Free printable Secret Santa questionnaire

What does the questionnaire ask?

Both versions fit on one page with room to write, and neither asks for anything private. The office version swaps sizes and scents for desk and drink questions, so nobody has to share more than they would over coffee.

Family and friends version

Office version

The last question is the one that matters most. One line about allergies or a scent someone cannot stand saves more gifts than the other nine together.

Can you pick your own questions?

Start from a ready set, tick the questions your group needs and drop the rest. You can add a few of your own, and they print just like ours.

Print the sheet, copy it as one chat message or copy a link that opens the same list again. The host's guide shows when to send it.

How do you use it with your group?

The sheet is one step of the round. The rest, from the invite to reveal day, is in how to organize a Secret Santa.

If people would rather type than write, the generator has a wish list field on every link. Ask each person to answer the same ten questions there, or paste a shortlist from our Secret Santa gift finder. Their giver sees it with the match.

Which version do you use at work?

Use the office version. It skips sizes, scents and anything that hints at someone's home life, and it adds the questions that make desk gifts easy. It asks what they drink at work, what they would use on their desk and what they are cutting back on.

Running the whole thing at work? Our office Secret Santa guide covers the rules, the budget line, big-team draws and remote colleagues.

Sent as one message, the questions work for a remote team or a family group chat. Ask everyone to reply to the organizer in private, keep the replies to yourself and forward each one only to the person who drew that name.

How do you turn the answers into a gift?

Read the sheet for one clear lead, not ten. A favorite drink becomes a good tea, a bag of coffee or a mug that suits them. A hobby becomes a book, a small tool or a treat for the next session. "Something you could always use more of" is often the easiest answer of all.

Then check the "avoid" line one more time and shop inside the limit. Our Secret Santa gift ideas by budget are sorted by price band, and the small Secret Santa gifts list covers the lower limits. Not sure what tends to go wrong? Read Secret Santa gifts to avoid first.

What should you ask your Secret Santa?

Sometimes there is no sheet, and you still need to know one thing about the person you drew. Ask without giving yourself away.

• Go through the organizer. They know every match and can pass on one question and one answer. "Someone wants to know: coffee or tea?" gives nothing away.
• Ask the whole group at once. Post the three questions that matter most in the group chat and ask everyone to answer: what they drink, something they could always use more of, and anything to avoid. Your person answers along with everyone else, and nobody can tell who was asking.
• Use the generator's own hints. Every link from our Secret Santa generator has a wish list field. Ask the organizer to remind the group to fill it in, and the answers reach each giver with the match.
• Ask a friend of theirs one small question. Dog or cat, sweet or salty, desk or kitchen. One answer is enough to pick a lane, and a friend will not read anything into it.
• Keep it light and specific. Skip sizes, scents and anything that would feel odd coming from a stranger. The "please avoid" answer is the one worth chasing.

Three good questions for a short chat: Is there anything you never want as a gift? What do you drink most days? What is one small thing you keep meaning to buy for yourself?

What else do people ask about the questionnaire?

Do I need to sign up or give an email address?

No. Open the PDF, print it, done. The questions stay the same in every file.

Which paper size do I print?

US Letter in the United States and Canada, A4 in the UK, Europe and most other countries. Print at 100% or Actual size on plain paper.

Can I use it for a gift exchange that isn't called Secret Santa?

Yes. Nothing on the sheet depends on the name of the game. It works for a white elephant round, a holiday gift swap or a birthday club too. For a louder swap, see our white elephant rules.

Can kids fill it in?

Yes, the family version works for children old enough to write, and a parent can fill it in for the little ones. Keep the sizes line for the parent.

Can I edit the questions?