Secret Santa Wish List: What to Put on It + Free Template

A useful Secret Santa wish list includes several gift ideas, a mix of price points within the group budget, and only the details that help someone choose. Add sizes when a gift depends on fit, links when they clarify the item, and a short list of genuine no-go items. Give enough options to preserve the surprise. Your Secret Santa should understand your taste without being handed a one-item shopping order.

What to put on a Secret Santa wish list

Start with information that changes the choice.

• Hobbies you currently enjoy.
• Gift categories you would actually use.
• Several ideas within the agreed budget.
• Colors, materials, or styles you like.
• A size when clothing or footwear is on the list.
• A model or format when compatibility matters.
• Food preferences that apply to possible gifts.
• A few things you would rather not receive.
• Optional links for examples.

Specific beats vague. “A compact insulated tumbler that fits a car cup holder” gives your Secret Santa something to work with. “Something practical” does not. A prompt such as “a strategy card game for two to four players” stays open without being unclear.

How many ideas should you include?

There is no official number. As an editorial rule of thumb, five to eight possibilities create range without turning the list into a registry. This preserves flexibility rather than establishing a universal standard.

You can list fewer items when each represents a category. “Coffee beans from a local roaster” offers many choices. With a longer list, label the entries as inspiration and welcome similar products.

Can you include links?

Yes. Links help when the edition, model, size, color, or compatibility could be misunderstood. Link to an exact item when a specification matters, or share several examples, a retailer category, or a useful search.

A note such as “this or something like it” keeps the link flexible. Check that it opens without exposing a saved address, private account, shopping list, or unavailable regional page.

Should you add clothing sizes?

Add a clothing or shoe size only when you are suggesting something that requires one. If you link to a specific brand, use that brand’s sizing guide rather than assuming every label fits the same way.

You do not need body measurements or an explanation. If sharing a size feels uncomfortable, suggest another category. For other items, a phone model, notebook size, or cable type may matter more.

Likes, preferences, and no-go items

Share preferences that help someone narrow the choice. Favorite colors, a hobby you practice, the kinds of books you read, or the coffee and tea you drink all give the buyer direction.

Keep lighter preferences flexible. “I lean toward neutral colors” and “I enjoy baking” still leave many possible gifts.

A no-go list should prevent real mistakes. You can mention a scent you dislike, a category you never use, an ingredient you do not want, or any kind of joke or message you would rather avoid. There is no need to include a medical diagnosis. State the practical limit without sharing the reason.

Do not put a home address, phone number, or private health information in a file available to the entire group.

How to keep the gift a surprise

Name categories instead of one required product, mix exact ideas with broader prompts, explain which feature matters, vary the price and welcome equivalent products.

For example, “a hardcover sketchbook with blank pages, around this size” communicates the important details while leaving the brand, cover, and store up to the buyer.

Free Secret Santa wish list template

Short version

Name:
Group budget:
A few things I enjoy:
Gift ideas:
Colors or styles I like:
Size, only if useful:
Things I would rather skip:
Optional links:
Surprise level: open to anything / stay within these categories / stay close to the examples

Detailed version

Name:
Exchange: workplace / friends / family
Agreed budget:

Things I actually like
Hobbies I currently spend time on:
Books, games, music, or topics I enjoy:
Drinks, snacks, or flavors I like:
Everyday items I could use:

Gift directions
Idea 1:
Idea 2:
Idea 3:
Other categories that would work:

Details that matter
Colors or style:
Size, if required:
Model, format, or compatibility:
Reference links:

No-go items
Categories I do not use:
Foods or ingredients I would rather avoid:
Any kind of joke or message I would rather avoid:

Room for interpretation
A similar item is welcome: yes / depends on the idea / no
An off-list surprise is welcome: yes / within the interests above

Useful, optional, or better to skip

Making a workplace Secret Santa wish list

For a workplace exchange, keep the list easy to share and appropriate for the setting. Desk items, books, simple hobbies, snacks, coffee, tea, and low-key personal interests can provide enough direction.

Sizes are optional. Home addresses should be handled separately and only when shipping requires them. They should not appear in a sheet visible to the entire office. If the organizer wants the same set of information from every coworker, the existing Secret Santa questionnaire for coworkers is the better format.

If a recipient provides no list, use the guide to Secret Santa gifts for someone you do not know well to choose from low-risk criteria.

How to share your wish list

A direct message, shared note, or group-approved form is usually enough. Keep access limited to the people involved in the exchange.

An organizer can collect all lists and send each one to the correct giver after the assignments are final. The wish list should not reveal who drew whom. The guide to drawing Secret Santa names online covers the assignment process. The wish list comes afterward and helps the buyer understand the recipient.

Once you know who you are shopping for, the Secret Santa Gift Finder can narrow gift options using the relationship, budget, and preferred gift style.

Secret Santa wish list vs questionnaire: what’s the difference?

A Secret Santa questionnaire is created by the organizer to collect a consistent set of information from every participant. The organizer chooses the questions, controls the format, and decides how the answers are shared. A Secret Santa wish list is created by the participant to show the gifts, categories, and preferences they would personally enjoy. The two can work together. A questionnaire might include a space for each person to paste a wish list. They still answer different questions: the questionnaire determines what the group should collect, while the wish list explains what one recipient would like.

Frequently asked questions

How many ideas should you put on a Secret Santa wish list?

Five to eight possibilities are a practical editorial starting point, not a rule. Fewer can work when each idea represents a broad category. More can work when you make it clear that the entries are examples.

Can you include links?

Yes. Links are especially helpful for editions, sizes, formats, and compatibility. Say whether the link is an exact request or an example of the general style.

Should you add clothing sizes?

Only when clothing or another size-dependent gift appears on the list. Use the linked brand’s size guide when possible, and leave out unrelated measurements.

How do you keep the gift a surprise?

Offer several categories and examples, then allow similar products. Identify the features that matter without choosing every detail.

Is it okay to include things you do not want?

Yes. A short no-go section can prevent an unusable or uncomfortable gift. Focus on meaningful limits rather than listing every item you dislike.

Is making a Secret Santa wish list rude?

No. A flexible list helps the buyer and can reduce waste. It becomes demanding only when it requires one exact purchase or rejects any reasonable alternative.