Secret Santa invitation message templates
Copy one of the messages below, swap in the [placeholders], and send. Every invite needs four things: the budget, the swap date, the sign-up deadline and how to join.
What a Secret Santa invite must contain
People ignore invites that make them work for the answer. Put the facts in the first three lines so someone can decide in ten seconds.
- The budget. One number, with whether it includes tax and wrapping.
- The swap date and place. For example, "Friday, December 19, at lunch in the break room".
- The deadline to join. Give about a week, and say what happens after it.
- How to join. One link or one reply, never two ways.
- Who is organizing. So they know who to ask.
If your invite does not have a deadline, you will still be waiting on people the week before the draw.
Where to send it and what to do next
Pick one channel and stick with it. The channel where your group already talks is best: Slack for a team, a family chat for relatives, email for a club. Sending the same invite in three places creates three sets of replies and someone will answer in the wrong one.
Once the deadline passes, draw the names the same day and tell people how they will find out who they have. If you use Hollyhush, the one link in your invite is also how people see their match, so nothing else needs sending. For the full order of tasks, see how to organize a Secret Santa.
Tips for a better invite
- Send it on a weekday morning. Invites sent late on Friday get buried.
- Keep it under 80 words in a chat and under 150 in an email.
- Say who is optional. "It is fine to skip" makes more people say yes.
- Put the link on its own line so it is easy to tap.
- Add one line on rules: no joke gifts, or no alcohol, whatever your group needs.
Email invitations
Short and clear. Works for a team, a club or a family mailing list.
Slack and Teams messages
Pin one of these in the channel. Keep it short, since chat scrolls.
Text and WhatsApp messages
For friend groups. Short enough to read on a lock screen.
Family group chat messages
Families need two extra lines: who is included and what to do about kids.
Classroom notes to families
Send home or post in your class app. Keep the amount low and say clearly that taking part is optional.
Frequently asked questions
What should a Secret Santa invitation say?
It should state the budget, the swap date and place, the sign-up deadline, how to join and who is organizing. Put those facts in the first three lines.
How do I invite people to Secret Santa?
Send one message with one link, on a weekday morning, and give about a week to join. Email, Slack, WhatsApp and a family chat all work.
How do I write a Secret Santa invitation for work?
Keep it short, say participation is optional, give the spending limit, the date and a deadline, and ask for work appropriate gifts.
What is a good deadline to join?
About one week after you send the invite, then draw the names a day or two after that so there are at least two to three weeks to shop.
Should I say the budget in the invite?
Yes. It is the first thing people ask, and stating it avoids a flood of replies.
Try it now
A draw takes about a minute. No signup, no email, a private link for everyone.
Create your group, free- Couples & exclusions
- Wishlists & anonymous questions
- Deletes itself in 60 days
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