Overview
Notification Emails
Automatic emails that fire when guests register, join the waitlist, decline, or update their information. Deliver calendar invites, confirm registrations, and keep the door open with non-attendees.
Guest clicks Accept. Now you send confirmation, attach the calendar, and enable updates. How fast can you type?
Registrations trickle in for weeks. Each needs instant confirmation. Each needs the right email for their response.
Instant Confirmation
Guest registers. Email fires automatically. Calendar invite attached before they close the browser.
Right Message, Right Moment
Accepted guests get the calendar. Waitlisted guests get acknowledgment. Each response triggers its email.
How Notification Emails Work
Section titled “How Notification Emails Work”Someone registers for your event. Now you need to send a confirmation, attach the calendar invite, give them a way to update their response later, and do it all before they close the tab.
Try doing that manually for 150 registrations over three weeks.
Notification emails handle the follow-up automatically. Each guest action triggers the right email with the right content. You set up the templates once. Gatsby sends them at the right moment.
Four notification types cover the guest lifecycle. Find them in RSVP tool > Email Settings.
Confirmation Email
Fires when a guest clicks Accept or Yes on your registration page.
The default includes their unique RSVP link and calendar invite attachment. This is the primary delivery mechanism for getting the event on their calendar.
Why it matters: Guests expect immediate confirmation. The calendar invite arrives while they’re still thinking about your event.
Waitlist Email
Fires when a guest joins the waitlist. This happens when registration is in waitlist mode or they use a public link with waitlist enabled.
No calendar invite attached. Signals that they are in the queue but not yet confirmed.
Why it matters: Acknowledges their registration without promising a spot.
Decline Email
Fires when a guest clicks Decline or No.
Opportunity to thank them, keep the relationship warm, and leave the door open for next time. Optional to send.
Why it matters: A graceful decline email maintains the relationship for your next event.
Survey Update Email
Fires when a guest returns to their registration and changes information. Dietary restrictions, session selections, or cancellation.
Confirms their updates were saved.
Why it matters: Guests know their changes went through. You avoid confusion at the event.
Understanding the Requirement
Section titled “Understanding the Requirement”Notification emails must use SendGrid sending accounts, not connected Google or Microsoft accounts. This ensures reliable delivery throughout your event lifecycle.
Why Not Gmail or Outlook?
Connected personal accounts require periodic re-authentication. If this happens during your event, automatic emails stop sending without warning.
SendGrid accounts stay connected permanently. No surprise outages. No missed confirmations.
Your Sender Options
Use a shared address like events@yourfirm.com for consistent branding across all events.
Or create a SendGrid sender that mimics a personal account (marcus@yourfirm.com) if you want confirmation emails to appear more personal.
Both work. Pick what fits your audience.
Make Sure the Inbox Exists
Whatever address you use, ensure it can receive replies. Guests often respond to confirmation emails with questions.
If the inbox doesn’t exist, those replies bounce. That looks unprofessional.
Setting Up a SendGrid Sender
Section titled “Setting Up a SendGrid Sender”If your team hasn’t configured SendGrid yet, you’ll need to set that up before notification emails can send.
Check Existing Senders
Go to Team Settings > Sending Accounts. If you see SendGrid accounts listed, you’re ready.
Select one as the sender for your notification emails.
Need to Add SendGrid?
Contact your admin or review the Sender Settings page.
SendGrid requires DNS configuration on your domain. Once configured, you can create any sending address using your domain.
Email Components
Section titled “Email Components”Each notification email has the same building blocks: sender, subject line, and body. The editor works just like campaign emails.
Sender
Select from your SendGrid sending accounts. Determines the “From” name and address guests see.
Pick something recipients will recognize.
Subject Line
Customize per email type. Good practice: make it clear what the email is.
“Confirmed: Annual LP Meeting” beats “You’re in!” Include mail merge fields for personalization when it helps.
Email Body
Full formatting control. Same editor as campaigns.
Include text, images, buttons. Or keep it simple and personal. Plain text with a signature works for intimate dinners. Designed templates work for conferences.
Mail Merge in Notification Emails
You can merge event name and guest name.
Custom field data is not available in notification emails (unlike campaigns). Keep merge fields limited to basics.
Attachments and Special Content
Section titled “Attachments and Special Content”Notification emails support attachments and special auto-generated content. The confirmation email is where most of this lives.
Calendar Invite (Confirmation Only)
Attached by default. The .ics file that puts your event on guests’ calendars.
Remove by clicking the X next to the attachment. Reattach via the three-dots menu > Add Calendar Invite.
QR Code (Confirmation Only)
Auto-generated unique QR code for check-in. Enable via three-dots menu > Add QR Code.
Guests show this at the door. You scan with the iOS app to mark attendance.
PDF Attachments
Attach any file via the paperclip icon.
Common uses: parking instructions, pre-read documents, venue maps. Works for all notification email types.
What the Waitlist Email Lacks
No calendar invite. They’re not confirmed.
No QR code. They can’t check in yet.
This is intentional. You don’t want waitlisted guests showing up thinking they have a spot.
Editing Your Templates
Section titled “Editing Your Templates”Navigate to RSVP tool > Email Settings. Click on any of the four tabs to edit that notification email.
Basic Editing
Click into the email body. Edit like any document. Save when done.
The template applies to all future registrations for this event.
Removing Attachments
Click the X next to any attachment to remove it.
The calendar invite is just another attachment. Remove it if you don’t want it auto-delivered. Useful for multi-event registration scenarios where child events should send their own.
Disabling Notification Emails
Toggle off any email you don’t want to send.
Common: disable decline email if you don’t want to send anything when guests say no. Disable confirmation email if child events should send their own.
Testing Your Emails
Register as a guest using a test email address. Go through the actual flow to see what guests receive.
The email preview in the editor doesn’t show mail merge values filled in.
Create a test contact with an email you control. Register through your landing page. Check what arrives. This catches formatting issues and merge field problems.
The Confirmation Email as Delivery Mechanism
Section titled “The Confirmation Email as Delivery Mechanism”You send the invitation campaign. Guest clicks the link. Registers. Now they need the calendar invite.
Do you manually send it? Create another campaign? Hope they figure out the date?
The confirmation email solves this. It fires automatically when registration completes. The calendar invite is already attached. The event is on their calendar before they close the browser. No manual step. No delay.
This is why calendar invites belong on the confirmation email, not the invitation campaign. Invitations go before commitment. Confirmations go after. Attach the calendar to the commitment.
Why Not Attach to the Invitation Campaign?
Attaching a calendar invite to an invitation feels like calendar bombing. Guests haven’t committed yet.
The confirmation email respects the sequence: invite, commit, then calendar.
The Default RSVP Link Inclusion
Every confirmation email includes the guest’s unique RSVP link.
Guests can return to update their registration, change their response, or cancel. This reduces your inbox load. They self-serve.
Waitlisted Guests Don't Get the Calendar
By design.
If your event is capacity-limited or requires vetting, waitlisted guests receive the waitlist email. No calendar. No QR code.
Only when you move them to Accepted do they get the confirmation email with attachments.
Waitlist and Approval Workflows
Section titled “Waitlist and Approval Workflows”A security-conscious team needs to verify clearances before guests are confirmed. A curator needs to vet applications before accepting. An exclusive dinner has 30 seats and 50 registrations.
You can’t send “You’re in!” to everyone immediately. But you need to acknowledge their registration.
The waitlist email handles this. It confirms receipt without confirming attendance. The calendar invite stays on hold until you approve.
Use waitlist mode (or public link with waitlist) to route registrations through a review step. Guests receive the waitlist email. You vet. You approve. Then they get the confirmation email with the calendar invite.
The Vetting Queue Pattern
Registration mode set to Waitlist. Every guest lands on the waitlist.
Review at your pace. Move approved guests to Accepted. They get the confirmation email automatically.
Public Link with Waitlist
Open registration through public link, but waitlist enabled. New registrations go to waitlist.
You control who gets confirmed. Combines open access with gatekeeping.
Customize the Waitlist Email Language
Default says something like “If a spot opens up, you’ll be notified.”
But if you’re using waitlist as a vetting step, change the language: “Your registration is received. We’ll confirm your spot shortly.”
Match the words to your actual workflow.
More on Waitlist Settings
See Capacity and Waitlists for registration mode settings and capacity configuration.
Multi-Event and Advanced Scenarios
Section titled “Multi-Event and Advanced Scenarios”Some situations require turning off or modifying notification emails. Here’s when and how.
Multi-Day Events with Child Events
Guest registers through the parent event. Selects sessions (child events).
You want calendar invites from the child events, not the parent. Disable or remove the calendar invite from the parent’s confirmation email. Each child event sends its own confirmation with its own calendar invite.
Disabling the Confirmation Email Entirely
Rare, but sometimes needed. Toggle off in Email Settings.
Use case: parent event handles communication; child events are just for calendar delivery and capacity tracking.
Disabling the Decline Email
Common. Some teams don’t want to send anything when guests decline.
Toggle off. The guest’s decline is still recorded; they just don’t receive an email about it.
Survey Update Email for Cancellations
When guests return to cancel (change from Accepted to Declined or Canceled), they receive the survey update email.
Customize it to acknowledge the cancellation gracefully.
Common Questions
Section titled “Common Questions” Why do notification emails require SendGrid?
Google and Microsoft accounts require periodic re-authentication. If this happens during your event, notification emails stop sending.
SendGrid accounts stay connected permanently, ensuring guests always receive their confirmations.
Can I send notification emails from a personal-looking address?
Yes. Create a SendGrid sender with a personal display name and email (marcus@yourfirm.com).
Make sure that inbox exists to receive replies.
How do I test notification emails?
Add yourself as a guest. Go through the registration flow. You’ll receive the actual notification email.
The preview in the editor doesn’t show mail merge values populated.
What mail merge fields work in notification emails?
Event name and guest name fields. Custom field data is not available in notification emails.
Custom field merge works in campaigns, not automated notifications.
Can I send the calendar invite without the confirmation email?
Not directly. The calendar invite attaches to the confirmation email.
If you want to send calendar updates later, use the calendar update feature. See Calendar Invites for details.
What happens if a guest registers multiple times?
Duplicate registrations update the existing guest record.
They receive a survey update email confirming their information changed, not a new confirmation email.
Do guests receive emails when I manually change their status?
No. Notification emails only fire when guests take action through the registration page.
If you manually move someone from Waitlist to Accepted, send them a campaign to notify them.
Can I resend a confirmation email?
From the guest’s profile, you can resend notification emails.
Useful when a guest says they never received it.
Plus Ones not receiving emails
Plus Ones do not get confirmation emails.
Plus Ones will be notified to RSVP if “RSVP on their behalf with this invitation” is un-checked by the guest adding their Plus One during registration.