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Password-protecting your event

How to add a password so only guests who know it can open your invitation, what guests see, and how to share or remove it. Plus limiting RSVPs to guests on your list.

Last reviewed 6 min read

On this page7 sections
  1. Turning on password protection
  2. What your guests experience
  3. Sharing the password
  4. Changing or removing the password
  5. Guests on the list only
  6. Common questions
  7. Related articles

Want a little extra privacy? You can add a password to your event so only guests who know it can open the invitation. It's a light, friendly gate — perfect for keeping a surprise party quiet or a private celebration off casual eyes. Everyone uses the same password, which you share however you like.

Turning on password protection

Open your event and go to Password & Capacity, then the Password section (the Password chip on the Guests & RSVP tab shows whether it's on and takes you to the same place). Choose the password you'd like to use and save it. That's it — the gate is live immediately.

A few things worth knowing as you set it:

  • It's one shared password for all guests, not a different code per person.
  • Your password is stored securely — InviteBird never keeps it as plain text. That said, you can always view and copy the current password from the dashboard, so you never have to remember it yourself.
  • Think of it as a light gate for casual privacy, not bank-grade security. It keeps the invitation from opening for anyone who stumbles on the link, but it isn't meant to protect highly sensitive information.

What your guests experience

When password protection is on, anyone who opens your invitation link first sees a lock screen asking for the password. Once they enter the correct one, the invitation opens as normal, and InviteBird remembers that they unlocked it for about 7 days on that device and browser — so they won't be asked again every visit. The unlock only applies to this event; it doesn't open any other event.

Two details to pass along when you share the password:

  • Capital letters matter. "SpringFling" and "springfling" are different. A stray space before or after is ignored, so a pasted password still works.
  • If they mistype it, they'll see "That password didn't match. Try again." and can simply try again. After several wrong tries in a row from one device, they're asked to wait — from half a minute up to 15 minutes — before trying again. The right password always works once the wait is over.

Sharing the password

Because the password is the same for everyone, share it through whatever channel suits — a text, an email, a group chat, or on a separate line in your message. InviteBird doesn't put the password in the invitation itself (that would defeat the purpose), so guests need it from you. The invitation e-mails InviteBird sends do tell the guest that the invitation is private and to ask you for the password.

Tip: since even you'll meet the lock screen when you open the public invitation link, keep the dashboard handy — you can view the password there any time and enter it just like a guest.

Changing or removing the password

You can replace the password whenever you like from the Password section. Replacing it asks every guest for the new one, even those who had already unlocked. To take the gate off entirely, choose Turn off and confirm — the invitation opens freely again for everyone, right away.

Once your event has passed or been canceled, the event locks into keepsake mode and the password can no longer be changed — but the current one stays visible in your dashboard for your records.

Guests on the list only

In your event's Settings, under The door, right beside the password card, is a companion privacy switch: Only guests on my list can RSVP (the Who can reply chip on the Guests & RSVP tab shows its state and opens it). When it's on, the shared invitation link still opens for anyone, but replying is limited to the people you've added to your guest list. As a guest starts their RSVP, we match the name and email (or phone) they enter against your list — if there's no match, they see a friendly We couldn't find you on the guest list — check the spelling, or ask your host note and can try again.

A few things worth knowing:

  • It works best when your guests have an email or phone on your list. We match on the email or phone you invited them with first, then fall back to an exact name match — so a guest you added by name only can still get in by typing that same name.
  • It's a light gate, like the password — great for keeping a shared link from collecting replies from strangers, not a strict identity check.
  • It pairs naturally with a password, or works on its own. You can turn either switch on independently.
  • Guests you add later can reply right away — the check always reads your current list, so there's nothing to re-save when you add someone.

Common questions

Can I set a different password for each guest? No — it's a single shared password for the whole event. If you need to know exactly who's opened the invitation, the delivery and open tracking on your Guests tab is a better fit. See Reading delivery and open status.

A guest swears they're typing the right password but it won't open. It's almost always capital letters. Ask them to type it exactly as you set it. Spaces before or after are ignored, so copy-and-paste is fine. If they've tried several times in a row they may be asked to wait a little; after that it works again. You can double-check the exact password in your dashboard.

Do my guests need an account to enter the password? No. The lock screen is just the password — no sign-up, no login. Once they're in, they RSVP as normal.

Will I have to enter the password too? On the public invitation link, yes — the gate applies to everyone, including you and any co-hosts. Just enter the password once (you can always view it in the dashboard). Your behind-the-scenes editing, dashboard and the "What your guests will see" preview don't need it.

How long does a guest stay unlocked? About 7 days on the device and browser they used, for that one event. After that, or on a new device, they'll enter the password again.

Is password protection free? Yes — it's included on every event at no extra cost.

What's the difference between the password and "Only guests on my list can RSVP"? The password gates opening the invitation — everyone types the same shared secret. "Only guests on my list can RSVP" gates replying — the invitation opens freely, but only guests on your list can submit an RSVP, matched by the name and email or phone you invited them with. Use either, or both together. Both are free.

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