Waitlist Management

Waitlists help you capture demand when tickets sell out and automatically fill spots from cancellations.

Understanding Waitlists

When event capacity is reached, waitlists allow interested participants to:

• Express interest in attending
• Automatically receive notification when spots open
• Get priority access to cancelled tickets

Enabling Waitlists

Event-Level Waitlist

Enable waitlist for your entire event:

1. Go to Event Settings
2. Under Registration Settings
3. Toggle Enable Waitlist on

Ticket-Level Waitlist

Enable waitlist for specific ticket types:

1. Go to Tickets
2. Edit the ticket type
3. Toggle Enable Waitlist on

How Waitlists Work

Participant Experience

When tickets are sold out:

1. Participant sees "Sold Out" status
2. "Join Waitlist" option appears
3. Participant enters their details
4. They receive waitlist confirmation email

When Spots Open

When a registered participant cancels:

1. Next waitlisted person is notified
2. They receive an email with a registration link
3. They have a limited time to complete registration
4. If they don't respond, the spot goes to the next person

Waitlist Settings

Configuration Options

Notification Window

Set how long waitlisted participants have to claim their spot:

Managing the Waitlist

View Waitlist

1. Go to your event dashboard
2. Click Participants in the sidebar
3. Select the Waitlist tab

Waitlist Information

Waitlist Actions

Automatic vs Manual Processing

Automatic Processing

When enabled, the system automatically:

1. Detects cancellation or capacity increase
2. Notifies the next waitlisted person
3. Reserves their spot temporarily
4. Moves to the next person if they don't respond

Manual Processing

For more control, process waitlist manually:

1. Review cancellation
2. Choose who to notify from waitlist
3. Send invitation
4. Track response

Waitlist Communications

Automatic Emails

Email Content

Spot Available Email includes:

• Notification that a spot is available
• Link to complete registration
• Deadline to claim the spot
• Original ticket details

Handling Cancellations

Participant Cancellations

When a registered participant cancels:

1. Their spot is released
2. Waitlist is checked for next person
3. Notification is sent automatically (if enabled)

Refunds and Waitlist

Cancellation and refund processing is separate from waitlist management:

1. Process refund according to your policy
2. Spot is automatically offered to waitlist
3. New registration creates new payment

Capacity Management

Increasing Capacity

If you can accommodate more participants:

1. Go to Event Settings
2. Increase Maximum Participants
3. System automatically processes waitlist

Adding Tickets

When you add more tickets:

1. Edit ticket type
2. Increase quantity
3. Waitlisted participants are notified

Waitlist Strategies

Overbooking for Free Events

Free events often have high no-show rates. Consider:

1. Set event capacity to actual venue limit
2. Enable waitlist when "sold out"
3. As event approaches, promote waitlisted participants
4. Plan for expected no-shows

VIP Waitlist Priority

Prioritize certain waitlisted participants:

1. View the waitlist
2. Identify VIP/priority participants
3. Use "Promote" to move them up
4. Or manually notify them first

Communication While Waiting

Keep waitlisted participants engaged:

1. Send updates about their position
2. Notify of new events they might like
3. Offer alternative ticket types if available

Reporting

Waitlist Metrics

Track waitlist performance:

Demand Insights

Waitlist data helps plan future events:

• High waitlist = consider larger venue
• Quick conversion = strong demand
• Low conversion = review notification timing

Best Practices

Setting Expectations

• Clearly communicate waitlist position
• Provide estimated chances of getting in
• Be honest about likelihood near event date

Timing

• Process waitlist promptly after cancellations
• Give adequate time to respond
• Send reminders before deadline expires

Communication

• Keep waitlisted participants informed
• Thank them for their patience
• Offer alternatives when possible

Troubleshooting

Participant didn't receive notification

1. Check spam/junk folder
2. Verify email address is correct
3. Check notification was sent (event log)
4. Manually resend if needed

Spots not filling from waitlist

1. Verify waitlist is enabled
2. Check auto-notify setting
3. Review notification window setting
4. Process manually if needed

Wrong person notified

1. Check waitlist order
2. Review any manual changes
3. Contact the correct person directly
4. Adjust waitlist order if needed

Next Steps

• Configure registration settings for waitlist sign-ups
• Set up email templates for waitlist notifications
• View reports on waitlist conversion