The waitlist

Waitlist is for guests waiting for a table to open up. Staff can add walk-ins and callers. If you turn on the waiting list in Settings, diners can also join it themselves from your booking page. Owners, managers and hosts can use it.

Add someone

1. Go to Waitlist and choose the date.
2. Choose "Add to waitlist".
3. Find the guest by phone, or enter a Name and Email.
4. Set the "Desired date", an optional "Preferred time", the "Party size" (1 to 100) and Notes (up to 500 characters).
5. Save.

The list is split into "Active" and a collapsed "History". Status chips are Waiting, Offered, Booked, Expired and Declined.

Offer a table and seat them

1. When a table frees up, choose "Offer" on a Waiting entry.
2. Choose how long the offer lasts: 15, 30 or 60 minutes, then "Send offer". The entry moves to Offered.
3. When the guest is ready, choose "Seat now" on the Offered entry. The "Convert to booking" window opens.
4. Check the Date and Time. Optionally pick a table ("Unassigned (bar / to-assign)" is available, and so are Combinations) and a "Turn time (minutes)". Save.
5. The entry becomes Booked and appears on the book.

• With the online waiting list on, "Send offer" also emails the guest a link to book. With it off, Offered is only a status for your team: contact the guest yourself.
• Only an Offered entry can be turned into a booking. If an offer has run out, it is Expired: offer it again.
• If there is a conflict, an "Availability warning" appears and you can override with a reason.
• "Decline" is available on Waiting, Offered and Expired entries and asks you to confirm.

Automatic emails

With the online waiting list off: when a booking is cancelled, waitlisted guests who have an email address and want that time are emailed that a table just opened up. A guest is emailed at most once a day for that.

Let diners join from your booking page

1. Go to Settings, Booking policy, and turn on "Waiting list".
2. When a diner picks a date with no times, your booking page offers "Join the waiting list" under the next available dates.
3. Diners pick up to 10 dates, a time or any time, and their party size. Or they choose any date, and get a daily email at 10am (or straight away, at most twice a day) when seats open.
4. They confirm by email before they are on the list.

• When a seat opens on a date, from a cancellation, a moved booking, or seats you added, the first people in the queue whose party fits are emailed a link to book. Nothing is held: the seat stays on your booking page, so the first to book gets it.
• Offers last 12 hours for dates more than a week away, 3 hours for 2 to 7 days, and 30 minutes inside 2 days. No offers are sent between 10pm and 9am unless the date is within 2 days.
• Anyone who let an offer pass stays on the list, behind people who have not had one yet.
• Diners waiting for a specific date hear first. Any-date diners hear about a seat when nobody is waiting for that date.
• After adding seats or a seating, choose "Notify the waiting list now". The list is also checked every 5 minutes.
• The Demand board at the top shows how many parties and covers are waiting for each date and time.
• Booking any date closes the guest's other dates from the same sign-up, unless they asked to stay on.
• Every email has a link to leave the list.