Waitlisting

You can set up a waitlist that automatically triggers when your Event reaches capacity, a specific Event Item sells out, or when a Session reaches capacity. Please read the documentation before using this feature. This works for paid and free Events.

Event Waitlisting

There are three fields on the Event object:

• Waitlist Enabled
• Waitlist Capacity
• Remaining Waitlist Capacity

If you created a custom permission set, users assigned to that custom permission set will need to access waitlisting. Please add Read or Edit access to the fields listed above.

Enable Waitlisting

Check the Waitlist Enabled field to enable waitlisting. The waitlist will become available once your Event reaches its Total Capacity. At this point, the Status Formula field on the Event will change to "Sold Out, Waitlist Open". This tells your Event page that the normal Event registration is closed, but open to waitlist registrations.

Waitlist Process

The images below show what the registration process looks like when an Event has the Waitlist Enabled field checked.

The Register button becomes the Join Waitlist button.

All Event Items that are available will have a "Waitlist Only" label.

The fields or questions included on the Attendee Form for an Event Item will be displayed when registering an Attendee for the waitlist.

After defining the Attendee information, you'll see a yellow ticket next to them. This signifies the Attendee is on the waitlist.

Once a potential Attendee finishes registering, an Attendee record with the Registration Status of "Waitlisted - Pending" will be created. The Attendee will receive the email stored in the Waitlisted Email field. The out-of-the-box workflow/email template is provided, but will need to be activated.

Activate this workflow to send out an automated waitlist email.

Waitlist Capacity

1. Define the Waitlist Capacity with the number of Attendees you will allow to waitlist. If you want to set an unlimited amount, simply set the field to "99999".

   • The Waitlisted and Remaining Waitlist Capacity fields are automatically updated based on the Attendees who are waitlisted.
   • Make sure the Total Capacity is defined.

2. Event level waitlist capacities will only be shown once waitlisting is active, not before. The number of Event Items remaining will be shown when Waitlist Enabled is selected on the Event level and the Remaining Waitlist Capacity is "10" or less.

3. Once the Remaining Waitlist Capacity = "0", then the Event will be marked as Sold Out.

Event Items and Waitlisting

1. Enable waitlisting on the Event Item by checking the Waitlist Enabled field.
   

2. Set the Full Name and Email fields in the Attendee Form section to "Required".
   

3. Enter the number of spots available on the waitlist in the Waitlist Capacity field. If you want to set an unlimited amount, enter "99999".

   • The Waitlisted and Remaining Waitlist Capacity fields are automatically updated based on the number of waitlisted Attendees.
   • Once the Remaining Waitlist Capacity = "0", then the Event Item will be marked as Sold Out.
     

4. Enter an amount in the Quantity Available field.

   • The Quantity Available field must be defined. When Quantity Remaining = "0", Attendees will be waitlisted.
   • Quantity Remaining = "0", all subsequent Attendees will have a Registration Status = "Waitlisted - Pending".
     

Session Waitlisting

1. Enable waitlisting on Sessions by checking the Waitlist Enabled field.
2. Define the Waitlist Capacity if there is one. If there is unlimited capacity, leave that field blank.
3. The Waitlisted and Remaining Waitlist Capacity fields are automatically updated based on the Attendees who are waitlisted.
4. Define the Quantity Available field. The Quantity Available field needs to be defined so that when the Quantity Remaining = "0", Attendees will be waitlisted.
5. Once the Quantity Remaining = "0", then all the subsequent SessionAttendees will have a Registration Status = "Waitlisted - Pending".
6. Once the Remaining Waitlist Capacity = "0", the Session will be Sold Out.

A waitlisted Attendee will NOT be removed automatically from a Session waitlist once a spot becomes available. If you haven’t enabled waitlist automation, your organization must define its own process to promote and notify (or use the workflow rule for email send) waitlisted Session Attendees.

Automating the Waitlist

Automating the waitlist process is easy! This will automatically update an Attendee's status if the Attendee is waitlisted, allowing them a chance to register for the Event.

• This is controlled by the Waitlisting: Automate field on Event Settings. If set to "Yes", the automation will be turned on. If the Waitlisting: Automate field isn’t on the Event Settings record, use the steps below to add it.
• This process follows a first in, first out method. The first Attendee to register for the waitlist will be the first one to be removed from the waitlist.
• When an Attendee changes their Registration Status from "Registered" to "Declined" or "Canceled", the next Attendee in line with the Registration Status = "Waitlisted - Pending" will be updated to "Pending".
• Once the Attendee's Registration Status is updated to "Pending", they will receive an email with their AttendeeLink to complete their registration.
• While the Attendee's Registration Status = "Pending", no other Attendees will be able to register for the Event until the original Attendee accepts or declines the invitation. If another Attendee cancels their registration, the next in line will also be updated to "Pending".

Add the Waitlisting: Automate Field

1. Click the Gear icon.
2. Click Setup.
3. Click the Object Manager tab.
4. In the Quick Find box, enter and click “Event Settings”.
5. Click the Page Layout tab.
6. Click Event Settings Layout.
7. Drag and drop the Waitlisting: Automate field on to the page layout.
8. Click Save.

Remove an Attendee from the Waitlist

Complete the following steps to remove an Attendee from an Event or Event Item waitlist. Once that is done, the Attendee will be able to complete the registration process.

1. Enable the workflow/email template that notifies the Attendee that they are off the waitlist.

2. Update the Attendee's Registration Status to "Pending". This will trigger the workflow rule to send an email to the Attendee, inviting them to complete their registration through the AttendeeLink. 

Since the Attendee's Registration Status is "Pending" and an Event Item was already selected, they only need to answer any custom questions and pay for the Event Item. (Attendees cannot add additional Event Items or change their Event Item type.)

• Waitlisted Attendees can also remove themselves from an Event's waitlist via their AttendeeLink if the Event Settings' Enable Cancel Registration field is set to "Yes."

What happens when a registered Attendee is deleted? 

When a spot becomes available by an Attendee canceling their registration or an Event Organizer deleting the Attendee record or increasing the capacity, the waitlist automation will perform the following steps.

• The Registration Status of the person at the top of the waitlist will automatically be updated to “Pending”. 
• A waitlist pending email will be sent to that individual.

Note: The deleted Attendee will NOT receive an email letting them know they are no longer registered since the email can’t be tied to the Attendee once the Attendee record is deleted.