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Maximum capacity and the waitlist

Cap how many guests can attend, close RSVPs automatically when you're full, and collect interest from guests who missed out.

Last reviewed 4 min read

On this page6 sections
  1. Turn on a capacity limit
  2. What counts toward the limit
  3. What your guests will see
  4. The waitlist
  5. Common questions
  6. Related articles

If your venue or budget only fits so many guests, you can set a hard limit. When you reach it, RSVPs close on their own and anyone else who opens the invitation can register interest instead — so you capture the demand without overbooking. This is separate from your plan's guest limit: guest limits are about billing, while a maximum-capacity cap is a real-world attendance ceiling you choose.

Turn on a capacity limit

  1. Open your event and go to Password & Capacity, then Capacity (the Headcount limit chip on the Guests & RSVP tab shows where you stand and opens it).
  2. Switch it on.
  3. In Limit to, enter the total number of guests you can host (labelled guests total), then click away to save.

The section then shows a live bar — for example 38 of 50 spots filled — with how many spots are still open, Full once you reach the limit, or [N] over if attendance is above it. The Overview shows the same number as spots left. If your limit is higher than the seats your plan holds, it tells you where RSVPs will pause.

What counts toward the limit

The limit counts everyone attending: each guest who says yes plus every additional guest they bring. A guest with two plus-ones fills three spots. This is the same headcount your plan uses, described in Guest limits and plans. Guests who reply Maybe or Can't make it don't take a spot.

What your guests will see

While spots remain, guests RSVP normally. When the event is full, a new guest opening the invitation sees a This event is full screen instead of the usual Yes / Maybe / No buttons. It explains that the host has reached their guest limit and invites the guest to leave their name and an email or phone so the host can reach them if a spot opens. No response is created and they don't take a spot.

If a guest is midway through responding when the last spot fills, their party is trimmed to whatever room is left (never below one), so the event can't be pushed over the line. Guests who are already confirmed always keep their spot, and can still edit or decline their reply — even when the room is over the limit.

The waitlist

Guests who register interest appear on your Maximum headcount card under Interested · event full, newest first, with the name and the email or phone they left and when they registered. You're notified in the app and by email each time someone registers, so you know demand is building.

The waitlist is a contact list for you — a private note of who'd like to come. When a spot opens (because you raised the limit or a guest changed to no), reach out to the interested guests you'd like to invite, and add them to your list with Add guest. If room opens because you upgraded your plan, InviteBird emails your waitlisted guests automatically to let them know. A waitlisted guest who returns to the invitation and finds room again sees A spot opened! and can refresh to send their RSVP.

Common questions

Do confirmed guests ever get bumped when the event fills? Never. Confirmed guests keep their spot no matter what. Only new RSVPs are closed once you're full.

Can I lower the limit below the number already coming? Not directly: the limit can't go below the people who already have a spot, and the editor tells you that number. If you need fewer, remove or decline guests first. If a room ever ends up over its limit (for example you added guests by hand), nobody is removed, the bar shows [N] over, and new RSVPs stay closed until you raise the limit.

Does registering interest count as a guest? No. It never creates a guest or counts toward your total — it's a private note to you, and duplicate entries from the same person are ignored.

How do I let a waitlisted guest in? Make room (raise the limit, or a guest drops out), then add them from Add guest. There isn't a one-tap "promote" button — you invite them like any other guest, which lets you choose exactly who gets the opening.

Can I reopen RSVPs completely? Yes. Raise the limit above your current attendance, or switch the Maximum headcount card off, and RSVPs reopen immediately.

Can I pause RSVPs without setting a limit? Yes. The Maximum headcount card also has a Pause new RSVPs & changes switch that works independently of the cap. Turn it on to temporarily hold all new replies and edits — guests see a kind RSVPs are paused note and the waitlist pauses too — then switch it off to reopen. Your confirmed list is never touched. See How RSVPs work for what guests experience.

Does a guest changing to "yes" get re-checked against the cap? Yes. If someone tries to switch back to attending after the event filled, they'll see the This event is full screen too, so a late change can't overbook you. See Changing an RSVP.

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