---
title: "Create Sessions"
slug: "create-event-sessions"
tags: ["Events"]
updated: 2025-07-25T20:43:36Z
published: 2025-07-25T20:43:36Z
canonical: "docs.blackthorn.io/create-event-sessions"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.blackthorn.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create Sessions

Add Sessions to an Event for breakouts, presentations, discussions, or other activities.

          **Important Functionality**

          

- Discount Codes are not supported for Sessions.
- **Session Name** vs **Display Name**
  - The **Display Name** field on Sessions overrides the **Session Name** field on the front end.

## Create a Session

1. From the Event record, navigate to the Sessions Related List and click **New**. ![Configure Sessions 1](https://cdn.document360.io/f977eec0-500f-40a3-b663-724a51f78075/Images/Documentation/Configure%20Sessions%201.png)
2. Enter the **Session Name**.
3. Add Session details such as,
  - **Description**
  - **Image URL**
  - **Alternative Text for Visual Impairment**  - This field is required if the **Image URL** has a value.
  - **Location**
  - **Start Date**
  - **Start Time**
  - **End Date**
  - **End Time**

NOTE: The Session’s **Start Date/Time** and **End Date/Time** fields are not included on the Session’s page layout out of the box. They standardize calculations and display the Session’s start and end dates/times from the perspective of the time zone set on the authorized user’s profile instead of the time zone set on the Event record.

1. To limit the number of people that can register and attend a Session, enter an amount in the **Quantity Available**

The **Quantity Remaining** is a formula field that will automatically update.

Formula: **Quantity Remaining** = **Quantity Available** - **Registered**

### Session Status Functionality

- If a Session’s **Status** is set to “Active” or is left blank, the Session will be displayed on the Event’s landing page.
- If a Session’s **Status** is set to any other value, the Session will not be displayed on the Event’s landing page.

## Configure Sessions

### Sorting Sessions

The **Sort Order** field on Sessions controls the order sessions appear in the agenda and at checkout. It requires Events **5.61** or higher.

Sessions with a Sort Order appear first, lowest number first. Sessions without one follow behind them in the previous order. **Day is always the primary sort**, so a multi-day Event never pulls Day 2 sessions ahead of Day 1: reordering happens only within a single day.

There is also a **Sort Order** field on Event Item Session, which orders sessions for one specific ticket and overrides the Session-level value.

If no session has a Sort Order value, ordering is unchanged: sessions sort by start time and name as before. The list below describes that default rule.

- If there are multiple Sessions on a single day and each Session has a different **Start Time**, then the Sessions will be listed from the earliest **Start Time** to the last.
- If there are multiple Sessions with the same **Start Time**, BUT each Session has a different **Start Date**, then the Session with the earliest **Start Date** will be listed first.
- If multiple Sessions have the same **Start Date** and **Start Time**, the Sessions will be sorted alphabetically by **Session Name**.
- If there are multiple Sessions without a **Start Date**, the Sessions will be sorted alphabetically by **Session Name**.

*`0` counts as a value, not as empty, to return an event to the previous order, clear the field rather than setting it to zero.

### Sold Out

When **Waitlist Enabled** is not checked and **Quantity Remaining** = "0", the Session will be sold out.

### Waitlisted

When **Waitlist Enabled** is enabled and **Quantity Remaining** = "0", additional Session registrants will have a "Waitlisted - Pending" status and be added to the waitlist. ![Configure Sessions 2](https://cdn.document360.io/f977eec0-500f-40a3-b663-724a51f78075/Images/Documentation/Configure%20Sessions%202.png)

### Hide on Event Page

The **Hide On Event Page** checkbox allows users to hide the Session from the Event's Session tab. As a result the Session will be invisible to the public.

To prevent that from occuring, the following needs to occur:

- The Session belongs to a specific track that is associated with an AttendeeLink invitation.
- The Session is pre-registered to an Attendee in the AttendeeLink invitation.  

![Configure Sessions 3](https://cdn.document360.io/f977eec0-500f-40a3-b663-724a51f78075/Images/Documentation/Configure%20Sessions%203.jpeg)

1. Once saved, view your newly created Session on the Event page.

![Configure Sessions 4](https://cdn.document360.io/f977eec0-500f-40a3-b663-724a51f78075/Images/Documentation/Configure%20Sessions%204.png)

### Visibility

To show the Sessions on the Event, navigate to the [Event Settings record](https://docs.blackthorn.io/docs/event-settings-1#tab-visibility-and-labels) and update the **Sessions** field to "Always". Make sure that the Session's **Hide On Event Page** field is unchecked.

![Sessions](https://cdn.document360.io/f977eec0-500f-40a3-b663-724a51f78075/Images/Documentation/Sessions.png)

If you only want Attendees to see Sessions on their AttendeeLink and not on the Event registration page, complete the following steps.

- Relate a Session to an Event Item, creating an Event Item Session.
- Update the Event Settings’ Tab Visibility setting for **Sessions** to “Post Registration.”

The Event Item Sessions will now appear in an Attendee’s AttendeeLink.

### Add Session to Calendar

Complete the following steps to add a specific Session to a calendar from the Event's webpage.

1. Go to the Event’s webpage.
2. Click the Sessions tab.
3. Click a **Session Name**.
4. Click **Add to Calendar**.
5. Select the calendar type.

![Session_Add%20to%20Calendar](https://cdn.document360.io/f977eec0-500f-40a3-b663-724a51f78075/Images/Documentation/Session_Add%20to%20Calendar.png)

### Data Dictionary and Session Counts

The [Data Dictionary](https://docs.blackthorn.io/docs/data-dictionary) can help Event Organizers inform potential Attendees of the number of available Tickets, Session spots, and Products using the following Keys.

- **Key** = “LBL_COUNT_TICKETS_REMAINING”
- **Key** = “LBL_COUNT_ITEMS_REMAINING”
- **Key** = “LBL_COUNT_SPOTS_REMAINING”
- **Key** = “MSG_QUANTITY_TICKET_WAITLISTED”

IMPORTANT NOTE: These Keys do not work for Donations.

#### Create a Data Dictionary Group

ImportantCapital letters must be used in the **Key** field. 

1. In the App Launcher, enter and click "Data Dictionary Group".
2. Click **New**. ![CreateDataDictionaryGroup_Object](https://cdn.document360.io/f977eec0-500f-40a3-b663-724a51f78075/Images/Documentation/CreateDataDictionaryGroup_Object.png)
3. Enter a **Data Dictionary Group Name**.![CreateDataDictionaryGroup_New](https://cdn.document360.io/f977eec0-500f-40a3-b663-724a51f78075/Images/Documentation/CreateDataDictionaryGroup_New.png)
4. Click **Save**.

#### Create Data Dictionary Entries

To show the amount of available Tickets, Sessions, or Products, you must include "{count}" in the **Value** field.

1. Click **New** next to the Data Dictionary Entry. In a Data Dictionary Group, each Data Dictionary Entry can only support one language. ![CreateDataDictionaryGroup_NewEntry](https://cdn.document360.io/f977eec0-500f-40a3-b663-724a51f78075/Images/Documentation/CreateDataDictionaryGroup_NewEntry.png)
2. In this example, we’ll set **Language / Locale** to “English.”
3. For Event Items with **Type**set to “Main event ticket” or “Guest,”
  1. Set **Key** = “LBL_COUNT_TICKETS_REMAINING”
  2. Set **Value** = “{count} Tickets Left in Event”
4. Click **Add Row**.
5. For Event Items with **Type**set to “Other” (Products),
  1. Set **Key** = “LBL_COUNT_ITEMS_REMAINING”
  2. Set **Value** = “{count} Products. Left in Event"
6. Click **Add Row**.
7. For Sessions,
  1. **Set Key** = “LBL_COUNT_SPOTS_REMAINING”
  2. **Set Value** = “{count} Tickets Left in Session”
8. Click **Add Row**.
9. For waitlisted Tickets (Event Items with `Type` set to “Main event ticket” or “Guest”),
  1. **Set Key** = “MSG_QUANTITY_TICKET_WAITLISTED”
  2. **Set Value** = “[count] Waitlist Spots Left”![](https://cdn.document360.io/f977eec0-500f-40a3-b663-724a51f78075/Images/Documentation/Data%20Dictionary%20Key%20Counts.png)
10. Click **Save**.
11. Click **Back** to return to the Data Dictionary Group record.

Click [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mANZ058qszzrXjEdB0Wv4AVbcN5aj41h7-qd9XtrRy0/edit?usp=sharing) for the full Events Data Dictionary list.