Overview

Availability: This feature is available in all plans of Zoho Backstage.

Once RSVP is enabled, the event becomes invite-only. Only those who receive a direct invitation will be able to register or submit their RSVP. Registration access for others will no longer be available through the event site.

Configuring RSVP

Enabling RSVP for Your Event  

1. Navigate to Registrations > RSVP > Configuration from the Dock.
2. Click Enable RSVP or turn on the RSVP toggle.
   

Once RSVP is enabled, the event becomes invite-only. Only those who receive a direct invitation will be able to register or submit their RSVP. Registration access for others will no longer be available through the event site.

Allowing Companion Tickets 

1. Navigate to Registrations > RSVP > Configuration from the Dock. 
2. Turn on the Allow Companions toggle. 
3. Guests will see the option to register companions when they respond to their invite.

Setting an RSVP Response Deadline

1. Navigate to Registrations > RSVP > Configuration from the Dock.
2. Find the Response Deadline section and choose one of the following:
   
   
   
   
1. Event Start Date & Time (default)
2. Custom Date & Time
   
1. Specify the Date and Time.
   
3. Publish your event to start adding guests.
   

For example, if your event starts on July 22, 2025 at 11:29 AM, setting the deadline to the same or an earlier time ensures that all responses are collected in time for final logistics.

Guests and Invitations

Adding a Single Guest  

1. Navigate to Registrations > RSVP > Guests from the Dock. 
2. Click Add Guest. The Add Guest side panel will appear. 
   
   
   
   
3. Go to the Single Guest tab.
   
4. Enter the guest’s details, including name, email, and any other requested information.
5. Click Save to add the guest to your list.
   

This option is ideal for last-minute or personalized additions where uploading a list may not be necessary.

First Name and Email are mandatory. 

Adding Multiple Guests 

1. Navigate to Registrations > RSVP > Guests from the Dock. 
2. Click Add Guest. The Add Guest side panel will appear. 
3. Go to the Multiple Guests tab.
   
   
   
   
4. Use the bulk entry fields to input guest names and email addresses line by line.
   
5. Click Add More to insert another row of fields for guest details. You can repeat this step to add as many guests as needed.
6. Check the Email option under Send Invitation Via to send an RSVP invite email to each guest.
7. Click Add to save the entries and add them to your guest list.

To customize the RSVP invitation email, go to Communicate > Emails > Automated Emails > RSVP > RSVP Invite Email. 

This method is useful for small groups like teams, family or friends.

First Name and Email are mandatory fields. 

Importing Guests

1. Navigate to Registrations > RSVP > Guests from the Dock. 
2. Click the Import button. The Import Guests panel will open with the Configure section selected.
   
   
   
   
3. Upload your guest file (.xls, .xlsx, or .csv) by dragging and dropping it into the upload area or by selecting it manually from your system.
   
4. After uploading, the file will appear in the Upload file section.
   
1. Click Change to upload a different file.
   
2. Click Delete to remove the current file.
   
5. Select the Send event invitation email to guests checkbox to automatically send RSVP invitations to all newly imported guests.
   
6. Click Next to proceed to the Map Fields section.
   
   
   
   
7. In the Map Fields section, all guest fields from your Zoho Backstage RSVP form will be shown on the left.
   
1. Matching column headers from your spreadsheet will be auto-filled on the right.
   
2. Use the dropdowns to manually map any remaining fields.
   
8. Click Next to review the mapping.
   
9. In the Review section, confirm that all fields are correctly mapped. Unmapped fields will be ignored.
   
10. Click Import to upload the guests.
    
11. In the Summary section, view the number of successfully imported and skipped records.
    
12. If some records were skipped, follow the suggestions shown, update your spreadsheet, and reimport.
    
13. Click Done to finish.
    

1. You can import a maximum of 500 guests at once.
   
2. File size limits: 10MB for .csv, 2MB for .xls and .xlsx.
   
3. Supported file types: .xls, .xlsx, .csv.
   
4. Use the sample sheet provided in the panel to ensure your column headers match the required fields.
   
5. Guests will receive RSVP invitation emails if the option is selected during import.
   

You’ll be shown a preview before the import is finalized to help avoid errors. 

Editing Guest Details 

1. Navigate to Registrations > RSVP > Guests from the Dock.
   
2. Open the menu next to the guest you want to edit and click Edit. The Edit Guest side panel will appear. 
   
   
   
   
3. Make the necessary changes. 
   
4. Click Save to update the details. 
   

The email cannot be edited. 

Sending RSVP Invites 

1. Navigate to Registrations > RSVP > Guests from the Dock. 
2. Select the guest(s) you want to invite.
3. Click Send Reminder.

Guests will receive a unique RSVP link where they can confirm their attendance and submit any additional details if required.

Sending Reminders to Guests 

1. Navigate to Registrations > RSVP > Guests from the Dock. 
   
2. On the status bar, click Maybe or Yet to Respond. 
   
3. Select the guest(s) you want to remind: 
   
1. For a single guest, open the menu next to their name and click Send Reminder.
   
2. For multiple guest, use the checkboxes to select them and click Send Reminder.

Use the Yet to Respond filter to ensures you capture last-minute confirmations without sending duplicate reminders to those who’ve already responded.

Marking Guests as Attending / Not Attending  

1. Navigate to Registrations > RSVP > Guests from the Dock. 
   
2. Select the guest(s) you want to update: 
   
1. For a single guest, open the menu next to their name and click either Mark as Attending or Mark as Not Attending.
2. For multiple guest, use the checkboxes to select them and click either Mark as Attending or Mark as Not Attending.
3. This status is immediately reflected in the guest list and event analytics.
   

When a guest is marked as Attending, they will receive a registration confirmation email that includes their ticket details. Once this is done, the guest will no longer be able to change their RSVP status. If they can no longer attend, they will need to cancel their ticket instead.

Exporting the RSVP Guest List

Download a list of all RSVP guests for your event, filtered by their response status. This export is helpful for sending targeted follow-ups, confirming attendee counts, or maintaining event records. To export RSVP guest data:

1. Navigate to Registrations > RSVP > Guests from the Dock.
2. Open the menu in the top right corner and click Export. The Export RSVP Guests dialog will appear.
   
   
   
   
3. Under Select Status, choose one of the following guest response categories:
   
1. All Guests
2. Yet to Respond
3. Attending
4. Maybe
5. Not Attending
4. (Optional) Enable Password Protect the File, then enter a password of your choice.
5. Choose your preferred File Format: XLSX or CSV.
6. Click Export to download the file to your device.
   

Please note that this password will not be stored. Remember it to access your file later.