Making one
See who's coming asks for a title, your name and a date. The date starts two weeks out and the start time at 6:00 pm, so change both. No account needed.
"Ends" is optional. An end earlier than the start runs into the next morning, so a party from 7:00 pm to 2:00 am needs nothing more. For something over several nights, like a weekend away, fill in "Ends on" as well. Check "All day" if there's no time to give.
"Add a place, guests, or a question to ask" opens the rest. "Where" is whatever you type, like an address or "the back room at Sal's". "Map link" adds a "View map" button. It takes Google Maps, Apple Maps or OpenStreetMap links and nothing else, so a link on your page can't lead anywhere unexpected.
The times are in your time zone, shown beside them on the form, and the page people answer on says which zone it is.
Guests, and how much room there is
"People can bring others" starts checked, with "Guests each" set to 2. You can allow up to 20, or uncheck it if it's only the people you asked.
"Total room for" is how many people you have space for, everyone counted, guests too. Leave it blank and there's no limit. With a number in, the page shows how much room is left. Somebody who asks to bring more than will fit is told how many will, and asked to lower the number.
Once it's full, "Yes, I'll be there" closes for anybody who hasn't already said yes. They can still answer "Maybe" or "Sorry, I can't", so you still hear from them. People who already said yes keep their place, and can change their answer or take it back, which opens up room again. Maybes aren't counted against the room, and neither are their guests.
Asking one question
"One question to ask" puts a box on the form with your question as its label, like "Any allergies?" or "Which shuttle are you taking?". Questions can be 120 characters long and answers 200. Please don't use it for medical or other personal details.
The answers come in the spreadsheet you can download from the console, in a column headed with your question. They aren't shown on the page. If you change the question later, answers people already gave stay as they were, under the new heading.
What people see
The date and time are at the top, with the place and the map button. Under them, "Who's coming" gives three counts: how many are coming, guests included, how many said maybe, and how many can't make it. Then there's a list of names, people who can't come included, unless you've hidden them.
"Can you make it?" has three answers: "Yes, I'll be there", "Maybe" and "Sorry, I can't". Then a box for guests, if you allow them, your question if you asked one, a name, and an email if they'd like a copy and a link to change it. There's always a box marked "Anything for the host", and you can't switch it off.
They can change their answer, or take it back, from the same device or the link in their email, until you close it or the closing date passes. Nobody needs an account, and the page works without JavaScript.
Hiding who's coming
"Hide who's coming" is under "Options". People see the three counts and "The organizer chose not to show names", and you still see everybody on the console. It's useful when a no on the page would be awkward, like a fundraiser or a reunion.
The reminder the day before
About a day before it starts, everyone who said yes or maybe and left an address gets a reminder, with what they answered and a link back to the page. People who can't come aren't reminded. You don't get one.
It goes once for each date. Two things mean it doesn't go at all:
- You checked "Don't send a reminder the day before".
- You made the page less than a day before it starts.
It still goes after you press "Stop taking responses", because the people who said yes are still coming.
If you move the date, it goes again about a day before the new one, even if it already went for the old date, as long as the new one is more than a day away. Changing anything else doesn't send another. To tell people about a move right away, use "Tell people something" on the console.
Asking the people who haven't answered
Still waiting on a few people? Under "Tell people something" on the console, "People who haven't responded" takes a list of email addresses. Paste them one a line or with commas; a column straight from a spreadsheet works. You can add 100 at a time and 500 on one page.
Adding them sends nothing. When you're ready, press the button underneath, which says how many it will ask, like "Ask those 12 people". Each of them gets one email saying you added their address and asking whether they can make it. Nobody is ever asked twice, and anybody who has already answered with that address is left out. The button works once a day, and only while the page is open.
If you've set "Stop taking responses after" in "Edit the details", we ask anybody you haven't asked yet by ourselves, about two days before it closes. Without a closing date, asking is up to you.
Keeping an eye on it
Your private link opens the console. The line under the title gives the totals, such as "14 coming, counting guests · 3 maybe · 2 can't make it", with the room left if you set a limit. "Who's responded" lists everyone, with "Yes +2", "Maybe" or "No" beside each name, and their notes.
"Edit the details" changes anything you set when you made it, the date included. If people have already answered, it says so: changing the day or time doesn't tell them, so send a message if it's moved. The rest of the console is in Running your page.
A head count doesn't close by itself when the day comes. If you don't want answers after it starts, set "Stop taking responses after", or press "Stop taking responses" on the day.
Who gets an email, and when
Nobody gets an email they didn't leave an address for.
| Who gets it | When | |
|---|---|---|
| Your links | You, if you typed your email | When you make it |
| A copy of their answer | The person who answered | When they answer, with a calendar file unless they said no. Again if they change it from the link in that email, or take it back |
| Somebody can't make it | You | Within the hour of a no, with any others from that hour in the same email |
| The day before | Everybody who said yes or maybe | About a day before it starts |
| Asking for an answer | The addresses you added | When you press the button, or two days before it closes |
| Your message | Everybody who answered, no included | When you send it |
| A reminder you set | Everybody who answered, no included | At the time you picked, on a paid plan |
| "Today on" your page | You | At 6 pm on days somebody answered |
| Their answer was taken off | The person you removed | When you remove their answer |
| It's about to be deleted | You | 14 days before a free head count nobody has answered for 12 months is deleted |
"Your links" go only to an address typed on the page. Everything else meant for you goes there too, or, if you made the page while signed in and left the box empty, to the address you sign in with.
What's free, and what isn't
Everything above is free except reminders you set yourself. On the free plan a head count takes 200 answers; each answer counts once, however many guests it brings. Paid plans raise that to 2,000 and add reminders on a day and time you choose, a PIN, your own link ending, colour and logo. The full list is on What's on each plan.
Didn't find what you were after? The rest of the help pages might have it, or write to us and somebody will answer.