Frequently Asked Questions
Group size, privacy, and what the one-time upgrade actually does today.
Is it free?
Drawing names is completely free and you see the result right away, no account needed. Up to 8 people is free forever. For larger groups there is a one-time $4.9 upgrade that also emails everyone their own draw automatically. No subscription, no monthly fee.
Do I have to send emails myself?
On the free plan there are no emails at all and no email addresses are collected: after the draw you copy each person's private link and send it in your group chat. Everyone opens their own link and sees only their own draw.
For groups over 8 people, the one-time $4.9 option is designed to take a list of email addresses and send each person their own draw separately. That email delivery is not switched on yet — the upgrade page explains the current status rather than pretending it works.
How big can the group be?
Three to fifty people. Below three there is no fair draw: two people can only be paired with each other, so the site refuses instead of producing a meaningless result.
Up to eight people is free. Nine to fifty shows the complete pairing list so you can check it, and the copy and share buttons are replaced by the one-time $4.9 upgrade.
Can someone draw themselves?
No. The draw assigns one person at a time and checks every pair before moving on. A person can never be matched with themselves, and no pair can break an exclusion rule you added.
If a set of rules cannot be satisfied — for example three people who are all excluded from each other — the page says so and produces nothing, rather than quietly ignoring a rule.
Can I exclude two people from drawing each other?
Yes, from the exclusion block on the home page. Open “Couples or coworkers who shouldn't draw each other?”, pick two names and add the pair. Rules apply in both directions: if A is excluded from B, B is also excluded from A.
One rule is free. From two rules upward the draw still runs and you still see the result, but sharing is part of the upgrade.
Who can see the pairings?
Each person's link contains only that person's own draw: their name and who they are buying for. The full list is not inside the link, and there is no way to switch to another person from that page.
That is privacy by design, not encryption. Anyone holding a link can read that one draw, so send each link privately. There are no accounts, so we cannot verify that the person opening a link is the person it was meant for.
Do you store anything?
No. There is no database, no account system, and no server-side copy of your list. The names live in your browser while the page is open and inside the links you generate.
Because nothing is stored, a lost link cannot be recovered by us. Keep the page open or save the links before you close it.
Can I redraw?
Yes. Draw again and send the new links. Old links keep working and still show the old draw, so tell the group clearly which link is current. A redraw replaces every pairing, not a single one.
What does the $4.9 upgrade include?
It is a one-time payment for the group, not a subscription. The planned package is: automatic email delivery to each person, groups of 9–50, multiple exclusion rules, reopening your draw from a link, and printable PDF draw slips.
Checkout and email delivery are not live yet. Nothing can be purchased today, and no payment details are collected anywhere on this site.