Guest List Only or Open Guest List: which to choose
Guest List Only lets only guests on your list reply. Open Guest List lets anyone with the link reply and adds them to your list. Choose under Who can reply.
- Essentials
- Standard
- Pro
Works on your phone
Every RSVP form has a Who can reply setting. It decides what happens when someone types a name that isn't on your guest list. Guests who are on your list reply the same way with either choice, and you can switch whenever you like.
Steps
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Open Forms & RSVPs from the sidebar, choose the RSVP tab and pick the form you want to change.
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Under Who can reply, choose Guest List Only or Open Guest List (1).
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Choose Save changes (2). Until you do, guests still get the form as it was.
Which one suits you
Guest List Only suits most weddings. Only guests already on your list can reply. A guest types their name, and the form finds them and everyone in their party, so one person can reply for the whole household. A name that isn't on your list gets Guest not found, and nothing is added. A name that's close to one on your list, like Liz for Elizabeth, is asked Just checking: is this you? first, whichever you choose.
Open Guest List suits a wedding where you'd rather not list everyone first, like a casual party. Anyone with the link can reply. If the form can't find a name, it says We couldn't find you and offers Add me and continue. If the name is close to someone already on your list, it asks first whether that's them, so nobody ends up on your list twice by accident.
Good to know
- People who add themselves join your guest list when they send their reply. Each one is added as a guest of their own, not in a party, under the name they typed. Tidy them up in Guests whenever you like.
- They only see your public events. Someone who adds themselves can reply to the form's public events, not its private ones. If every event on the form is private, nobody new can add themselves.
- On the Essentials plan your list holds up to 50 guests, and that limit stays during the free Pro trial. Once your list is full, someone who isn't on it is told as soon as they type their name, before they fill anything in: "The guest list is currently full. Please contact the couple directly."
- There's a daily safety limit. To stop misuse, at most 50 new guests can add themselves through your RSVP forms in one day. After that, new people get the same message when they type their name.
- Want to check people before they join? The Guest Self Entry form lets guests ask to be added, and nobody joins until you approve them. See Let guests add themselves to your guest list.
Last checked
Want the bigger picture? Online Wedding RSVPs
Related articles
- Open your RSVP form and share the linkIn Forms & RSVPs, open the RSVP tab, switch Form status on, choose who can reply and which events, then Save changes and copy the form link.
- Let guests add themselves to your guest listOpen Guest Self Entry in Forms & RSVPs, switch Form status on, Save changes and share the link. Requests wait in Guests, Requests, until you approve them.