Gift Exchange guide: rules, how to play and tips
What is it?
A gift exchange, also called Secret Santa or white elephant’s quieter cousin, is a simple, cheerful way to organize presents with family, coworkers or a group of friends. Instead of everyone buying something for everyone, each person prepares a single gift for one other person, in secret, until the day of the exchange. WePlay offers a free gift exchange in your phone’s browser: there is no app to install, no account to create and no email or phone number to give. The host opens the page, types an optional budget (for example $20 or 300 pesos), a date and a short note, and shares the WhatsApp link, the QR code or the four-letter code. Each guest joins on their own phone, enters their name and, if they want, a list of ideas. When everyone is ready, the host taps Draw names. The drawing is random and nobody is assigned themselves. Each person privately sees only who they are giving a gift to and the ideas that person wrote. Even the host cannot see the other matches. The result is stored on the server for about 60 days, so you can close the page and open your link later.
Setup
- Decide who will organize: that person is the host, creates the table and taps the drawing when the group is complete.
- Agree, if you want, on a budget and a date. On WePlay both fields are plain text: you can write “$20”, “up to 300 pesos” or “something homemade”. It is only a guide for the group, not a payment or a purchase on the site.
- The host opens weplay.zone, goes to Gift Exchange and taps Start a gift exchange. They type their name and, if they want, their own gift ideas, the budget, the date and a note (for example, “we meet on the 24th at Grandma’s”).
- Share the link on WhatsApp, show the QR code or read out the four-letter code. Anyone far away or on cell data joins the same way, from their phone.
- Each guest types the name the group will recognize and may leave gift ideas. Nobody else sees those ideas until after the drawing, when only the person assigned to give them a gift can read them.
Rules
- You need at least two people. The drawing assigns each participant a different person: it is a full circle, nobody is left out and nobody gets themselves.
- The host can mark pairs who should not get each other, for example two spouses or two people who are already exchanging a separate gift. If those exclusions make a valid drawing impossible, the site says so and you can remove a pair and try again.
- When the names are drawn, the table closes: no one else can join and participants cannot be removed.
- Each person sees only their own assignment and that person’s idea list. The host does not get a full list of matches.
- The budget, date and note are reminders visible to everyone. WePlay does not charge, sell gifts or handle money: the budget is only text the group typed.
- The table is kept for about 60 days. After that it is deleted. If you switch phones, copy your private link first so you can still see who you got.
How to play on WePlay
- Open the guide and tap the button to organize or join. Nothing to install and no sign-up.
- If you are organizing, fill in your name and the optional details, create the table and share the link, the QR or the code.
- If you were invited, type your name and ideas, enter the code or open the link, and wait for the host to draw.
- When the drawing is ready, tap to see who you got. A short animation plays on the green table, then the name and ideas appear only on your screen.
- You can update your ideas even after the drawing, in case your giver reloads the page and wants a clearer hint.
- The ES/EN button switches the language at any time.
Tips and strategy
- Use the name the group knows you by, so there is no confusion on the day of the exchange.
- A short, concrete wish list helps more than a very long one: two or three options, a size or color if it matters, and something that is not too hard to find.
- If couples or siblings should not get each other, mark that before the drawing, not after.
- Wait until the whole group is in before you draw. Once it is done, you cannot redo the same drawing or add someone who arrived late.
- Send the WhatsApp link to the family or office group; everyone joins quietly and the secret holds because nobody sees anyone else’s screen.
- On the day of the exchange, you can play other WePlay games at the same gathering — lotería, cubilete, basta or four in a row — while the gifts are given.
FAQ about Gift Exchange
Is this the same as Secret Santa or amigo secreto?
Yes. In many countries it is called Secret Santa, amigo secreto or amigo invisible. On WePlay we call it a gift exchange, and it works the same way: a secret drawing in which each person prepares a gift for one other person.
Is it free?
Yes. It is free, with no sign-up and no download. There are no purchases on the page.
Does WePlay charge the budget or sell the gifts?
No. The budget is only text the host types to guide the group, for example “$20” or “300 pesos”. Nobody pays on the site and no real money is involved.
Can the host see who everyone got?
No. The drawing happens on the server and each phone shows only its own match. The host takes part like everyone else and only sees who they were assigned.
What if I reload the page or close my phone?
Your place is saved. Open the same link again on the same phone and you will see who you got, along with their ideas.
Can I stop two people from getting each other?
Yes. The host can add pairs who should not get each other, for example a couple. If a drawing is not possible with those rules, the site tells you so you can adjust the exclusions.
How many people can join?
From 2 to 40 people. It works well for a family, a classroom or a group of friends.
How long is the table kept?
About 60 days from the day it is created. After that it is deleted on its own.