Secret Santa Questionnaire Builder for Office and Remote Teams
Build a Secret Santa questionnaire for your office, remote or hybrid team from 128 work-safe questions. Choose the team setting, the length and the categories, add your own details, then copy the result into an email or chat, or print it. Nothing you type leaves this page.
How the builder works
The builder holds 128 questions written by hand for a workplace gift exchange. Of these, 108 suit any team, 10 are for in-office teams only and 10 are for remote teams only. In-office adds the office questions, Remote adds the remote questions, and Hybrid keeps to the 108 that work for everyone, wherever they sit.
Pick 8, 12 or 20 questions. The builder spreads them evenly across the categories you tick and never asks the same thing twice, so a quick pick about coffee or tea will not appear next to the longer coffee and tea question. If the Practical guidance category is ticked, the question about anything a person would rather not receive is always included.
- Shuffle questions draws a new selection with the same settings.
- Swap replaces one question and leaves the others alone.
- Copy as plain text puts the whole questionnaire on your clipboard, ready to paste into an email, a chat message or a document. If you already use an online secret santa form, paste the questions into it one by one.
- Print prints the questionnaire on its own, with a name line and an answer line under each question.
The organizer details are optional. The spending limit, the reply-by date and the name of the person collecting replies appear in the opening lines exactly as you type them.
Worked example
Select “Load the example”. The builder sets a hybrid team, the standard length of 12 and all eight categories, fills in a sample team name, reply-by date and contact, and shows a fixed starter questionnaire. It is the same every time. The spending limit is left blank for you to add your own. Copied as plain text, it reads:
Secret Santa questionnaire: Customer Support team Thanks for joining the Secret Santa. Your answers help the person who draws your name choose something you will enjoy. Answer as many questions as you like and leave blank any you would rather skip. Please return this to Dana in People Ops by November 20. Your name: ________________________ 1. What is your favorite way to spend a free afternoon? ________________________ 2. What hobby do you spend the most time on at the moment? ________________________ 3. What item on your desk do you use the most? ________________________ 4. Are you a coffee person, a tea person, both or neither? ________________________ 5. Do you prefer sweet snacks or salty snacks? ________________________ 6. What are your favorite colors? ________________________ 7. What kinds of books do you enjoy most? ________________________ 8. What kind of board game or card game do you enjoy? ________________________ 9. Something to use up or something to keep? ________________________ 10. Is there anything you already have plenty of? ________________________ 11. Is there anything you would rather not receive? ________________________ 12. Is there anything else your gift giver should know? ________________________ Thank you. Please keep the name you draw to yourself until the gifts are opened.
Replace the sample details with your own, then select “Shuffle questions” for a different set or “Swap” to change a single question.
How to run a Secret Santa questionnaire for work
A questionnaire gives every gift giver the same amount of help. People who have worked together for years and people who joined last month all start from a page of answers, which makes the exchange fairer and the gifts more likely to be used.
- Invite people to take part and confirm who is in before you draw names.
- Agree the spending limit and the date of the exchange, and put both in the invitation.
- Send the questionnaire with a reply-by date and the name of the person collecting replies.
- Draw names, then pass each completed questionnaire to the person who drew that name.
- Send one reminder to anyone who has not replied, and offer a short call or chat for people who prefer not to write.
When to send it
Send the questionnaire as soon as the list of participants is settled, either before the names are drawn or with the draw. Allow about a week for replies and at least two weeks after that for shopping. Add more time if gifts will be mailed, and check the dates against team leave and busy periods so nobody has to shop in a rush.
How many questions to use
Short questionnaires get more replies. Use 8 questions for a small team that already knows each other, 12 for most teams and 20 for a large or newly formed group. Whatever the length, tell people they can skip any question. A page with eight thoughtful answers is more useful than twenty questions answered in a hurry.
Keeping it inclusive and optional
Taking part should be optional, and some teams prefer a different name for the exchange, such as a gift swap or a winter gift exchange. Ask people to opt in, and make it easy to say no without giving a reason. Keep the spending limit low enough that nobody feels pressure, and say that the limit is a ceiling.
Keep the questions to tastes and interests. Nothing on this page asks about clothing sizes, health, family or personal finances, and the practical questions let each person say in their own words what they would rather not receive. Answers should go only to the organizer and the person who drew that name.
How remote teams handle it
Remote and hybrid teams usually send the questionnaire by email or chat and open gifts together on a video call. Choose the Remote setting to add questions about mailed and digital gifts. Do not put delivery addresses on the questionnaire. Collect them separately, share each one only with the person who needs it, and offer an option that needs no address, such as a gift delivered by email or one sent to a shared office for pickup.
If the employer pays for the gifts
This point applies only to gifts the employer pays for, not to gifts colleagues buy for each other. The IRS page on de minimis fringe benefits, which sits in its section for federal, state and local governments (checked in 2026), lists holiday gifts among its examples of benefits that can be de minimis when they are small in value and occasional. The same page says that cash cannot be a de minimis benefit, and that gift certificates redeemable for general merchandise or with a cash equivalent value are not de minimis and are taxable. This is general information and not tax advice, so check with your payroll team or a tax advisor before the employer funds any gifts.
128 Secret Santa questions by category
The full question bank, in plain lists you can read, copy or print. The builder above draws from these same lists. Questions marked in-office or remote are used only for that team setting.
Favorites and tastes
Open questions about what a person enjoys. One or two of these give a gift giver the most to work with.
- What is your favorite way to spend a free afternoon?
- What is your favorite season, and what do you like most about it?
- What kind of music do you put on when you want to relax?
- What type of movie or show do you pick when it is your turn to choose?
- What is a small everyday thing that always brightens your day?
- What is your favorite kind of weather for a day off?
- What is your favorite type of place to visit: a city, a beach, the mountains or the countryside?
- What is something you have enjoyed so much that you would happily receive it again?
- What kind of podcast or radio show do you listen to most?
- What is your favorite flower, tree or plant?
- What subject could you happily talk about for an hour?
- What is your favorite kind of local shop to browse, such as a bookstore, a bakery or a craft shop?
- What kind of place near the office do you like most for a lunch break?
- What is your favorite kind of virtual team activity, such as a quiz, a show-and-tell or a team challenge?
Hobbies and free time
Hobbies point to supplies, tools and small extras that people use up and are glad to get more of.
- What hobby do you spend the most time on at the moment?
- Is there a hobby you would like to try but have not started yet?
- What supplies for your hobby do you always run out of?
- Do you enjoy making things by hand? If so, what do you make?
- What do you like to do outside when the weather is good?
- Is there a sport, game or contest you enjoy following?
- Do you cook or bake for fun? What do you like to make?
- Do you enjoy growing plants, herbs or flowers?
- What do you like to do on a quiet weekend morning?
- Is there a skill you are learning just for fun right now?
- Do you collect anything, or did you use to?
- What kind of class or workshop would you sign up for if it were offered tomorrow?
- Do you play a musical instrument, or would you like to learn one?
- Do you enjoy photography, drawing or another creative pastime?
- What do you like to do on a break at the office?
- What do you like to do during a break in a remote workday?
Desk and workday
Useful for colleagues who know each other mainly through work. The answers lead to gifts that get used every day.
- What item on your desk do you use the most?
- Do you prefer writing notes by hand or typing them?
- What kind of pen or pencil do you like to write with?
- Do you use a paper planner, a notebook, sticky notes or none of these?
- What small thing would make your workspace more enjoyable?
- Do you like a tidy, minimal workspace or one with a few fun things on it?
- Do you listen to anything while you work? If so, what?
- Would a small desk plant be welcome, or would you rather not have one to look after?
- What do you usually drink from during the workday: a mug, a tumbler or a water bottle?
- Is there a desk gadget or accessory you have had your eye on?
- Do you like a desk calendar, a wall calendar or a digital one only?
- What is the most useful work-related gift you have ever received?
- Is there anything you wish you kept at your desk in the office but never remember to bring in?
- What would you add to your desk in the office if you had a little more room?
- What do you like to have on your desk during a long video call, such as a notebook, a hot drink or a desk toy?
- Which small desk item would help most on remote workdays: a cable organizer, a desk lamp, a notebook stand or something else?
Snacks and treats
Edible gifts are popular in a workplace exchange. These questions ask what a person likes and leave it to them to say what to avoid.
- Are you a coffee person, a tea person, both or neither?
- Do you prefer sweet snacks or salty snacks?
- What is your favorite kind of chocolate: milk, dark, white or none?
- How do you take your coffee or tea?
- What is your favorite kind of candy?
- What snack do you reach for in the middle of the afternoon?
- What is your favorite kind of cookie, cake or pastry?
- Is there a flavor you love in almost anything, such as lemon, caramel or cinnamon?
- Do you like spicy snacks: not at all, a little or the hotter the better?
- What is your favorite kind of fruit?
- Would you rather receive a treat to eat or something to keep?
- Is there a snack from another region or country that you enjoy?
- What is your favorite hot drink on a cold day, such as hot chocolate, tea or coffee?
- What kind of crunchy snack do you like best: chips, popcorn, pretzels or crackers?
- What do you hope to find when someone brings treats into the office?
- Is there a treat that ships well that you would be happy to get in the mail?
Colors and style of objects
These are about the look of objects such as mugs, notebooks and desk items. None of them asks about clothing or personal appearance.
- What are your favorite colors?
- Are there any colors you do not care for?
- Do you prefer bright, bold colors or soft, muted ones?
- On things like notebooks and mugs, do you prefer patterns or plain designs?
- For everyday items, do you like a modern, classic or playful look?
- Do you like items with funny sayings on them, or would you rather skip those?
- Do you prefer practical gifts you will use up or keepsakes you will hold on to?
- Do you enjoy handmade items, such as pottery or woodwork?
- Do you like things personalized with your name or initials?
- Is there an animal, a shape or a motif you always like to see on things?
- Do you prefer natural materials such as wood, paper and ceramic, or sleek ones such as metal and glass?
- Would you rather have one small, well-made item or a bundle of little things?
- Do you like stickers, pins or magnets?
- What color or style would suit something you keep on your desk in the office?
- Do you like fun backgrounds or props on video calls, or do you keep things simple?
Books, games and puzzles
General questions about reading and play. The participant names any titles or authors, so the questionnaire itself stays neutral.
- What kinds of books do you enjoy most?
- What kind of board game or card game do you enjoy?
- Do you prefer printed books, ebooks or audiobooks?
- Is there an author or a series you always come back to?
- Do you enjoy jigsaw puzzles? If so, how many pieces is the right size?
- Do you like crosswords, number puzzles or word games?
- Do you prefer games you play alone or games for a group?
- Do you play video games? What kind do you like?
- Do you enjoy trivia, and which topics are your strongest?
- Is there a book on your reading list that you have not picked up yet?
- Do you like magazines? Which subjects would you choose?
- Do you use bookmarks, book lights or other reading accessories?
- Do you like small desk puzzles or brain teasers?
- Do you enjoy coloring books, sketchbooks or activity books?
- Would you join a lunchtime board game or puzzle table at the office?
- Would you enjoy a game the team could play together online?
This or that quick picks
Quick picks take seconds to answer. They work well at the end of a short questionnaire or in a chat thread.
- Something to use up or something to keep?
- Coffee or tea?
- Sweet or salty?
- Paper notebook or notes app?
- Funny gift or practical gift?
- Book or game?
- Milk chocolate or dark chocolate?
- Surprise me or stick to my answers?
- Bright colors or neutral colors?
- Puzzle or craft kit?
- Mug or tumbler?
- Handmade or store-bought?
- Pens or pencils?
- Hot drinks or cold drinks?
- Indoors or outdoors?
- For your desk in the office: a plant or a gadget?
- Delivered by mail or delivered by email?
Practical guidance for your gift giver
The questions that prevent an unwanted gift. When this category is ticked, the builder always includes the question about anything a person would rather not receive.
- Is there anything you already have plenty of?
- Is there anything you would rather not receive?
- Is there anything else your gift giver should know?
- Is there anything small you need or have been meaning to replace?
- Name three small things you would be happy to receive.
- Would you like a surprise, or would you prefer something from your own suggestions?
- Do you prefer a gift you can use at work or one for your free time?
- Is a handmade or baked gift welcome?
- Is a joke gift welcome, or would you prefer something you will use?
- Is there a type of gift you have received too many times?
- Would you enjoy an experience, such as a class or a ticket, or do you prefer something to unwrap?
- Are secondhand, vintage or regifted items welcome?
- Do you prefer one gift or a few small ones?
- What is the best small gift you have ever received, and why did you like it?
- Should your gift be left at your desk, or would you like it handed over at the exchange?
- Are there days when you are usually away from the office, so your gift giver can plan the handover?
- Would you rather receive something by mail or something digital, such as an ebook or an online class?
- Would you like to open your gift on a team video call or on your own?
Questions about running a Secret Santa questionnaire
What is a Secret Santa questionnaire?
A Secret Santa questionnaire is a short list of questions that each participant answers so the person who draws their name has ideas to work from. It usually covers favorite things, hobbies, snacks and anything the person would rather not receive. The organizer collects the answers and passes each set to the right gift giver.
What should you ask on a Secret Santa questionnaire at the office?
Ask about tastes that lead to small gifts: favorite snacks, coffee or tea, hobbies, colors, books and games, and what would be useful at a desk. Always include a question about anything the person would rather not receive. Leave out clothing sizes, health, family and money, because colleagues should not have to share those to take part.
How many questions should a Secret Santa questionnaire have?
For most teams, 8 to 12 questions is enough. Use 8 when colleagues already know each other well, 12 as the standard, and 20 when the group is large or new and gift givers need more to go on. The builder on this page offers all three lengths and draws from 128 questions.
Is there a printable Secret Santa questionnaire?
Yes. Build the questionnaire on this page and select Print. Only the questionnaire prints, with a line for the name and an answer line under each question. If you would rather send it by email or chat, select Copy as plain text and paste it into your message.
How do remote teams use a Secret Santa questionnaire?
Remote teams send the questionnaire by email or chat and allow extra time for shipping. Choose the Remote setting in the builder to add questions about mailed and digital gifts. Collect delivery details separately and privately, and share each one only with the person who needs it.
Who should see the answers to the questionnaire?
Only the organizer and the person who draws that name need to see the answers. Say this in the invitation so people know who will read what they write. Do not post completed questionnaires in a shared channel unless everyone has agreed to it.
Related tools
More from Employee Experience Magazine
Weekly newsletter
Research, news and practical ideas for people leaders, sent once a week.
Sign up for the newsletterSomething Different directory
Team experiences and outing ideas for marking a milestone together.
Browse team experiences