Elfster How-To’s and Helpful FAQs

young woman on phone

young woman on phone

Tis the season to get your Wishlists in order and kick off the holly, jolly fun of an Elfster Secret Santa Gift Exchange. Elfster is a FREE gift exchange website and app that connects families & friends, online communities & office groups in the spirit of gift giving. These top FAQs will have you wishing and gifting in a jiffy!

How do I create a new Wishlist?

When you create your Elfster account, a Wishlist is automatically created — just add wishes! You can create additional Wishlists to organize your wishes by category or by who should see them. Create as many Wishlists as you like!

  • Click on “Wishlists” on your dashboard
  • Click “Options”
  • Click on “+ New Wishlist”
  • Name your new wishlist, choose who can see it, and start adding wishes!

✨ Pro Elf Tip: Organize your wishes on multiple Wishlists for different budgets or themes for your Gift Exchanges. Once you have more than one Wishlist, just click the “+ New Wishlist” at the top of your Wishlist page.

How do I add wishes to my Wishlist?

The best part about wishing is that you can do it at any time! You don’t have to be in a Gift Exchange. Update your Wishlist before your birthday or whenever you see something you’d love to get. Add wishes from anywhere — including other people’s Wishlists.

  • Start by clicking “Shop” at the top of any Elfster page
  • Browse our curated gift guides by clicking “Explore Popular Gifts”
  • Use the “What are you wishing for?” search bar to find just about anything
  • Add a link, photo, text only wish to your Wishlist by clicking more ways to wish
  • Add an Optional Note up to 500 characters with your favorite color, likes/dislikes, things you collect, allergies, etc.  This will appear at the top of your Wishlist when your friends view it.
  • Hint: Add photo wishes by clicking ‘Write in a Wish’ and click the camera icon

✨ Pro Elf Tip: Chrome users – Install the Elf It! browser button and add gifts from virtually any store on the internet! (for laptop & desktop)

How do I find my friends on Elfster?

What’s even better than gifting? Gifting with friends! See if your buddies are on Elfster and follow their Wishlists to see what they are wishing for. Cheers to being an on point gifter!

  • Click on “Friends” at the top of the page
  • Use the search bar located at the top right-hand side of the page
  • Find a friend? Click the “Follow” button next to their name
  • Can’t find a friend? Invite them to a Gift Exchange or a Group

✨ Pro Elf Tip: To ensure you find the right person, enter their email address in the search bar. Need more deets?  Check out this handy dandy article for the full scoop!

How do I find out who I drew?

Not sure who you drew? Simply go to your Gift Exchange page, click on the Gift Exchange you’re in and find their name under the Gift Exchange dashboard. Don’t forget to check out their Wishlist while you’re there!

Can my gift exchange have an odd number of people?

YES! Odd numbers are funny, but we still make them work. Below is an example of how 3 participants are able to exchange gifts without the system going berserk!

Rudolph gives to Blitzen, Blitzen gives to Comet, and Comet gives to Rudolph—everyone gets a gift and gives a gift! 🎁

How do I share my Wishlist with others?

Sharing your Wishlist is a sure way to get exactly what you want! Send it to family, friends and Elfster groups.

  • Click Wishlists on your Elfster dashboard
  • Select the Wishlist you want to share
  • Click Share at the top right corner of the page
  • Share via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or email

✨ Pro Elf Tip: Your Wishlist will need to be set to Public to share the link.

⚠️ Due to privacy concerns, only those with an Elfster account can view your Wishlist.


Need more elf help?

Go to our magical support page to get all the elf help you need. You can also email help@elfster.com to contact a support elf. Happy gifting! 

Ready to get gifting? Elfster makes it easy, free, and fun! Need help? You can reach us at help@elfster.com, via Facebook here. Tweet us @elfster or catch us on Instagram @elfster.