How to drop hints to whoever has your name

Secret Santa only goes wrong in two directions. Either you get something nobody could ever use, or the person buying for you spends a fortnight quietly panicking because they know nothing about you. A few well-placed hints fix both, and nobody has to break the anonymity to do it.

The trick is that a good hint is aimed at everybody rather than at one person. You do not know who drew your name, and trying to work it out is how you end up hinting hard at the one colleague who did not get you. Say the useful thing out loud in a group, early, once or twice, and let it reach whoever needs it.

Below is how to do it: the timing, the exact wording, the low-effort options that do the work for you, and the hints that cross the line from helpful into demanding.

7 ways to drop a hint that actually works

1. Hint to the group, never to one person. Drop it in the office kitchen, the group chat or the team call, where whoever drew your name is listening along with everyone else. Aiming a hint at a suspect is obvious, slightly awkward, and usually wrong.
2. Name a category, not a product. "I'm a sucker for anything with a dog on it" or "I drink far too much tea" gives your buyer a whole shelf to choose from. A specific product code turns a gift into an errand and removes the fun of it.
3. Do it early, before people have bought. Most Secret Santa shopping happens in the week after the draw. A hint dropped the day before the party is just a review of something already wrapped.
4. Tell a story instead of making a request. "I broke my favourite mug last week and I'm still upset about it" lands far better than "I want a mug". People remember stories and repeat them to each other, which is exactly how a hint travels to the right person.
5. Use the wishlist if there is one. If your organiser sent a form, fill it in properly with three cheap options rather than leaving it blank and hinting instead. This is the least effort and by far the highest hit rate.
6. React out loud to other people's stuff. "Oh, where did you get that pin badge?" in front of the team is a hint that does not sound like one, and it tells your buyer exactly what shop to look in.
7. Hint at what you don't want, gently. "I'm the world's worst at candles, I never light them" quietly rules out a whole aisle without naming anyone or sounding ungrateful.

Hint wording you can copy

• "If anyone's stuck for Secret Santa, I'd be happy with literally anything funny."
• "I'm easy - sweets, a daft pin badge or a rude card and I'm sorted."
• "Fair warning to whoever has me: I will absolutely use a novelty coaster."
• "My only rule is nothing scented, I'm hopeless with candles."
• "Genuinely, the funnier and cheaper the better. I don't want anyone spending the full tenner on me."
• "I've been meaning to buy myself a decent notebook for about two years and never have."
• "Anything for my desk. It's very beige in here."

When to drop each hint

• Day of the draw: fill in the wishlist form if there is one. This is your best shot.
• First two days after: one casual group-chat line about what you like.
• That first week: the story hint, said once in person, while people are still shopping.
• Week two: nothing new. Most gifts are bought by now and more hints look like pressure.
• The day before: no hints at all. Just be nice about whatever turns up.

Hints that go too far

• Sending a link. It reads as an invoice, not a hint.
• Naming an exact item that costs more than the budget.
• Repeating the same hint until somebody acknowledges it.
• Hinting directly at the person you suspect, especially if they are junior to you.
• Comparing hints with other people to narrow down who has who.
• Complaining about last year's gift as a hint. Everyone can hear what that is.

If you're the one who drew a name and got no hints

• Ask the group a general question: "what's everyone hoping for this year?" and let people answer for themselves.
• Ask a third party who knows them, not the person directly.
• Look at their desk, their mug, their laptop stickers. It is all a wishlist if you squint.
• When in doubt, go funny and consumable: chocolate, a pin badge, a card that makes them laugh.
• Always add a card. It is the difference between a gift and an object on a desk.

Shop funny gifts

Pin badges

Cheap, funny and easy to wrap.

How to write it so it lands

• Hint to the group, never to one person.
• Name a category, not a product.
• Hint in the first few days, then stop.
• Fill in the wishlist form if there is one.
• Never send a link.

Where to shop next

• Secret Santa gift ideas
• Secret Santa rules explained
• Secret Santa name picker
• Secret Santa gifts under £10
• Funny office Secret Santa gifts
• Funny gifts
• Pin badges
• All guides
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas

Frequently asked questions

How do you hint at what you want for Secret Santa?

Say it to the whole group rather than one person, name a category rather than a product, and do it in the first few days after the draw while people are still shopping.

Is it rude to drop hints for Secret Santa?

No, as long as the hint helps rather than instructs. A category, a preference or a thing you would never buy yourself is helpful. A link, a price tag or a repeated request is not.

Should I try to work out who has my name?

Better not to. Guessing usually goes wrong, it makes the person who did draw you uncomfortable, and half the fun of Secret Santa is not knowing until the unwrapping.

What if we have a wishlist form?

Use it, and put three cheap, different options on it. A filled-in list is the most effective hint there is and it saves your buyer a week of guessing.

What if I get something I don't like?

Say thank you properly on the day, and regift or donate quietly in January. Nobody remembers the gift; everyone remembers the reaction.

When is it too late to hint?

About a week after the draw. Most people buy quickly, so anything later reads as pressure rather than help.