How to do a white elephant or Secret Santa draw online for free

Short answer: For a white elephant (Yankee swap) gift exchange, share a list of turn numbers ("Turn 1" to "Turn 20") and let each guest draw a random number on their phone. For Secret Santa, a free random picker such as DrawDibs works best for drawing gift themes ("Something cozy", "Under $10") rather than names, because a random name draw can hand someone their own name. Neither needs emails, accounts or an app.

White elephant: random turn order in two minutes

The fairest part of a white elephant game is the turn order, and drawing numbers on phones is quicker than cutting up paper.

1. Open DrawDibs and name your list (for example, "Office white elephant").
2. Paste the turn numbers, one per line: Turn 1, Turn 2, and so on up to your number of players. Delete any extras. A list can hold up to 100 items.
3. Tap Create & share, then send the link to the group or show the QR code on a screen.
4. Each player opens the link and taps Draw my dibs. A wheel, slot reel or card shuffle lands on a turn number that nobody else has.
5. Players add their name and send a short reply link back, so the host has the full order.

Tip: The ready-made White Elephant Turn Order list already has Turns 1–20 set up with the slot reel. Delete the numbers you don't need before sharing.

White elephant rules recap

• Everyone brings one wrapped gift to a set budget.
• Player 1 opens a gift from the pile.
• Each player after that either opens a new gift or steals an opened one. Someone who has a gift stolen picks again.
• Many groups limit steals per gift (often three) so the game ends.
• Optional: Player 1 gets one final steal at the end, since they had no choice at the start.

Secret Santa: why name-drawing is tricky with random pickers

A classic Secret Santa needs a rule that random draws don't enforce: you can't draw yourself. DrawDibs draws a random open item for each person and has no "skip if it's you" rule. If you put everyone's names on the list, someone might draw their own name, and there is no automatic redraw.

Here are two ways that work well.

Option 1: draw gift themes instead of names

Keep your usual Secret Santa pairing (or do a group gift swap), and add a twist: each giver draws a theme for their gift.

1. Start from Secret Santa Gift Themes or write your own themes: "Something cozy", "Something handmade", "Something under $10", "A book you love".
2. Under Advanced: guest options, Keep the other items secret is turned on for this list, so each person only sees their own theme.
3. Share the link. Each giver draws one theme, and no two givers get the same one.

Nobody can draw "themselves" because the list contains themes, not people.

Option 2: one organizer handles the names

If you need classic name pairs, have one organizer make the pairs (or use a dedicated Secret Santa tool built to block self-matches), then use DrawDibs for the extras: gift themes, the exchange order on party night, or who brings food.

Other holiday lists that work well with random draws

• Holiday Cookie Exchange: every baker gets a different cookie type
• Holiday Party Helpers: setup, music, food and cleanup jobs
• Fantasy Draft Order: the same idea as white elephant numbers, for sports leagues

FAQ

Is there a free white elephant number generator?

Yes. Paste turn numbers into DrawDibs and share the link. Each person draws a different number, and it's free with no signup.

Do players need an app?

No. The link opens in any phone browser. You can also show the QR code on a TV or projector so people can scan it.

Can the host play too?

Yes. When you create the list, choose Spin for me too to draw a number yourself, or I'll choose mine to take a specific one.

Can guests see everyone else's items?

Only if you allow it. Turn on Keep the other items secret, and guests only see the item they draw.

Does DrawDibs store our names?

No. Names and list text travel inside the link and are saved on people's devices. The server only stores which item numbers are taken.

Start a list or browse holiday and gift swap lists.