How RSVPs work

An RSVP is a guest's reply to your invitation. Guests respond right from the invitation link — there's no account to create and no app to install. The flow is a friendly, one-question-at-a-time wizard with a progress strip along the top, and guests can switch it to light or dark mode to suit their screen.

What your guests will see

When a guest opens their invitation and chooses to respond, they're guided through a short flow:

1. Will you join us? — the guest enters their name and an email or phone, then picks Yes, I'm in, Maybe, or Sorry, can't.
2. If they choose Maybe or Sorry, can't, they go straight to a thank-you screen — quick and done.
3. If they choose Yes, I'm in, the flow continues through any extra steps you've turned on.

Guests only ever see the steps you've enabled, and most steps are optional and skippable, so responding stays fast even on a phone.

The steps a "Yes" guest may walk

Depending on what you've set up, an attending guest might be asked:

• How many of you? — party size, plus optional names for each additional guest. See Allowing plus-ones and additional guests.
• Food & menu — a meal choice and any dietary notes. See Meals and dietary choices.
• Playlist — a song request for your event.
• Quick poll — a vote on a question you asked.
• Party game — a quick trivia round.
• Bring a dish — claiming an item from a potluck list.
• FAQ — a chance to read your answers to common questions.
• Occasion games — the extras for your event type, such as a baby prediction, a birthday guess, or graduation wishes.
• A note to the host — an optional message.
• A gift or contribution screen — if you've set one up, shown last and always skippable.

The steps appear in a sensible order, each on its own screen, and the guest can move back and forth or skip optional ones.

Guest counts

Every response carries a party size — the guest plus any additional guests they bring. If you allow plus-ones, the Yes flow asks how many extra guests they're bringing and, optionally, their names. That party size feeds your totals, seating, and meal counts, so your numbers stay accurate as replies land. The number you allow is the most a guest can bring; their reply sets their actual party, up or down, and your seating plan follows it.

What you see as the host

Responses appear on your Guests tab as they come in. For each guest you can see:

• Their response — going, maybe, or can't make it.
• Their party size and any named additional guests.
• Any details they added — a meal choice, dietary note, or message.

An activity trail records each reply and change with a timestamp, so you always know who responded and when. From the same tab you can add guests, send reminders, edit a reply, and export your list. If you've set up seating and released tables, a returning guest who opens the invitation on the device they replied from sees their table and where each person in their party sits; on any other device, they use the Find your table button. See Tracking RSVPs for reading your responses at a glance.

Pausing RSVPs

Need to hit pause — maybe you're finalizing numbers or waiting on a venue to confirm? In your event's Settings, under The door, the Maximum headcount card has a Pause new RSVPs & changes switch (while it's on, the Who can reply chip on the Guests & RSVP tab reads Paused). Turn it on and new replies and edits are gently held: a guest who opens the link sees a kind RSVPs are paused right now — check back soon note instead of the reply buttons, and the register-interest waitlist pauses too. Your guest list stays exactly as it is and nothing already saved is lost. Switch it back off any time and RSVPs reopen immediately. Day-of check-in at the kiosk isn't affected — pausing only touches the guest RSVP link.

Limiting RSVPs to your guest list

Want only the people you invited to be able to reply? The password card in your event's Settings, under The door, has an Only guests on my list can RSVP switch. When it's on, the shared link still opens for anyone, but replying is limited to guests on your list: as a guest starts their RSVP, we match the name and email (or phone) they enter against your list, and anyone who isn't on it is gently turned away with a check the spelling, or ask your host note. It's a light gate for a shared link — see Password-protecting your event for the details and how it pairs with a password.

Common questions

Do guests need an account to RSVP? No. They respond straight from the invitation link. Their answer is tied to the browser they replied in, so returning on the same device brings it back up. If they reply again from another device with the same name and email, InviteBird doesn't add a second reply — it emails them a one-time link to open and change the one they already sent.

Can guests reply before I formally send? Yes. As long as your event is live, guests can respond before and after you send. Only a passed event date or a cancellation closes responses.

Can a guest change their answer later? Yes — from Manage your RSVP on the invitation. See Changing an RSVP.

What happens when my event date passes? Responses close and become read-only. Each answer is kept for your records, but guests can no longer edit them.

A guest says the RSVP page looks empty, full, or paused. If you've set a maximum-capacity cap and it's reached, new guests see a This event is full screen instead of the buttons. If you've turned on Pause new RSVPs & changes, guests see a paused note — switch it off to reopen. Otherwise, see When the RSVP page isn't working.

Are the extra steps required? Almost all of them are optional and skippable. The only thing a guest must do is pick Yes, Maybe, or No and leave a name and contact.

Related articles

• Changing an RSVP
• Meals and dietary choices
• Allowing plus-ones and additional guests
• Tracking RSVPs