drawnamesHow to draw names with exclusions
Keep spouses, housemates, or repeat matches out of the hat.
Write down the exceptions first
Start with the complete list of participants. Decide which matches to avoid before drawing. Common examples are partners, housemates, or last year’s recipient. Keep the list short enough that everyone still has possible matches.
Choose one-way or both-way exclusions
“Alex can’t draw Sam” only blocks Alex giving to Sam. It still allows Sam to give to Alex. For couples, leave “Apply both ways” checked in the tool. For last year’s recipient, a one-way exclusion may be all you need.
Let the tool check the whole group
Add names, open the exclusions section, and choose the two people. Add each rule, then draw. The tool blocks self-matches automatically and finds an assignment where every participant gives and receives exactly once. You do not need an even number of people.
If no draw is possible
A person with no allowed recipient cannot draw. Another problem is several people competing for too few allowed recipients. For example, if three people can only give to the same two people, no full draw exists. Remove a rule or add participants. Repeatedly tapping draw cannot fix an impossible set of exclusions.
Share the result privately
Pass the phone for one-at-a-time reveals or make private links. Keep the organizer’s full list somewhere only the organizer can access. If you redo a draw, tell people clearly which draw counts. Links already made keep their original assignments until they expire.
Does redo remove old private links?
No. Existing links retain the old assignment for up to 60 days. Tell participants which set of links to use.