How Hat Trick works
Hat Trick draws names for a gift exchange and keeps the result secret, even from the person running it. Here’s how it works for everyone involved, and what to do when something doesn’t go to plan.
If you’re organizing
1. Start a group
A group is the people you exchange gifts with year after year: your family, your friends, the office. From your dashboard, choose Start a group and give it a name. You can run as many events in a group as you like, and everyone in it can belong to other groups too.
2. Invite your people
On the group’s Members page, add each person’s name and email. They’ll get an email with a link to join. Tick Organizer for anyone who should help you: organizers can invite people and run events too.
Partners never draw each other. Once people have joined, they can name their partner on their dashboard, and the partner is asked to confirm. A partner only appears in the list once they’ve joined the group, so invite them first.
3. Create an event and draw names
Under Manage events, create an event with a date, a spend limit and a message for everyone, and choose who’s taking part. Then:
- Draw names. Hat Trick pairs everyone up. Nobody, including you, can see who drew whom. Partners never draw each other, and nobody gets the same person as at the group’s last event.
- Seal the draw. Sealing makes it final, so it can’t be shuffled again.
- Send matches. Everyone gets an email that their match is ready. The email never contains a name.
You can seal and send in one step, or seal now and send later. Your dashboard shows each event’s next step, so you can pick up where you left off.
Next year
On Manage events, choose Reuse on last year’s event. It fills in next year’s name and date, the same spend limit and message, and everyone who’s still in the group. Check it over, then create the event. Nobody repeats last year’s match.
Someone joins or drops out after the draw
Use Add or remove people on the event. Hat Trick changes as few matches as it can, usually just one, and only the people whose match changed are emailed. You still won’t see who.
When the event is over
An event ends by itself the day after its date. Wish lists, messages and the board stay readable but can’t be changed. Hat Trick remembers this year’s matches so nobody repeats them next time. You can reopen an event if you need to.
If you’re taking part
Finding your match
When names are drawn, you’ll get an email with a Reveal my match button. It signs you in and takes you to the event, where your match is a card lying face down. Turn it over when nobody’s looking over your shoulder. Please don’t forward that email: the button signs you in.
Your wish list
Add a few ideas to your wish list on the event page, with links if you like. Only you and the person who drew you can see it. The event page shows who has started a list, but never what’s on it.
Your Secret Giver
Whoever drew your name is your Secret Giver. They can message you from the event page to ask a question or drop a hint, and you can reply, but you’ll only ever see “Your Secret Giver.” In the same way, you can message the person you drew without them knowing it’s you.
New messages are marked on your dashboard and on the event page, and you’ll get an email unless you’ve turned those off in Settings.
The board
Every event has a bulletin board for the whole group: dinner plans, who’s bringing what, a reminder about the spend limit. Posts there aren’t anonymous.
Common questions
I can’t find my email, or the link has expired
Ask your organizer to resend it from the event’s Participants list. Or go to the log-in page and choose Email me a sign-in link; once you’re signed in, your match is on the event page.
Can the organizer see who drew whom?
Not unless they deliberately open the pairings, which is tucked away under Something not right? for fixing problems. Organizers are trusted to look only if they have to.
I drew my partner, or someone I had last year
That shouldn’t happen if partners are set in Hat Trick before the draw. If it did, ask your organizer to add or remove people, or start the draw over, from the event page.
Is it free?
Yes, for a group with events of up to 8 people. Everyone you invite is always free. For bigger events or more groups, the organizer can buy Hat Trick Pro: one payment for a year, which never renews by itself. See our refund policy.
Kids and teens
Accounts are for ages 13 and up (or older where local law says so). Younger children can take part through a parent.
Still stuck?
Write to support@hat-trick.app and a real person will get back to you.