Your First Event in Gatsby

The Five Steps

Every event in Gatsby follows the same pattern.

1. Create your event
2. Set up registration
3. Add guests to the guest list
4. Send them an invitation
5. Track responses and run check-in

This guide covers that basic flow. By the end, you will have sent real invitations and understand how the pieces connect.

Looking for a quick start? Just watch this. The video covers the core concept and walks through the full flow.

Step 1: Create Your Event

Creating an event takes 30 seconds. You only need a name.

How to create an event

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1. Go to the Events & Lists dashboard.

2. Click Create Event.

3. Enter a name for your event.

4. Add date and time if you know them. (Skip if you do not.)

5. Click Create.

That’s it. Everything else is optional at this point.

You are now inside your event. The tabs across the top are your tools: Guest List, RSVP (registration), and Campaigns (emails). You will use all three.

Step 2: Set Up Registration

The RSVP tab is where you set up registration. You will create a landing page (your event website), and this is also where you configure surveys (registration forms) and calendar invite delivery.

Choose a landing page template

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1. Go to the RSVP tab.

2. Click Landing Page Templates.

3. Browse the Global Templates.

   Find one that fits your event style.

4. Click a template to preview it.

5. Select Duplicate to Event to copy it to your event.

6. Click Use as Landing Page to make it active.

You now have a registration page. When guests click their invitation link, this is what they see.

Customize your page

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At minimum, add your event date and time to the page. Beyond that, the default templates are professional and ready to use. You can edit colors, images, and fonts to fit your brand. You can use the Advanced Editor mode to change layouts, text size, copy/paste blocks around and more.

Find the “Video Help Center” when logged into Gatsby for additional videos about the Landing Page Editor.

Check the rest of your registration settings

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Before you move on, take a quick look at these:

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Surveys

Go to the Surveys tool inside the RSVP tab. This is where you modify questions guests see when they register. Dietary restrictions, company name, position. Review what’s there and adjust to fit your event.

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Email settings

Check your confirmation emails. These are the automatic notification emails guests receive after they register.

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Calendar invites

Make sure the calendar invite organizer is set to your organization. Guests receive the calendar invite when they register, not when you send the invitation.

Step 3: Add Guests

Guests need to be on your guest list before you can do anything with them. You can’t send someone a campaign or track their RSVP until they’re on the list. Start by adding yourself so you can test the full experience.

Add yourself first

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1. Click the dropdown arrow next to the Add Guests button on your guest list.

2. Click Create Contact.

3. Add your name and email address, and finish the process to add yourself to the guest list.

You are your first guest. Test the entire experience before sending to anyone else.

Next time: Just search for your name in the main “Add Guests” option to quickly add youself again. You don’t need to “Create Contact” every time.

Add more guests

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Three ways to add guests after yourself:

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Search and add

Find existing contacts by name. Add them one at a time. Good for small, curated lists.

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Upload a spreadsheet

CSV import with names, emails, and any other details. Best for larger lists.

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Pull from another event or list

Copy guests from a previous event or a list. Their contact info carries forward automatically.

For now, you just need yourself on the guest list. You will add everyone else after you have tested the full flow.

Step 4: Send Your First Invitation

Campaigns are how you send emails from Gatsby. Your invitation is a campaign email that contains an RSVP link pointing guests to the registration page you just built.

Create your invitation campaign

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1. Go to the Campaigns tab.

2. Click New Campaign.

3. Select Draft.

4. Fill in the basics:

   • Campaign name (internal, guests do not see it)
   • Sender (your connected email)
   • Subject line (what guests see in their inbox)

5. Write your invitation message.

6. Use the + button to insert {firstName} for personalization.

7. Use the + button to insert {rsvpLink} for their registration link.

   This link is crucial. It is unique to each guest.

The RSVP link explained

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Each guest gets a unique link. The link knows who they are, pre-fills their info, and tracks their response.

If someone forwards the email, the link still points to the original guest. This is intentional. It maintains tracking accuracy.

Do not paste a URL manually. Always use the + menu to insert the RSVP link. The system generates the correct unique link for each recipient.

Test before you send

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1. Click Add Recipients.

2. Find yourself and add only yourself.

3. Send the campaign to yourself.

4. Open your email. Click the link.

5. Complete registration on the landing page.

6. Check that everything works.

You will see your status change on the guest list.

Want to re-test? Remove yourself from the guest list and re-add yourself. We won’t send you the confirmation email automatically twice.

Once your test works, add your other guests as recipients and send. Your first invitations are out.

The RSVP link is not optional. Without it, guests have no way to register. Use the + menu to insert it. Do not paste a link manually.

Step 5: Track Responses and Run Check-In

Your guest list updates in real time. Watch statuses change as people respond.

What the statuses mean

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• Invited - Sent the link, no action yet
• Visited - Clicked the link, did not complete registration
• Accepted - Confirmed attending
• Declined - Confirmed not attending

Filter by status to see who needs attention. “Visited” guests are warm leads. They started but did not finish. Worth a personal follow-up.

Send a follow-up

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1. Filter your guest list by “Invited” and “Visited” to find non-responders.

2. Select them.

3. Click Send Message.

4. Either re-send them your existing campaign or create a new follow-up campaign.

That is your first event. You created it, set up registration, added guests, sent invitations, and tracked responses. Every future event follows this same pattern.

What’s Next

You have completed the core workflow. Every event uses these same five steps. As you get comfortable, explore these features.

Collect more information

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Add survey questions to your registration form. Gather dietary restrictions, company info, session preferences, or custom data.

Registration forms

Customize confirmation emails

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The automatic email guests receive after registering can include your message and calendar invite. Make it match your brand.

Notification emails

Day-of tools

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Check in guests with the mobile app. Print badges. Manage seating. Track who actually showed up versus who RSVPed.

Day-of event tools

Duplicate for next time

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Once you have run an event successfully, duplicate it for your next one. Your settings, designs, and templates carry forward. Second events take half the time.

Common Questions

Can I edit everything after creating the event?

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Yes. Event details, landing pages, guest lists, campaigns. All editable anytime. Nothing locks.

Made a typo in your event name? Change it. Want to swap the landing page template? Go ahead. Gatsby is designed for iteration.

What if I make a mistake?

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You cannot break anything permanently. Remove guests and re-add them. Delete campaigns and create new ones. Duplicate your event to create a sandbox for testing.

The only thing you cannot undo is a sent email. Test before you send.

Why does the RSVP link matter so much?

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The link is unique per guest. It tracks who clicked and who registered. If you paste a generic link or forget to include it, you lose all tracking and guests cannot register.

Use the + menu in a Campaign email. Let Gatsby generate the link.

Where is the calendar invite?

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Calendar invites are attached to confirmation emails (the automatic email after registration) by default.

What if guests reply by email instead of clicking the link?

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You can manually update their RSVP status on the guest list. Click their status field, select Accepted or Declined. Choose whether to send them a confirmation email.

It happens. Some people just hit reply. You have the tools to handle it.

Should I use a 'public' link?

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Personal invitation links give you better tracking and control.

Enable and send your event’s public link later if you need open registration or social sharing. Personal links are the default for high-touch events.