How to Collect RSVPs with a Waitlist and Guest Counts
This guide sets up a capped RSVP event: a fixed number of spots, attendees who can bring guests, and an automatic waitlist once you're full. Everything here is available on the Free plan.
Step 1: Create the Event
Create the event with its date, venue, and description. See Create Your First Event if this is your first event.
Step 2: Set the Event to Take Registrations Here
In the event editor's Registration section, choose how people register:
| Option | What the visitor sees | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| People register here | The RSVP block, with the going / maybe / no form, guest count, and any questions the event asks. | You want to collect the RSVPs yourself. This is the one this guide uses. |
| Registration is on another site | A Register button pointing at the address you supply, and no RSVP panel. | Sign-ups happen on a ticketing service, a form, or a partner's site. |
| No registration needed | No RSVP panel and no spots-remaining count. | Announcements, open days, drop-ins - anything you just want on the calendar. |
The mode is enforced on the server, not just in the page, so an event set to another site or no registration refuses RSVPs outright. New events open on whatever you picked at Settings → RSVP → New events start as; that is only a starting value, and you can change it on any event at any time.
Step 3: Set Capacity and RSVP Options
In the event editor, set a Capacity (leave blank for unlimited). Then configure the site-wide RSVP behavior at Eventonomy → Settings → RSVP:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| New events start as | Which of the three options in Step 2 a new event opens on. A starting value only; the organizer can change it per event, and existing events are never touched. |
| Default attendee capacity | The capacity new events start with, if you don't set one per event. |
| Max additional guests per RSVP | How many extra people (the "+guests") an attendee can bring. Each one counts toward capacity. |
| RSVP deadline | Closes RSVPs a set number of hours before the event starts. |
| Waitlist when full | Turns on automatic waitlisting once capacity is reached. |
| Show remaining spots | Displays "5 spots left" on cards and the RSVP block. |
Attendees can respond Going, Maybe, or No, but only Going counts toward your capacity. Full field reference in RSVP Settings.
Step 4: Add Custom RSVP Questions (Optional)
If you need more than a name and a headcount (dietary requirements, T-shirt size, accessibility needs), this is two steps, not one:
- Write the questions once, site-wide. Turn on Custom questions at Eventonomy → Settings → Questions and add short-text, paragraph, dropdown, or checkbox questions. Mark any of them Required to force an answer before the RSVP submits.
- Tick them on this event. Back in the event editor, the Registration section now shows "Questions to ask when people register". A new event starts with everything ticked, so usually there is nothing to do - but untick anything this event does not need, and check the list if a question you expected is not appearing on the form.
See Questions Settings.
Step 5: Place the RSVP Block
Add the RSVP block to your single-event template, below the Single Event block. It detects the current event automatically and renders the going/maybe/no form, guest-count field, and the custom questions this event asks.
How the Waitlist Works
Once Waitlist when full is on and capacity is reached, further Going RSVPs are placed on the waitlist automatically instead of being rejected. When a confirmed attendee cancels or changes their RSVP to No, the oldest waitlisted RSVP is promoted to Going automatically and notified, with no manual intervention needed.
Guest RSVPs and Magic Links
Attendees don't need a WordPress account to RSVP. A guest supplies their name and email, and Eventonomy emails them a magic link (valid for 7 days) that lets them view, change, or cancel their RSVP without logging in. Enable this at Settings → RSVP → Allow guests to RSVP without an account (or require login instead if you want RSVPs tied to member accounts only).
Next Steps
- RSVPs - the full RSVP reference, including statuses and party size.
- RSVP Settings - capacity, deadlines, guests, and waitlist configuration.
- Questions Settings - writing the shared question bank and choosing which questions each event asks.