Waitlist

When a ticket type sells out, the waitlist lets interested people queue up for a spot. If someone cancels or you increase capacity, the next person in line is automatically promoted.

How it works

1. A ticket type reaches its capacity limit
2. The ticket shows a Waitlist badge instead of "Sold out"
3. People can click Join waitlist to get in line
4. When a spot opens (cancellation, refund, or capacity increase), the next person is automatically confirmed
5. Promoted attendees receive a confirmation email with their ticket

No manual work required from you as a host. Promotion is first-come, first-served.

Enabling and disabling

The waitlist is enabled by default on all ticket types. To turn it off:

1. Go to your event and click Tickets
2. Click the ticket type you want to edit
3. Toggle Waitlist off
4. Click Save

When disabled, sold-out tickets show a "Sold out" badge and people cannot join a queue.

Waitlist capacity

By default, the waitlist has no limit. You can cap it if you want:

1. Edit the ticket type
2. Set a Waitlist capacity (e.g., 50)
3. Click Save

Once the waitlist is full, the ticket shows as sold out and no more people can join.

Paid tickets

For paid events, the waitlist works the same way with one addition: payment is authorized (but not charged) when someone joins the waitlist. They're only charged when they're promoted to a confirmed spot.

If the payment authorization expires before a spot opens, Eventship automatically attempts to charge their saved payment method. If that fails, the next person in line is tried instead.

What attendees see

• Waitlist open: An amber "Waitlist" badge on the ticket, with a "Join waitlist" button
• After joining: A confirmation screen showing their position in line (e.g., "#3 on the waitlist")
• Waitlist full or disabled: A red "Sold out" badge with no option to join

Emails

Two emails are sent during the waitlist flow:

• Waitlist confirmation - Sent immediately when someone joins, showing their position
• Registration confirmation - Sent when they're promoted to a confirmed spot, with their QR code and ticket details

Viewing waitlisted attendees

You can see how many people are on the waitlist in your event metrics. Waitlisted registrations appear in your attendee list with a "Waitlisted" status.

Tips

• Keep the waitlist enabled unless you have a reason to turn it off - it captures demand you'd otherwise lose
• If you can increase capacity, do so - waitlisted people are automatically promoted
• You don't need to manage the queue manually - promotions happen automatically when spots open
• For paid events, attendees aren't charged until they get a confirmed spot