive an email inviting them to join in the Secret Santa game and sign up on Elfster. They can create a wishlist on the site from hundreds of the best online place to shop. Us elves generate the game pairing up the people in your group. You get your person's name that you will be the Secret Santa for and keep it a secret..shhhh..don't tell. Buy them a present staying within the limits of the group (specified by the organizer of the game, can be any dollar amount). Then all you have to do is exchange your gifts on the date of the event and reveal who you are to your gift recipient. Or you can also choose to stay anonymous, however that only really works if everyone stays anonymous. Otherwise process of elimination (and some tasty warm hot cocoa made fresh by our elves in the kitchen) will spill the beans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Elfster free to use?
Yes, Elfster is completely free to use for organizing Secret Santa exchanges, creating Wishlists, and drawing names. There are no subscription fees or hidden charges.
How does Elfster draw names for Secret Santa?
Elfster uses a randomized algorithm to secretly assign each participant a gift recipient. The system ensures no one is assigned themselves and notifies each person of their assignment via email — without revealing the full list.
Can I use Elfster for groups outside the United States?
Yes. Elfster works for international groups. Participants can join from any country, create Wishlists from international retailers, and have gifts shipped globally.
How many people can be in an Elfster Secret Santa exchange?
Elfster supports Secret Santa exchanges of any size — from 3 people up to thousands of participants for large corporate groups.
Can participants create Wishlists on Elfster?
Yes. Elfster's Wishlist feature lets participants add items from hundreds of online retailers. Their Secret Santa can shop directly from the Wishlist to guarantee a great gift.
What happens if someone does not respond to the invitation?
The organizer can resend invitations and set a deadline for joining. Elfster sends reminder emails to participants who haven't joined yet.
Secret Santa in 2026: New Ways to Play
The fundamentals of Secret Santa remain the same — but the tools and formats have expanded significantly. Here's how the best exchanges are being run this year.
The Hybrid Exchange Format
Most groups today have some members in-person and some remote. The hybrid exchange handles both: in-person participants can bring physical gifts to the gathering, while remote members ship gifts to arrive by gift day. Elfster's address collection feature handles shipping logistics discreetly — participants submit their address through their profile and it's only shared with the person gifting them, never posted in a group chat.
Theme-Based Exchanges
Themed exchanges dramatically increase participation energy and gift quality. Popular 2026 themes:
- Experience over Things — gifts must be an experience (concert tickets, cooking class, spa certificate) rather than a physical item
- Local Only — all gifts must be sourced from local businesses
- Most Used Item — participants receive the most-used item they own but would never buy themselves (a great replacement razor, their favorite snack in bulk, the nice version of their daily coffee)
- Book Club Edition — every gift is a book, with a handwritten note explaining why it was chosen
Add your theme in the exchange description when you set up on Elfster — participants see it on their invitation and when browsing their giftee's wishlist.
Setting Up Your Exchange Timeline
The optimal Secret Santa timeline for 2026 (working backward from gift day):
- 4 weeks before: Create exchange, set rules, send invitations (use November 25th — National Start a Secret Santa Day — as your trigger)
- 3 weeks before: Draw names; participants begin wishlist building
- 2 weeks before: Shopping window begins; wishlists should be complete
- 1 week before: Elfster sends automatic reminders to participants who haven't confirmed
- Gift day: Exchange, reveal, celebrate
Multi-Language Secret Santa Groups
Elfster now supports Spanish and French alongside English, so international Secret Santa groups — families spread across countries or workplace teams with multilingual participants — can all receive invitations and the full platform in their native language automatically.
Registry for Me™: One Wishlist for Every Exchange
Each participant can build a Registry for Me™ wishlist on Elfster — a single list that stays active across all gifting occasions. Instead of creating a new wishlist for every exchange, participants keep one running list and their Secret Santa shops from it knowing the items are genuinely wanted.
What Elfster members say
“Set up our entire office exchange in under 10 minutes. 35 people, custom budget, exclusion rules — all handled automatically. No spreadsheets, no awkward hat draws. This app is the real deal.”
“I especially appreciate that my family and friends can participate in gift exchanges regardless of our locations. Its user-friendly interface and easy-to-navigate app are wonderful.”
Rated 4.9 / 5 from 425K+ reviews on the App Store
Happy gifting!
