Golden Secret Santa Ticket
- Occasion
- Budget
- Gift exchange
Secret Santa with a golden ticket
Who gifts whom? Only the ticket knows.
Enter names, draw, send links. Everyone scratches their golden ticket and only sees who they are gifting. Even you, the organiser, can join in without knowing a thing.
- Free
- No sign-up
- No cookies
The Secret Santa Workshop
Four steps, then all names are drawn and sealed. The draw happens only in your browser.
The names are sealed!
Draw . Not even you know who gifts whom. Now send everyone their own link.
How to keep the secret
- Send each person only their own link and open only yours.
- Your own ticket: copy the link and open it in your browser, or send it to yourself.
- Keep this window open until all links are sent. After that, your chat history is your backup.
How it works
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1. Add names
Add everyone who is taking part, including yourself. Couples who should not gift each other are linked with one click.
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2. Seal the names
One click and the names are drawn. Every ticket is sealed right away. You only see links, never the names behind them.
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3. Send a message in a bottle
Everyone gets their own link, via WhatsApp or any other way you like.
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4. Scratch
Everyone breaks their seal and scratches their golden ticket. All they see is who they are gifting.
Ask the pilot
Can I take part as the organiser?
Yes, that is exactly what WichtelLotse is made for. Just add yourself. The names are drawn in your browser and sealed right away. Afterwards you only see links, never who drew whom. Simply open only your own link.
Where are the names stored?
Nowhere. WichtelLotse has no database and no user accounts. Each ticket is encrypted inside the link, after the hash sign (#). Browsers never send that part of an address to the server.
What happens if I close the window?
Links you have already sent stay valid, with no expiry date. Only your sending list is gone. So send all links first and close the window afterwards.
Someone lost their link. What now?
Simply forward the old message from your chat again. You do not need to open the link yourself.
What is the difference between one big circle and a free draw?
In one big circle everyone forms a chain: Anna gifts Ben, Ben gifts Carla and so on, until the chain gets back to Anna. That way no two people gift each other. In a free draw anything is possible, just like drawing from a hat, except that nobody draws themselves.
Why do you need at least four people?
With three people, everyone could work out who gifts whom from their own ticket. From four people on, it stays exciting.
Can I draw again?
Yes, with “Change and draw again”. Every draw has its own number, printed on all tickets. Let everyone know that only tickets with the new number count.
Is the draw really random?
Yes. WichtelLotse uses the cryptographic randomness of your browser. Every allowed outcome is equally likely.
What does WhatsApp get to see?
With the WhatsApp button your browser hands the ready-made message including the link to WhatsApp, just like sending any other message. If you prefer not to, copy the link and send it another way.
Does WichtelLotse cost anything?
No. No costs, no sign-up, no ads and no cookies.
Sample ticket
A golden ticket for
Then please do not open it. Let the organiser know that this ticket ended up with you. That keeps the secret safe.
Scratch to see who you are gifting!
Fancy your own Secret Santa?
Start your Secret Santa