Secret Santa without email
Plenty of families don't want to hand out email addresses, and plenty of grandparents don't check theirs. Here is how to run a gift exchange with no email at all, and why Hollyhush doesn't ask for one.
What replaces the email
Instead of mailing each person their result, Hollyhush gives the organiser one private link per person. The link works like a key: it is 34 random characters, unguessable, and it opens a page that shows only that person's giftee.
The organiser delivers the links the way people already talk: WhatsApp, iMessage, SMS, Signal, or by showing it on their phone to someone sitting beside them.
The no-email options, compared
- Names in a hat: private and free, but only works in person and needs someone to hold the paper.
- Group chat draw: someone has to know the result. That person can't play.
- Email-based generators: convenient, but everyone shares an address and gets marketing or reminder emails.
- Link-based draw (Hollyhush): nothing to install, no addresses, and the organiser can still play because they can't see who drew whom.
What we store
The names you typed, the exclusions, wishlists, and anonymous questions. No emails, no phone numbers, no account IDs, no tracking cookies. The draw is deleted 60 days after the exchange date, or sooner if you delete it.
What if someone loses their link?
The organiser still has it. They can copy the link or resend the message from the dashboard. If an unwanted person opened it first, "Reset device lock" lets the right person claim it again.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do a Secret Santa without anyone entering an email?
Yes. That is Hollyhush's default. Nobody enters anything except the organiser, who types the names.
How do people get their result?
The organiser sends each person their private link by any messaging app.
Is the draw still secret from the organiser?
Yes, unless they tick "show me everything".
Do you send any emails?
Never. Hollyhush has no way to: it never collects an address.