How to track RSVPs for free

Ask the same three things of everyone

• Will you come? Yes or no.
• How many of you are coming, including you?
• Is there anything you'd like to tell us? (Food allergies, a child's chair, a late arrival.)

Set a reply date

Pick a date far enough before the event that you can still change the order with the caterer, and say it on the invitation. In Paanyaya the reply date shows on each guest's invitation, and by default late replies are still accepted, because a late answer is better than none. You can also choose to close replies after the date.

Keep every answer in one place

In Paanyaya every guest gets a private link that opens their own invitation, and they answer Yes or No there, with how many are coming and an optional message. Your event page and dashboard show who is attending, who isn't, and who hasn't replied, and you can tap “No reply” to see only the people you still need to chase.

Count people, not only names

“Tito Ben and family” is one name and maybe five people. Decide how many each guest may bring, and the count you see adds up the people who said they're coming. You can allow each guest from none to ten companions, and change it for selected guests at once.

Follow up kindly

A short reminder works better than a long one. Send it by Messenger, Viber, or email: these usually work better than text messages for sending a link in the Philippines, because some networks block links in texts.

On the day

Guests who said yes get a QR code on their invitation. On the day you can scan it with your phone's camera, or share a check-in link with a helper at the door, to see who has arrived and how many people came. Afterwards you can download the guest list as a spreadsheet for your thank-yous.

When you don't know everyone

For a church gathering or a community event, turn on one public invitation link. Anyone who opens it can join your guest list, up to the number of people you set, and you can ask to approve each one first.

Questions