Leon Day Chat Scheduled
The first North Pole Chat of 2026 is scheduled for Leon Day, June 25th at 3pm EST.
Leon Day, of course, marks the halfway point to Christmas. (Leon is Noel spelled backwards). This traditional day at the North Pole is the unofficial kick off to Christmas in July.
The chat will be held in the North Pole Chat room at SantaUpdate.com. Elf Crash Murphy will be the scheduled expert for this first chat of the season. We anticipate that other chats will be scheduled for Christmas in July but we do not yet have that schedule.
While Elf Crash will be the main speaker in the chat you can send in a question for anyone at the North Pole. If they cannot be in attendance Elf Crash may answer any submitted questions on their behalf. You can submit your questions below:
Please note that traditionally the North Pole Chat is scheduled on Sundays. This first chat is on a Thursday and it has been scheduled specifically to celebrate Leon Day (the chat will NOT be held using reverse speech, as some elves like to do on Leon Day).
We realize that because this is on a weekend some elves may not be able to attend. We hope you will utilize the “ask a question” feature in this post in case you cannot attend. A recap of the chat will be posted shortly thereafter.
We hope to see you there!
Elf Crash Explains
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A new episode of the North Pole Podcast just dropped and in it Elf Crash Murphy explains a little more in depth about what’s happening with the Elf Community here at SantaTrackers.net.
While development continues – and I know this only because I’m part of the testing team at Flight Command — Elf Crash does say that aside from technical changes Santa is concerned that the Elf Community struggles during the months of November and December. The site gets flooded with what Elf Crash characterizes as “troublemakers” and that dealing with them during the busiest days of the year continues to be a challenge Santa doesn’t want.
Elf Crash was clear to point out that no decision has been made about the Elf Community and whether or not it will be coming back.
I can tell you this: Elf Moe had his hands full last year and we didn’t see much of him publicly during the season and that’s because he was so busy behind the scenes.
Elf Crash indicates that Christmas in July is the time-frame for answers to these questions and what the plan will be moving forward.
We will keep you posted.
Regional Tracking Center Selection Process Continues
The Regional Tracking Center Committee reports that good progress has been made so far in making decisions for this year’s locations.
Based upon elf feedback from several teams in North Pole Flight Command and from tracker elves around the world the following countries have advanced in the selection process.
Sector 1 – Oceania
1. Japan
2. Kiribati
3. Fiji
4. Tonga
5. Samoa
Sector 2 – Asia and the Middle East
1. Mongolia
2. Thailand
3. Iran
4. China
5. Taiwan
Sector 3 – Europe and Africa
1. Chad
2. Belgium
3. England
4. Niger
5. Germany
Sector 4 – Greenland and South America
1. Greenland
2. Bolivia
3. Brazil
4. Costa Rica
5. Venezuela
Sector 5 – Central and North America
1. Canada
2. United States
3. Guatemala
4. Cuba
5. Mexico
This looks like a short list but bear in mind that these are just countries.
The State Department at the North Pole has negotiated the right to further scout specific locations in each of the countries listed above. As of this date there are a list of 314 possible sites still on the list.
So the process continues. The committee has teams of elves active in each sector sending in reports, photos, videos and documents of possible locations.
The Regional Tracking Center Committee continues to meet weekly until the next step in the approval process is taken within each sector.
We believe this process will be complete by July 1st.
Submit Regional Tracking Center Suggestions
The Regional Tracking Center Committee has met for the first time to begin the process of finding a suitable location in each sector for this year’s Regional Tracking Center.
The committee this year is made up of the following senior elves: Elf Roger Star (Director of North Pole Flight Command), Elf Wally (Director of Logistics), Elf Crash Murphy (Director of Santa Trackers), Elf Agent X (Director of North Pole Security), Elf Victor (Director of Reindeer Operations), Elf Ed Zachary (Director of North Pole News) and Elf Buck Sanchez (Director of North Pole Flight Operations).
This process begins with a review of location performance last Christmas and a re-evaluation of location requirements for this year.
As part of this process we are asking certain elves in various departments to contribute their ideas and suggestions. From the response of these surveys, and from research previously done in past year efforts, a list of possible candidates will be established.
As tracker elves tracking Santa for Santa, your input is valued. If you have an idea or suggestion for this year’s locations in your or any other sector, please send it via the form below before March 31st, 2026.
Tracker Road Map 2026
After meeting with Santa and discussing our performance as the tracker Elf Community last year I have determined the following to be our Road Map for 2026:
- We will target 60 million trackers total for 2026.
- 70% of trackers will be freelance tracker elves, 30% will be North Pole Tracker elves.
- A comprehensive training program will be introduced in 2026 to teach all elves how to better track Santa for Santa.
- Training will consist of scheduled posts, updates to Elf University, chats and podcasts. All training will be released before 1 November 2026 and remain online and available for future elf purposes.
- An update to SantaTrackers.net will be completed by 1 June 2026 to improve security, privacy and to facilitate better direct communication between tracker elves and their Elf Supervisors.
- Under the direction of North Pole Flight Command the Regional Tracking Centers will follow this timeline:
- Survey the Elf Community – 19 January 2026 – April 1, 2026
- Name the Search Committee – February 1, 2026
- Scout Top Locations – by May 1, 2026
- Gather Technical Requirements, Assemble Build Teams – May 15, 2026
- Review Top Candidates – June 1, 2026
- Sign Location Contracts – June 25, 2026
- Name Regional Locations – by June 26, 2026
- Deploy Build Teams – by June 29, 2026
- Dispatch Elves and Leadership Teams – by July 13, 2026
- Open Regional Tracking Centers – August 1, 2026
- Elf development will include expanded job responsibilities to grow skills in tracking Santa for Santa.
- Follow timed tracker schedules in each region
- Roof Reports – Schedule by region
- Chimney Inspections – Schedule by region
- Public Observance – Schedule by region
- All other reports as determined by NPFC
This will be an exciting year to track Santa for Santa. We hope Santa trackers worldwide will engage with this plan to grow their skills and to improve their elf careers.
Changes to the Elf Community
In response to updates in Internet privacy protection laws, some communicated concerns by parents of minor users of SantaTrackers.net, and issues related to available resources, we announce the following changes to SantaTrackers.net:
The following site features will soon be deactivated and/or re-configured:
- The Elf Wall
- Elf Messaging
- Elf Profiles
- Elf Pages
Other features, such as file uploads relative images and videos, will likewise be adjusted and policies to the same will be amended.
I have instructed Elf Max to introduce new or replacement features that makes the website more compliant with this direction I have instructed Elf Moe to work on identifying under-age users so they can be classed at a better protective level.
Per policy, we continue to encourage parents and their children to use SantaTrackers.net together. In the case of any user under the age of 18, no matter where they are in the world, we require parental access to any accounts made and used on SantaTrackers.net and any and all communication sent to or from the site to be copied to parents. This is not a new policy.
Additional changes to the site, relative to tracking Santa for Santa, and training of elves for that purpose, will likewise be introduced in the coming months. It is anticipated that these site changes and upgrades will be completed on or before June 1, 2026. Changes to that timeline will be communicated in advance.
Based upon this direction from Santa Claus and the technical management of SantaTrackers.net a review of active accounts is currently underway. Accounts inactive over the past 30 days will be retired. Accounts inactive beyond 90 days will be eliminated.
If you have questions or concerns you are encouraged to reach out to me or to your Elf Supervisor.
Thank you.
Elf Retirements
As per our usual protocol we have a large number of Elf Retirements to announce. Each season we see millions of recruits who sign up to be a tracker elf but never show up to actually track Santa for Santa. In addition, we have a number of North Pole Elves who, for whatever reason, never activate during a season. Likewise, we see a large number of bogus bot sign-ups. In order to keep our records clear, we retire accounts who fall under these conditions. Here are the numbers:
Junior Tracker Elves: 3,541,219
North Pole Tracker Elves: 1.021
Spurious Accounts: 3,668,343
All of these accounts will move to “retired” status until January 31, 2026. During this time frame, any account holder above can request reinstatement.
If they fail to do so, their accounts will be permanently deleted.
Freelance elves, since they never register for the site, remain on record for reporting purposes. However, any freelance elf who fails to report within any 12 month period will have their records cleared at the North Pole.
We remind all remaining members of the Elf Community to keep your accounts active. This is difficult for some to remember, especially during the off=season. By policy, any account without activity for a period of 90-days achieves retired status and are subject to deletion usually within a 30-day period, as with the accounts above.
These procedures keep the Elf Community safe and active for year round elves who want the best elf experience.
Thank you.
If You Cannot Send in a Report
Attention all Trackers,
Over the course of the past hour we have seen a rush of Internet traffic that is starting to affect the performance of all Official North Pole websites. With millions of trackers around the world and billions of believers, this is not unusual or unanticipated.
We are closely monitoring the situation and while we are confident we can keep all sites active this year please be advised that in the hours where we get closer to Santa’s launch we are going to experience heavy traffic.
If any of the sites go down, they will be back fairly quickly.
After Santa launches, please be advised that if you ever experience trouble reporting or getting a hold of your elf supervisor you are authorized to email any critical information you feel Santa will need to trackerreports@santatrackers.net.
North Pole Flight Command and the North Pole Post Office are prepared to handle email through this tracker-elf-only email address and get your information shared with the appropriate party.
Thanks for your attention to this matter.
Using the Pipeline to Santa Report
Among the emergency reports given to us we have one in particular that is being abused rather regularly, especially by Junior Tracker elves: the Pipeline to Santa Report.
The purpose of this report is to get information straight to Santa, hopefully when he is on the sleigh. It would be used only in emergency situations when you have something that has come up locally. It would be for information Santa would need “right now” — for situations where there is no time to route it through North Pole Flight Command or through your Elf Supervisor.
Unfortunately, we have had a number of elves not follow the directions on the report and have instead used to to report everything from their Elf on the Shelf not moving or performing to wish lists and weather reports. Those elves have now been banned and are no longer elves.
As such, I have disabled the report for all Freelance and Junior Tracker elves. If you have emergency information at this point going forward you will have to use the other reports or message your Elf Supervisor.
For North Pole Tracker elves, you’re fine to continue to use the Pipeline to Santa Report as long as you keep it within the guideline.
Santa, your Elf Supervisor, and all at North Pole Flight Command are very busy. Wasting their time by not following directions is not a good thing. We hope all elves stay within the instructions we have been given.
Thanks!
Critical Update from Flight Command
My Fellow Trackers,
I am humbled to take on my new duties with you as Associate Director of Santa Trackers and I address you now as a first step in my new role. Elf Crash Murphy, my boss and your boss, has asked me to step up in communicating to you just what is happening both in our world of tracking Santa for Santa and with information available to me at North Pole Flight Command.
Please be advised that my function is not news, it is direction. Elf Meg Nogg, Elf Harold Star, Elf Ed Zachary, Elf Ernest, Elf Frank Myrrh, and Elf Trixie will continue in their duties publishing official news from North Pole Flight Command, Santa Update and here at Santa Trackers.
Elf Crash asked me to convey to you that his time will be limited over the next few days as we get closer to Santa’s launch. Since I am nearly always near a computer, I will convey information and direction to you when Elf Crash can not.
Therefore, here is a critical update from North Pole Flight Command that is as current as I can make it.
We have lost over 40% of our staff at Flight Command to Santa’s Workshop. The crisis in Santa’s workshop has to take priority over all other efforts at this time. That makes our staffing at Flight Command extremely challenged at THE most important moments of Operation Merry Christmas. Elf Roger Star, director of North Pole Flight Command, is keeping things in motion with help from several command vessels of the North Pole Navy, and our good Elf Supervisors in the Regional Tracking Centers.
Elf Crash asked you all to step up the other day to help. Many of you have checked in early. Most are sending in updated weather reports. So far, things are going fine under the modified plans in place.
Here are some new things for you to know:
- Elf Moe is working to keep the Elf Community here at SantaTrackers.net and at SantaUpdate.com safe from bad elements. You have likely seen them here and there pop up on the Elf Wall. I’ve asked him to tightened things up a bit. We had some silly incursions last night and we just don’t need that now. You know who all the important elves are. Someone new who shows up claiming to an elf teacher or having elf powers or magic or other strange abilities are people you should report immediately. Elf Moe is working to get ahead of them but occasionally one will slip through the cracks. Feel free to use that report feature and that will remove them until Elf Moe and his team can get to it. Please be aware that Elf Moe has NO intention of taking punitive steps against any known elf already in the Elf Community. You are safe.
- Sector 1 – Elf Randi reports that our numbers in Sector 1 are growing and that no new reports are needed at this time. She does say that flight corridors for sleighs of Operation Airlift will include the skies over Japan, the Philippines and coastal areas of China over the next two days. They could be tapering off on December 24th at the Operation Air Lift effort has been very effective for the sector.
- Sector 2 – Elf Clif in Asia and the Middle East says Operation Airlift flights into the sector are focusing on India, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Jordan. Flights are coming both from the North Pole and from North Pole Navy carriers in the Indian Ocean.
- Sector 3 – Elf Rolf says the sleigh activity for Operation Airlift has been insane, especially in the skies of Eastern Europe and the south of Africa. That activity, according to Elf Buck Sanchez at the North Pole Sleigh Port, is expected to actually increase. Keep eyes on the skies in London, Paris, Tripoli, Athens, and Berlin. Poland could see a lot of activity on Tuesday in particular. Rolf says he’d feel better if there were more weather reports from the UK, Sweden and Iceland.
- Sector 4 – Elf Tubby reports that sleigh activity is strong, especially in the skies of Brazil, Ecuador, and all islands of the Caribbean. There are a lot of military avionics in Venezuela at this time and none of it has to do with the North Pole. We’ve got some trackers there and we’re concerned for them. But we cannot impose any requests on them at this time. Santa’s own activity in Venezuela is in question at this time.
- Sector 5 – this remains easily the most active area with sleigh flights. The east coast of Canada, the west coast of Mexico, and the Rocky Mountain region of the USA are your major air corridors for Operation Airlift at this time. Flights are expected to double EACH DAY until Wednesday, when it may explode even more. Weather reports, constantly sent, is the word here. Especially on the California and Oregon Coast over the next 48 hours and into the end of next week.
Big debates are happening in Flight Command right now about Santa’s flight plan. Many want to deliver because of issues in Santa’s workshop and weather concerns in various places.
Santa has already vehemently insisted there will be NO launch delays this year and he is vowing to deliver on-time in every sector. Whether or not Santa will change his mind isn’t something I can speak to, but I know several key elves are presenting many alternatives to Santa at this time.
Please feel free to ask any questions you have below or on the Elf Wall. Thanks!
Elf Z Promoted to Associate Director
We are pleased to announce the promotion of Elf Z of North Pole Flight Command as Associate Director of Santa Trackers. He will report to Elf Crash Murphy and will assist him in all duties.
Elf Z has been working special projects at North Pole Flight Command, with a special emphasis on AI. His most ambitious project has been the development of the very popular feature at SantaUpdate.com known as ElfBot.
Elf Z has also been somewhat notorious in the Elf Community at SantaTrackers.net for feeding inside information from Flight Command at times to the Elf Wall. Now we can say that calling is quite official.
While he will continue to be stationed at North Pole Flight Command he takes up his duty as Associate Director immediately. With Elf Crash Murphy being engaged with his North Pole Radio News duties, especially in the lead up to Santa’s launch, tracker elves at SantaTrackers.net may expect Elf Z to provide official news and direction.
Elf Z’s work has been greatly appreciated.
