Secret Santa Questions: 20 Ways to Nail the Perfect Gift
20 Secret Santa questions to help you buy a gift they will love, plus an easier way to collect the answers without emailing a survey around.
The fastest way to buy a Secret Santa gift someone loves is to ask a few smart questions first. You do not need a long survey, just the right handful covering their sizes, their likes, and the things to avoid. Below are twenty questions that do exactly that, grouped so you can pick the ones that matter, plus a simpler way to gather the answers than chasing people over email.
Guessing is where most Secret Santa gifts go wrong. You draw a name, realise you barely know them, and end up buying a candle and hoping. A short set of questions fixes that. Ask them once, early, and you turn a shot in the dark into a gift they actually wanted. Here are the questions worth asking, in three groups.
The essentials
Start with the basics that stop obvious mistakes. Get these and you avoid the wrong size or a gift that triggers an allergy.
- 1What size are you in tops and jumpers?
- 2What is your shoe size?
- 3Any allergies or things you cannot have, food or otherwise?
- 4What is your go-to hot drink, coffee, tea or something else?
- 5What is your favourite colour, and one you cannot stand?
- 6Are there any sizes I would need for jewellery or accessories?
Lifestyle and preferences
Next, the questions that make a gift feel personal rather than generic. This is where you find the thing they will love.
- 1What are you into at the moment, any hobbies or a current obsession?
- 2Sweet or savoury, if I am buying a treat?
- 3Is there a shop or brand you always enjoy?
- 4What is a small thing you love but would never buy for yourself?
- 5Do you like scented things like candles or soaps, and if so what kind?
- 6What did you want recently but talk yourself out of?
- 7Do you prefer something useful, something fun, or something to pamper yourself?
The dealbreakers
Finally, the no-go list. These save you from a gift that quietly disappoints.
- 1Is there anything you already have too much of?
- 2Are there scents or flavours you really dislike?
- 3Any materials or ingredients to avoid, for skin or otherwise?
- 4Are gift cards a yes or a no for you?
- 5Is there a gift type that just is not you?
A few fun ones to break the ice
If your group enjoys the game side of it, a couple of light questions add to the fun and often reveal a gift idea by accident.
- 1What is your guilty-pleasure snack?
- 2If you had a free Saturday and twenty dollars, how would you spend it?
The easier way to collect the answers
Emailing a list of twenty questions around the office is a fast way to get three replies and seventeen people who forgot. There is a simpler path.
If your group runs its exchange on List of Wishes, every person fills in a Gift Profile once, and their Secret Santa sees it automatically when the names are drawn. It is built around the same three groups above, The Essentials, Lifestyle and Preferences, and The Dealbreakers, so the answers you need are already there without you asking a soul. No survey, no chasing, no awkward "so, what do you want" chat.
There is an anonymous question tool too. Once you are matched, you can send your person a question and they see "Your Secret Santa wants to know..." with no idea it is you. Perfect for that one detail you still need without giving yourself away. You can set up a Secret Santa and have profiles filling in within minutes.
Turn the answers into a gift
Once you know what someone likes, buying gets easy. Check their wishlist if they have shared one, browse our Gift Shop for something you can get delivered in Australia, or save ideas as you find them. Our free browser extension lets you pin products from any store to your own wishlist in one click, which comes in handy when your match asks the same questions back. For more on running the exchange itself, our Secret Santa guide covers the lot.
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questions answered
Cover three areas: the essentials like sizes and allergies, their likes such as hobbies and favourite treats, and the dealbreakers they want to avoid. Six or seven well-chosen questions beat a long survey.
Use an anonymous question tool. On List of Wishes you can message your match and they see "Your Secret Santa wants to know..." without learning who sent it, so you can ask directly while staying secret.
A little information goes a long way, even on a small budget. Knowing someone's taste turns a twenty dollar guess into a twenty dollar gift they genuinely wanted.
Yes. If your exchange runs on List of Wishes, each person fills in a Gift Profile once and their Santa sees it when names are drawn, so you skip the group email entirely.
Fall back on safe, widely liked gifts, good chocolate, a nice candle or a practical desk item, or send an anonymous question to get one useful clue before you buy.
Holly writes about gift-giving, wishlists and stress-free group gift exchanges for List of Wishes. She has organised more Secret Santas and Kris Kringles than she cares to admit, and has strong opinions about novelty socks.
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