Frequently asked questions

Wichtlä.ch is a free online tool for organising a Secret Santa. You can:

• create Secret Santa groups
• add participants
• have the names drawn automatically and fairly
• send the matches by email
• define exclusions (for example, couples do not draw each other)

All of it with no account and no app — just in the browser!

No, Wichtlä.ch is 100% free!

There are no hidden costs, no premium accounts and no limits.

No! You don’t need an account. You simply create a group, add participants and receive an admin link by email. That’s it!

That is what makes Wichtlä.ch especially simple and quick to use.

Recommended: at least 3 people; technically possible from 2. There is practically no upper limit: whether you are 5, 20 or 100, the system works for every group size.

Groups of 5 to 30 people are especially popular, for example for families, friends or teams.

The algorithm makes sure that:

• ✅ nobody draws themselves
• ✅ each person gives a gift to exactly one other person
• ✅ each person receives exactly one gift
• ✅ the exclusions you defined are respected

The match is sent by email and stays secret — you only see the person YOU are giving a gift to.

Exclusions stop certain people from drawing each other. They are useful for:

• couples or spouses (they usually already know the wishes)
• close friends who give each other gifts anyway
• siblings in a family Secret Santa
• managers and staff in a company Secret Santa

Example: you enter “Anna ↔ Peter”. Anna cannot then draw Peter, and Peter cannot draw Anna.

Yes! As the admin, you can do the following at any time through your admin link:

• add new participants
• add or change wishlists
• define further exclusions

Important: once the names have been drawn, no further participants can be added. The draw would have to be run again.

Yes, as the admin you can reset the draw and run it again. That is useful if:

• you forgot exclusions
• new participants have joined
• something went wrong

Please note: a new draw deletes all previous matches!

There is no “Look up my match” button on the homepage. Each person has a personal participant link:

• in the confirmation email after joining
• with the admin, ready to copy, under “Participants”

Through this link you see the person you’re giving a gift to and you can change your wishlist. After the draw, the admin can also send the match by email again.

Yes, absolutely! You can create as many groups as you like, for example:

• one for family
• one for friends
• one for work

Each group has its own admin link, which you receive by email.

Yes! We take privacy very seriously:

• 🔐 SSL encryption for every connection
• 🇨🇭 server located in Switzerland
• 📜 compliance with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP)
• 🗑️ automatic deletion when the group expires
• 🚫 no sharing with third parties

More detail is in our privacy policy.

We store only what is needed:

• participant names
• email addresses (for notifications)
• wishlists (optional, if provided)
• exclusions
• draw results

Not stored: phone numbers, postal addresses, payment details or other personal information.

Groups and all related data are deleted automatically three months after the event. If there is no event date, the period starts when the group is created.

As the admin, you can also delete your group manually at any time. All data is then removed immediately.

At first, each person only sees the person they’re giving a gift to, and only through their personal link. The admin area has no list of every match.

That changes when the admin sends the reveal. Every participant with an email address then receives the full list of who was whose Secret Santa. Until then, it stays secret.

If you did not receive an email, please check:

• 📧 Spam folder: our emails sometimes land there
• ✉️ Email address: a typo is possible
• ⏱️ Waiting time: emails can take 1 to 2 minutes
• 🚫 Email filters: company email sometimes blocks external senders

What to do: ask the admin to copy the personal link in the “Participants” area, or to send the match by email again. There is no “Resend my match” function on the homepage.

You can request the link again: on Resend the admin link, enter the email address used when the group was created. If a group exists for that address, we send the admin link once more. A security code and a limit on attempts protect the form.

The reply is always worded the same way, so nobody can check whether an address is stored with us.

After the draw, the admin can choose “Send the reveal to everyone”. Each person with an email address then receives the list of who was whose Secret Santa (giver → recipient).

Until then, each person only sees the person they’re giving a gift to. A second send is only possible with an explicit confirmation, so the email does not go out more than once by mistake.

Possible reasons:

• Too many exclusions: with too many exclusions, a valid draw is mathematically impossible
• Too few participants: at least 3 people are recommended; technically possible from 2
• A technical problem: clear the browser cache and try again

Tip: reduce the number of exclusions or add more participants.

Yes! As the admin, you will find a “Delete group” option in the admin area. All data is deleted immediately and for good.

Please note: this cannot be undone!

Yes, fully! Wichtlä.ch is completely responsive and works on every device:

• 📱 phones (iOS and Android)
• 📲 tablets
• 💻 computers

No app needed — just open it in the browser!

3 to 4 weeks before the event is ideal:

• enough time to find the gifts
• participants can think it over
• if something goes wrong, there is still time to fix it

For a spontaneous Secret Santa, 1 to 2 weeks’ notice is enough as well.

It depends on your group:

• 10–15 CHF: friends, students, large groups
• 15–25 CHF: the standard for most Secret Santas
• 25–50 CHF: companies, smaller groups, closer circles

Important: choose a budget everyone can afford!

That is a matter of taste:

• Anonymous: more exciting, more guessing, the classic variant
• Open: more personal, easier when choosing the gift

Many groups do it like this: gifts are wrapped without a name, and the giver reveals themselves after the unwrapping. The best of both!

Secret Santa should always be voluntary! Nobody should feel forced.

For a company Secret Santa: ask beforehand, and only organise the event if enough people want to join in. People who do not take part should not feel left out.