Automated Waitlist

Overview

The Automated Waitlist feature streamlines the process of filling open spots in event divisions by automatically offering available spots to waitlisted users via email. This eliminates the need for manual intervention when cancellations occur.

️ Prerequisites

Before enabling the automated waitlist:

  1. Event Capacity must be set at the event division level, not the event level.
  2. Availability Determination must be based on Attendee Max, not housing resources.

⚙️ Configuration Steps

1. Create an Automated Waitlist Policy

  • Navigate to Config > Registration > Automated Waitlist Policies
  • Click + Add Automated Waitlist Policy
  • Fill in:
    • Name
    • Expiration Settings:
      • Define how many days & hours before the event the offer expires
      • Set reminder email timing (e.g., 2 hours before expiration)
  • Save the policy.

Multiple expiration settings can be configured to adjust responsiveness based on proximity to the event.

2. Assign Policy to Event Division

  • Go to the specific Event Division Settings
  • Under Automated Waitlist Policy, select the desired policy.
  • Save the changes.

Email Offer Flow

3. Triggering the Offer

Offers are sent when any of the following events occur:

  • A registration is cancelled
  • Event capacity is increased
  • A previous offer expires

A background job runs every 15 minutes to:

  • Detect open spots
  • Send offer emails to the next waitlisted user

4. Email Content

  • Includes Accept and Reject links
  • Shows Offer Sent and Expiration Time
  • Uses templates configured under Manage > Automated Emails

Reminder emails are sent based on policy settings. Templates can be customized.

✅ Accepting or Rejecting Offers

5. User Actions

  • Clicking Accept activates the registration
  • Clicking Reject cancels the offer and frees the spot for the next user
  • If no action is taken before expiration, the offer is auto-cancelled, and the next user is notified

6. UI Behavior

  • Registrations show status as:
    • Offered (if email sent)
    • Waiting List (if pending)

Under WaitList Management:

  • Two new columns:
    • Offer Sent Time
    • Offer Expiration Time

Legacy Behavior

If no policy is assigned:

  • The system defaults to manual waitlist management