Overview
Event Check-In
Track arrivals in real time from any device. Handle walk-ins without breaking flow. Keep your guest list and CRM in sync the moment someone walks through the door.
You check in a guest on your phone. When does your colleague at the door see it?
Traditional check-in traps data on one device. You reconcile at the end of the night.
Real-Time Sync
Check in on your phone. Your colleague sees it instantly on the iPad.
Built Into Your Guest List
No separate tool. No CSV exports. Attendance data lives with your guests.
How Check-In Works
Section titled “How Check-In Works”You rent a badge scanner for your conference. Guest data sits trapped on the device until you mail it back or download a CSV days later. By the time your sales team gets the attendance list, the hot lead who walked in Tuesday already forgot your name.
Gatsby check-in syncs the moment you tap. Attendance status updates on your guest list immediately. If you have CRM integrations, that data flows through too.
Check-in is built into every event. Works from desktop (web browser) or the Gatsby organizer app (iOS and Android). All devices see the same real-time data. Guests marked as Attended appear in the Attendance column on your guest list.
Where to Find Check-In
A green Check In button appears on your event tile 7 days before the event.
Need it earlier? Click the three-dot menu on any event and select Check In Guests. Same tool, same place. Works on both desktop and mobile app.
What You See
Everyone on your guest list appears. Including declined and waitlist guests.
Event planners know the truth: people who decline sometimes show up at the door anyway. Search by name, tap the checkbox, done.
What Gets Recorded
When you check someone in, they’re marked as Attended with a timestamp.
This appears in the Attendance column on your guest list. Exportable. Flows to connected CRMs like Salesforce, Affinity, and Altvia.
Check In via Mobile App
Section titled “Check In via Mobile App”Download the Gatsby organizer app (iOS or Android). Log in and select your event.
Steps to Check In
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Download the Gatsby organizer app from the App Store or Google Play.
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Log in with your Gatsby credentials.
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Select your event.
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Tap Go to Check In.
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Search for a guest or scroll the list.
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Tap the checkbox next to their name.
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Confirm the check-in.
If a badge printer is connected, the print option appears automatically.
Show Guest Details
Tap the gear icon to display additional information under each guest name.
Options include:
- Company: Their organization
- Seating Chart Assignment: Which table they’re at
- Custom Fields: VIP status, speaker designation, guest type
- Tags: Any tags you’ve applied
- Notes: Context for your check-in team
Your team sees what they need without opening each profile.
View Arrivals and Undo
Switch to the Arrived tab to see who has checked in.
Made a mistake? Tap a guest and select Undo Check-In. Their attendance status clears.
Internet Required
The mobile app needs an internet connection to sync. Make sure you have WiFi at your venue.
Use different Gatsby login accounts on different devices. Do not share a single login across all check-in iPads.
Check In via Web
Section titled “Check In via Web”No app required. Access check-in from any browser on your laptop or tablet.
Steps to Check In
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From your Events dashboard, find your event.
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Click the green Check In button (appears 7 days before the event).
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Or click the three-dot menu and select Check In Guests.
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Click the checkbox next to each guest as they arrive.
When to Use Web vs. App
Web works well for:
- Staffed registration tables with laptops
- Venues with unreliable mobile signal but strong WiFi
- Teams who prefer keyboard navigation
App is better for:
- Moving around the venue
- Scanning QR codes
- Printing badges on the spot
Scanning QR Codes
Section titled “Scanning QR Codes”QR codes speed up check-in for high-volume events. Guests scan their code, you confirm, done.
How Guests Get QR Codes
Each guest has a unique QR code generated automatically.
Two ways to deliver it:
- Confirmation email: Go to RSVP Settings, find Confirmation Email, and enable Attach QR Code. Guests receive it the moment they register.
- Campaign: Send QR codes in a campaign before the event. Useful for events without registration.
Steps to Scan
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In the mobile app, open check-in for your event.
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Tap the QR code icon in the top right.
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Point your camera at the guest’s code.
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Confirm check-in.
Registration QR Code for Walk-Ins
If your event has a public link enabled, you can display a QR code that takes guests to your registration page.
Useful for walk-ins. They scan with their own phone, fill out the form, and appear on your guest list. You check them in once they’re registered.
Adding Walk-In Guests
Section titled “Adding Walk-In Guests”Both the web and mobile check-in tools have a New Guest or Create button.
Steps to Add a Walk-In
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Tap or click New Guest (or the create button).
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Enter first name, last name, and email.
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Add company and any notes.
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Save.
The guest is added to your event and contact database immediately. Check them in or let them register themselves.
Self-Registration Option
Don’t want to spend time entering their details? Show them the registration QR code.
They scan it, fill out the form on their phone, and appear on your guest list. Then you check them in.
Faster for you. Better data quality since they type their own info.
Take a Photo
The mobile app lets you capture a photo during walk-in creation.
Useful for badge printing. Also helpful for remembering who someone is when you’re reviewing contacts later.
Linking Walk-Ins to Primary Guests
Section titled “Linking Walk-Ins to Primary Guests”When a walk-in arrives with an existing guest, you can link them together.
How Linking Works
During walk-in creation, select a primary guest from your existing list. The walk-in appears connected to that guest.
Useful for tracking plus-ones or companions. You know exactly who brought whom.
Add +1 During Check-In
Faster method: check in the primary guest first. Then use the Add +1 option to quickly create their companion.
This links them automatically. No separate walk-in creation and linking required.
Kiosk Mode for Self-Service
Section titled “Kiosk Mode for Self-Service”You have 200 guests arriving in 30 minutes. Your team cannot tap through that many one-by-one without a line backing up to the street.
Kiosk mode lets guests check themselves in. Set up an iPad at your entrance. Guests type their name, answer any registration questions, print their badge, and walk in. No staff bottleneck.
Kiosk mode is enabled in the Gatsby organizer app. Works best with a dedicated iPad at your entrance. Combine with Guided Access to lock the iPad to the Gatsby app.
Enable Kiosk Mode
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Open the Gatsby organizer app.
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Select your event.
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Below Go to Check In, toggle on Kiosk Mode.
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Set your default badge template first if you’re printing badges.
Guest Flow
What guests experience:
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Type their name (or scan their QR code).
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Select their profile from results.
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Answer any registration questions.
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Print badge or skip.
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Screen resets for the next guest.
Walk-In Registration in Kiosk
When someone searches and isn’t found, a Walk-In Check-In button appears (if you’ve enabled it).
They fill out their info, answer questions, print their badge. New contact created automatically.
Registration Questions
Configure what kiosk mode collects.
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On your event (desktop), go to the Mobile App tab.
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Find Registration Fields.
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Add custom fields.
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Set which are required.
Kiosk Settings
Go to App Settings then Kiosk Settings to control:
- Editable fields: What guests can modify
- Walk-in registration: Enable or disable
- Search sensitivity: How strict name matching is
- Auto-return timing: How long after badge printing before the screen resets
Exiting Kiosk Mode
Exiting requires a passphrase. Find it in Kiosk Settings.
You can also force quit the app. Test this before your event so you know the process.
Lock Down with Guided Access
iOS Guided Access prevents guests from leaving the Gatsby app.
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Go to iPad Settings.
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Navigate to Accessibility then Guided Access.
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Enable Guided Access.
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Triple-click the side button to start.
Remember your passcode. You’ll need it to exit.
Arrival Notifications
Section titled “Arrival Notifications”Get notified when important guests arrive. Set arrival notifications per guest. Anyone on your team with the app installed receives a push notification.
How to Set Notifications
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In check-in (web or app), find the guest.
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Click or tap their name to open their profile.
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Tap the bell icon.
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Select which team members should be notified when this guest arrives.
Use Case
Target account executive walks in. Your sales rep gets a push notification and can intercept them before they reach the coffee station.
Real-time intelligence. No more “wait, they were here?”
Who Can Receive Notifications
Any collaborator on the event with the Gatsby app installed.
They must have push notifications enabled on their device.
After Check-In
Section titled “After Check-In”What you can do with attendance data once guests have arrived.
View Attendance on Guest List
The Attendance column shows who arrived and when.
Add this column to your guest list view. Filter by attendance status to see who showed up versus who didn’t.
Export Attendance Data
Export your guest list with attendance included.
Use for post-event follow-ups, reconciliation, or reporting. The timestamp tells you exactly when each person arrived.
Leave Notes
Click a checked-in guest to open their profile. Leave notes about the interaction.
Did they have a complaint? Make a connection worth following up on? Notes persist on their contact record. Available for the next event.
Mark No-Shows
Gatsby doesn’t automatically mark guests as no-shows. After your event, you decide whether to mark non-attendees as no-shows or leave them as-is.
Depends on your data model. See post-event workflows in Playbooks for guidance.
Common Questions
Section titled “Common Questions” Can I check in guests before the event date?
Yes. Use the three-dot menu on your event tile and select Check In Guests. This works anytime.
The green Check In button only appears 7 days before the event. The three-dot menu works earlier.
Can multiple people check in guests simultaneously?
Yes. Check-in syncs in real time across devices.
Two people on different iPads can check in guests at the same time. Just use different Gatsby login accounts on different devices.
Do I need the app to check in guests?
No. Web check-in works from any browser.
The app adds QR scanning, badge printing, and kiosk mode. But basic check-in works without it.
What if someone shows up who declined?
They’re still on your list. Declined guests appear in check-in.
Search for them and mark them as arrived. Happens more often than you’d expect.
Can I undo a check-in?
Yes. Go to the Arrived tab, find the guest, and tap Undo Check-In.
Their attendance status clears immediately.
How do I track attendance for CRM integrations?
Attendance status syncs to connected CRMs (Salesforce, Affinity, Altvia, and others).
Check-in happens, status updates, CRM record reflects it. No export required.
Is there an Android app?
Yes. The Gatsby organizer app is available on both iOS and Android.
Can I add walk-ins at the door?
Yes. Two methods:
Method 1: Search and add
- Search for their name in check-in
- If not found, click + Add New Guest
- Fill in their info, check them in
Method 2: Kiosk mode walk-in registration
- Enable in Kiosk Settings
- Guests register themselves
- Badge prints automatically
New contacts sync to your database immediately.
Can I use the same account to check-in guests on multiple devices?
Same account, multiple devices: No (one device kicks the other out)
Multiple accounts, multiple devices: Yes (recommended setup)
Use different Gatsby team member logins on each iPad station. Check-in syncs in real-time across all devices.
Mobile app limitations
iOS app
- Check-In with QR scanning
- Badge printing
- Basic guest list viewing
- Basic contact editing
- iPhone and iPad supported
Android app
- Not supported for event organizers
Not in mobile app
- Landing page editing
- Email campaign creation
- Seating chart design