How to use it
Type or paste the name of everyone in the gift exchange, one per line, and press Randomize pick order. You'll get a numbered running order: person #1 goes first, #2 next, and so on. Use it to decide who chooses (and who can steal) at each turn. Hit Shuffle again for a fresh draw, or copy the result link to send the exact order to the group.
How White Elephant works
Everyone brings one wrapped gift (usually to a set budget) and adds it to a communal pile. Players then take turns in order. On your turn you either unwrap a new gift from the pile or steal an already-opened gift from someone earlier. If your gift is stolen, you take another turn — open a new one or steal a different gift (you can't immediately steal back the one just taken from you). Play continues until everyone has had a turn and all gifts are opened.
Common rules and variations
| Rule | What it does |
|---|---|
| 3-steal limit | A gift can only be stolen three times, then it's "locked" and stays with whoever holds it. Keeps the game moving. |
| One steal per turn | Each turn you either open or steal — not both. |
| No immediate steal-back | You can't steal back the exact gift someone just took from you (you can steal it later). |
| First-player final swap | Because player #1 never got to react, they may swap their gift for any unlocked gift once everyone has gone — a nice way to end. |
| Yankee Swap / Dirty Santa | Different names for the same steal-and-swap game; some groups number gifts instead of people, or ban stealing on the very first pick. |
Tips for a smooth exchange
- Set one budget so every gift is roughly interchangeable — that's what makes stealing fun.
- Decide the steal limit up front (three is standard) and whether the first player gets the final swap.
- Keep gifts anonymous — no tags, so nobody knows what they're stealing.
- Doing a name-draw instead? Use the Secret Santa generator for a private one-to-one assignment where each person buys for one other person.
FAQ
Is the order really random?
Yes. The shuffle uses your browser's cryptographic random source (a Fisher–Yates shuffle), so every ordering is equally likely and no name is favoured.
Does it store our names anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser. The result link encodes the order in the URL itself — there's no account, no database and nothing kept after the party.
How many players can it handle?
Any group size. White Elephant is usually most fun with about 6–20 players, but the generator will order as many names as you paste.
What's the difference from Secret Santa?
Secret Santa secretly assigns each person one other person to buy for. White Elephant / Yankee Swap uses a shared pile of gifts that players pick and steal in turn — this tool sets that turn order fairly.