FAQ

GENERAL

What is SecretSanta.com?

SecretSanta.com is a free online gift exchange event planner for the holidays, dedicated to making gift exchange events very simple to create and manage, but most of all, lots of fun! From Secret Santa (also known as Kris Kringle) to White Elephant to Yankee Swap, SecretSanta.com eliminates the process of drawing names out of a hat.

Does SecretSanta.com cost anything?

No, the SecretSanta.com service is absolutely FREE – use it as much as you would like for as many gift exchange events as you desire.

Does SecretSanta.com support holiday themes other than Christmas?

Yes, SecretSanta.com is proud to be the only gift exchange management service to support multiple gift exchange game types (e.g.: Secret Santa, White Elephant, Yankee Swap).

Does SecretSanta.com support gift exchanges other than Secret Santa?

Yes, we can help you create Yankee Swap and White Elephant gift exchanges too!

What is Secret Santa?

Secret Santa, also known as Kris Kringle, is probably the most popular gift exchange game in the world. It’s a fun and easy way for a group of friends, family members or co-workers to exchange gifts. The basic concept of the Secret Santa game is simple. All of the participants’ names are placed into a hat, box, etc. and mixed up. Each person then chooses one name from the box, but doesn’t tell anyone which name was picked. He/she is now responsible for buying a gift for the person selected. 

What is White Elephant?

White Elephant is a gift exchange game that is very similar in style to Yankee Swap, although the emphasis is to ‘steal’ gifts rather than swap them. The game derives its name from the term white elephant as defined by something of dubious or limited value or an object no longer of value to its owner but of value to others. Thus, in its basic form the game calls for people to bring “gag” gifts or gifts they received that they have no use for.

What is Yankee Swap?

Another variation on a gift exchange game, Yankee Swap is suitable for small to large groups. The game, also going by Yankee Doodle or Dirty Santa, adds an element of excitement and humor to traditional gift giving. In Yankee Swap each participant brings a wrapped, unmarked gift and places it in a designated area. Guests are given numbers as they arrive, or their names are randomly drawn, and they select and unwrap gifts from the pile in that order — with a twist. 

Does SecretSanta.com share user information with other companies?

Absolutely not, SecretSanta.com and Elfster.com take privacy very seriously and does not share any of the information provided by any user of the service to any company, agency, or person. View Elfster’s Privacy Policy here: https://www.elfster.com/privacy/  

I get an error when I try to draw names – what do I do?

If an error is encountered when trying to draw names for a gift exchange, there are several possible sources: There are too many draw restrictions defined for this gift exchange and you will have to remove some of these restrictions. There are not enough participants for this gift exchange event. There is a minimum of 3 participants needed in order for names to be drawn in a gift exchange. 

GIFT EXCHANGES

How do I create my own gift exchange event?

SecretSanta.com gift exchanges are now powered by the Elfster Secret Santa Generator !  To start your Gift Exchange, just share a few details with our Secret Santa Generator and our elves will do the rest! Registration is fast, easy, and free. 

Can I create more than one gift exchange event?

Yes, you may create as many gift exchange events as you desire! You can create one for your family Secret Santa, your office White Elephant, and your classmate Yankee Swap, all at the same time.

How do I correct an invitee email address in a gift exchange?

An organizer may make some changes to email addresses on the Participants page in the gift exchange. If you invited a participant that does not have a current Elfster account, you can select the “Change User Info” button to update their email address. If they have a registered account, you’ll be able to send an invitation to a different email address.

What are draw restrictions and how do they work?

The Draw Restrictions feature allows you to define matches that you do not want. Click on Draw Restrictions, then “Show Restrictions” next to the participants name and check off “exclusions” for each person. Each name that is checked off will not be drawn by that participant. Once you have made all of your restrictions, select Save.

Can I add/remove draw restrictions after a gift exchange is created?

Yes, draw restrictions can be added/removed if the gift exchange has already been created. This may be done by clicking on the Draw Restrictions tab on the gift exchange page to view the list of all participants, or from the Participants page where the organizer may click on the Draw Restrictions button for any individual.

Can I customize my gift exchange page?

The organizer may upload a photo of their choice to replace the default photo on the gift exchange page. This may be done by hovering over the camera icon in the existing photo box and the option to Change Exchange Photo will appear.

How will I know who my Secret Santa recipient is?

Names are drawn by our system on the day after the date set as the deadline to RSVP to the gift exchange. If everyone has already responded, an organizer may draw names before that time. All participants will receive an email message, informing them about their recipient.

How will I know what my number assignment is?

Your number assignment (for White Elephant or Yankee Swap only) is determined  by the organizer of an event and will be given out at your party.

How do I change information regarding the gift exchange event?

You can only change information/details about a gift exchange event if you are the organizer or assistant of the event. From the gift exchange page, click on the Edit tab. From there you can modify the details information of your event which will update the information shown on the gift exchange page.

Can I view gift exchange event pages from the past?

Sure you can, just log into your account using your username and password. Once logged in, click on Gift Exchanges from your homepage. On this page, you will see the option to view “Your Exchanges,” which are current, as well as “Your Past 10 Exchanges.” Clicking on the exchange name of one of your past gift exchange events will bring you to that gift exchange event page.

How come I can’t input a wish list?

You must first have a registered account in order to create a wish list. When prompted, complete the form to register your account.

How do I update my wish list?

Yes, wish lists can be updated as much as you would like. Simply click on the Wish Lists tab at the top of the page, then select the wish list you would like to update. You may Add, Edit, Remove or Move any item on your wish list.

How can I create a new Gift Exchange using a repeat group?

Secret Santa Generator allows gift exchange administrators to re-use a past gift exchange group to set up a Repeat Gift Exchange event. Although administrators can create new gift exchange events without using this feature, it can help make things easier by:

  • Ensuring that matches from your previous gift exchange event do not occur in the repeat event.
  • Preventing the administrator from having to re-input much of the same information from the previous gift exchange event (e.g.: invitee list, draw restrictions, etc.).

✨ Elf Pro Tip: This is a great feature for Secret Santa events that are an annual tradition.

If you would like to create a Repeat Gift Exchange, simply click on the Start A Gift Exchange button any where in your account and Select Group to find your Group from a past Gift Exchange.

How do I delete a gift exchange event?

To delete a gift exchange event, the organizer may go into that gift exchange page and click Edit, then scroll to the bottom of that page where they will see the option to Delete Exchange. Deleting a gift exchange event will permanently delete the gift exchange event, including all of its properties and exclusions.

How do I change the administrator of a gift exchange event?

An organizer may decide to turn the organizational functions over to another participant to allow them to carry out the duties of the gift exchange. If you need to turn over ownership of your Group, you can change the organizer to another member of the Group. This will give all the Gift Exchange duties to the new organizer as well.

  • Click the Change Organizer button.
  • Select a group member from the list. 
    ⚠️ This will remove you as the current organizer and all your permissions, so just be sure that’s the step you want to take.​

How do I draw names for a gift exchange event?

Names are drawn automatically by our system on the day after the date you set as your deadline for guests to RSVP. If you are ready to go and everyone has RSVP’d before that date, you will find the option to Draw Names on the gift exchange event page. This will generate a match for all participants of this gift exchange and send email notification to all of the participants.

INVITATIONS/MESSAGING

Is there an invitee limit for gift exchange events?

No, you may invite as many people as you want to a gift exchange event –whether it’s 3 or 300 or 3,000!

I received an invitation for a gift exchange event – what do I do?

When you receive a gift exchange event invitation, you need to click on the link/RSVP button that is provided in the email message. This will bring you to the gift exchange event page where you will need to RSVP to the invitation and login or create a new account. You can either choose to participate in the event or decline the invitation. If you choose to participate, you will be given the option to add to a wish list that will be viewable by all invitees of the event.

What is an invitation message?

An invitation message is a message that will be presented to all of your invitees in the gift exchange invitation email. Providing a short, fun message is helpful in letting your invitees know a little about the gift exchange event.

A gift exchange event invitation was sent but I didn’t receive it?

There are several reasons why an invitation may not have been received. Here are some tips that may help:

  • Make sure that the administrator provided the correct (valid) email address.
  • Check your email ‘Trash’, ‘Spam’, or ‘Junk’ folder to make sure that it was not automatically placed there. If it was, you can add the-elves@elfster.com to your address book to prevent this from happening in the future.
  • If the invitation was sent to a corporate email account, your company’s system administrator(s) may be filtering/blocking these types of messages.

How do I re-send a gift exchange event invitation?

Re-sending gift exchange event invitations can be done from the gift exchange event page by clicking on the Participants tab and clicking the arrow to expand the box for that person. Click on the Send Gift Exchange Link, which will re-send the gift exchange event information to that individual. You may do this as many times, for any participant, as needed.

Can invitees be added after gift exchange invitations are sent?

Yes, a gift exchange organizer may add as many new invitees as they would like, even after the initial invitations have been sent. From the gift exchange event page, click on the Invite tab to invite more people. If names have already been drawn in the gift exchange, that’s fine, new participants will have to be added as Latecomers.

Can invitees be removed after they have been invited?

Yes, gift exchange organizers may remove invitees, even after the invitations have been sent. From the gift exchange event page, click on the Participants tab and click the arrow to expand the box for the person you would like to remove. Click on the Decline or Remove button for that participant to change their status. A declined status removes this person from the exchange, but will keep them part of your group. A removed status will remove that person entirely.

How do I RSVP to an invitation?

You need to have an email invitation from the organizer or a link to a gift exchange in order to join an exchange. Once you have your invite, click on the link that you received from the organizer (either by email or a link from Facebook or Twitter). Simply follow the instructions on the page to RSVP. If you have not established an account, you will need to create one to RSVP. Multiple accounts may use the same email address, however, each person needs to have their own unique user name and password for their account. 

Can I change RSVP status after it’s been posted?

Yes, SecretSanta.com allows you to update your RSVP status from Participating to Not Participating as many times as you would like as long as names have not been drawn. From the gift exchange event page, you can update your status and/or comments by clicking on the Change Reply option.

I lost or deleted the email invitation – what do I do?

If you lost or deleted this email, you can either email the administrator of the gift exchange event, who will be able to re-send the invitation to you or you can email customer service to request that the invitation is re-sent to you.

I lost or deleted the match email – what do I do?

If you lost or deleted this email, you can either email the administrator of the gift exchange event, who will be able to re-send the ‘match email’ to you or you can email customer service to request that the ‘match email’ is re-sent to you.

LOGIN/REGISTRATION

How can I become a registered member of Elfster.com?

Becoming a registered member is simple, just click on the ‘Join’ tab at the top of the Elfster home page to create a username/password for your account and provide some basic information for your account.

Do I need to be registered to create a gift exchange event?

Yes, in order to create and manage your own gift exchange event, you will need to register. To register, simply click on the ‘Secret Santa Generator’ button on the home page and provide some basic information. Once you are registered, you will be able to create your very own gift exchange event.

Can I access a gift exchange event page without being registered?

Once you have your invite, click on the link that you received from the organizer (either by email or a link from Facebook or Twitter) to view the details of the exchange, then simply follow the instructions on the page to RSVP. If you have not established an Elfster account, you will need to create an account.

Can I register without an email address?

Since we use email addresses for communication and notification, you will need to have a valid email address in order to become a registered member. If you don’t have an email address, the organizer of your gift exchange may enter their own email address, or the email address of a person that will act on your behalf.

What should I do if I forget my password?

Forgot your password? On the Elfster login screen, just click on “Forgot Your Password?” and enter your username/email address, then click “Continue” and we’ll send a password reset link to you.

What should I do if I forget my username?

If you forget your username, you can chat live with one of our elves and they can help you out, or email our helper elves at help@elfster.com and they will be happy to assist you. Just provide your full name on your Elfster account and a valid email address.

How do I update my user profile information?

Updating any of your user profile information is simple! Just click on your profile image in the upper right corner of your homepage, then click My Settings to manage your user profile information.