Frequently asked questions about Happy Giftlist

Happy Giftlist is a free tool for creating wishlists for any occasion, such as birthdays, weddings and holidays, and for organizing Secret Santa events.

Yes, it's completely free, and it will stay that way.

Click on “Create wishlist” in the top menu. After signing up, you can add a title, a description and your gifts.

Click on “Draw names” in the menu. Enter a title, a description and a budget, then add the names of all participants (an email address is optional). When you confirm, everyone with an email address gets a private link by email that shows who they drew. You send the others their private link by WhatsApp or any other way.

No. Create a free account, name your list or draw, then add gifts or participants. No manual needed.

Yes. Happy Giftlist is available as an app for iPhone (App Store) and Android (Google Play). You'll find the download links at the bottom of every page and on the Tools page. The website itself is fully mobile-friendly too, so you can also just use your browser.

Yes. Under Tools you'll find Secret Santa printables (a wish list card, name slips and gift tags in one PDF) and an online die with a timer for the dice gift exchange. Both are free, and you don't need an account.

No, you can create as many wishlists as you like.

Yes, you can edit your wishlist while logged in. Just click the pencil icon at the top of your wishlist page.

Yes, you can delete a wishlist by clicking the trash icon at the top of your wishlist page while logged in.

Share your wishlist by copying the link, sharing a code that others can look up on Happy Giftlist, or downloading a QR code. Social media sharing buttons are also available.

Wishlists are public by default: anyone with the link or code can open them, and people who search for your email address on Happy Giftlist can find them. If you make a wishlist private (check “Private” when you create or edit it), it no longer shows up in that search; only people you share the link or code with can open it.

Secret Santa is a fun, anonymous gift exchange where each participant is randomly assigned someone to buy a gift for.

Click on “Draw names” in the menu. Enter a title, a description and a budget, then add the participants' names, with an email address if you have one. Happy Giftlist then gives everyone a random person to buy a gift for.

Yes, you can set exclusions to make sure certain people aren't assigned to each other.

Yes. Open the menu at the top of the settings page and choose “Redraw all names”. The same group draws again and everyone gets a different name where possible. Personal links stay the same, and anyone with an email address whose name changed gets an email. Smaller mistakes don't need a full redraw. Forgot an exclusion? Use “Edit exclusions” below the list of people. Only someone whose match is now excluded gets a new name, and often nobody does. To add or remove one person, use “Add someone” or “Remove”.

Yes. If you already have a wishlist, you can link it to your Secret Santa, so you don't have to add your gifts twice. Just select your wishlist when setting it up.

No, there's no way to message each other. If the person you drew has an email address and hasn't added any gifts yet, you can send them an email reminder from your draw page while you're signed in. The organizer can also send reminders from the settings page.

A draw needs at least 3 people and can have up to 100.

Yes. Only the names are required; an email address is optional. People with an address get their private link by email. For the others, you get each person's private link after the draw and send it by WhatsApp or copy it. Through that link they see who they drew and that person's wishes, and add their own wishes, all without an account.

Yes. Click “New draw with this group” on last year's draw. A new draw opens with the same people, budget and exclusions, with “Nobody draws the same person as last time” already checked, and nothing is sent until you confirm it.

Yes. When you create a draw, choose “Everyone joins with a link”. Share the link in the group chat, and people add their own name and email and can add wishes right away. Once everyone's in, click “Draw now” and each person gets an email with who they drew. Handy for offices, classes and clubs.

After creating a wishlist, you can add a gift by typing its name or by pasting a product link. With a link, Happy Giftlist fetches the name, price and image automatically. You can also add a contribution or a gift card instead of a product.

There's no limit. Add as many as you like.

When someone reserves a gift on your list, it's marked so nobody else picks the same one. Keep in mind that reserving isn't the same as buying: the person who reserved it is responsible for buying and delivering it.

No, Happy Giftlist doesn't track purchases or deliveries. The person who reserved the gift is responsible for buying and delivering it.

Yes, just click the pencil icon next to any gift on your wishlist to edit it.

Happy Giftlist does not process payments directly. For regular gifts, clicking “View” takes visitors to the store where the item is listed. For contribution gifts, contributors transfer money directly to you using the payment details you've set up in your account settings.

A contribution gift lets people put money toward a specific goal, such as a trip, a larger purchase or any item you'd like help funding. You set a target amount and currency, and link one of your payment methods. When a visitor wants to contribute, they enter their email address and the amount they'd like to give. They'll receive a confirmation email with your payment details so they can transfer the money directly to you. You can track all contributions from your wishlist.

Go to Settings in your account and scroll to the Payment methods section. You can add up to 5 payment methods, such as a bank account number, IBAN, PayPal email or any other transfer method. Each method has a label (for example “Bank transfer”) and the details contributors need to pay you. When creating a contribution gift, select which payment method to display. You can edit or remove payment methods at any time from Settings.

Yes. Go to your account, click Settings and scroll to the bottom of the page. There you'll find the option to permanently delete your account.

Yes, you can update your name or email in your account under Settings.

No, that option isn't available. You can only permanently delete your account or simply stop using it.

Yes, you can change your password under Settings in your account.

Click on “Forgot your password?” on the login page and follow the steps to reset it.

Yes. Any payment information you add, such as bank details or a PayPal address, is encrypted before it's stored in our database. It is never saved as plain text. Your details are only decrypted when shown to someone viewing your wishlist. You can manage, edit or delete your payment methods at any time in Settings.

No, anyone with access to your wishlist can reserve gifts.

Yes. Mark your wishlist as private and it won't show up when someone searches for your email address; only people you share the link or code with can open it.

Once you confirm the deletion, it's permanent and can't be undone, so make sure you really want to delete it before you go ahead.

We follow the GDPR, the CCPA and the other privacy laws that apply to us. Our privacy policy explains what we collect and how we protect it.

No. Wishlists are hidden from search engines, so only people with your link or code can open your list. If your list isn't set to private, people who search for your email address on Happy Giftlist can also find it.

You'll receive an email notification when someone you follow adds new gifts to their wishlist. As a wishlist owner, you can also turn on “Tell me who reserves gifts” when you create or edit a wishlist. You'll then get an email for every reservation or contribution, saying who it's from and what they picked. In the iPhone and Android apps you also get a short push notification without those details. This option is off by default.

Yes, you can turn off notifications at any time. For follower updates, every email has an unsubscribe link at the bottom. Click it and you won't receive these updates anymore. To turn them back on, go to your account settings and re-enable email notifications. To stop reservation and contribution emails for a wishlist, go to that wishlist's edit page and turn off “Tell me who reserves gifts”.

Now and then we send tips and reminders, for example before the holidays. Everyone who creates an account gets them, whether you sign up with email, Google, Facebook or Apple. You can unsubscribe with the link in any of these emails, or turn them off under Settings in your account.

Use the contact form on our website; we reply by email.

We reply within 1 to 2 business days.