Troubleshooting

Critical: Event-Live Issues

Event starts in 2 hours. Check-in app won’t connect. Badge printer throwing errors. VIPs didn’t receive calendar invites. Registration link down.

This section is for when it’s all on fire.

Email sending: Emergency workarounds

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What happened: Emails failing to send during critical time.

Quick fixes:

1. Check sender authentication: Team Settings » Linked Services » Reconnect email account
2. Hit sending limit: Switch to SendGrid (contact support for emergency setup)
3. Emails not processing: Send in smaller batches of 500
4. Use personal email: Send directly from Gmail/Outlook as one-off
5. Manual workaround: Export guest list » Send from personal client with BCC

Long-term solution: Set up SendGrid before your next event.

Confirmation emails not sending

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Check these:

1. Email configuration: Event Details » Check if SendGrid is connected
2. Notification email toggled off: RSVP Tool » Email Settings » Confirmation » Toggle must be ON
3. Calendar invite attachment issue: Remove and re-attach calendar invite in email settings
4. Spam folder: Have test guest check spam/junk
5. SendGrid authentication: Team Settings » Verify DNS records with IT

Fix: Most common is toggled-off notification email. Check Email Settings first.

Calendar invites missing

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Two types of problems:

Calendar invite not attached to email:

• RSVP Tool » Email Settings » Confirmation » Add Calendar Invite from three-dot menu

Calendar invite attached but not arriving:

• Test with personal email first
• Check if SendGrid is authenticated (Team Settings)
• Verify calendar organizer is set (RSVP Tool » Calendar Settings)

Quick test: Add yourself as guest, register, check what arrives.

Walk-Ins and unexpected arrivals at the door

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Two methods to check them in:

Method 1: Search and add

1. Open check-in (app or web)
2. Search their name
3. Click + Add New Guest
4. Fill info, check in, print badge

Method 2: Kiosk self-registration

1. Enable Walk-In Registration in Kiosk Settings
2. Guest types their name
3. Not found? They fill out form themselves
4. Badge prints automatically

New contacts sync to database immediately.

Badge printer won't connect

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iOS app troubleshooting:

1. Bluetooth on? Device Settings » Bluetooth » On
2. Printer powered and paired? Settings » Bluetooth » Look for printer name
3. Reconnect in app: Gatsby app » Settings » Printers » Tap printer » Connect
4. Still failing? Forget device in iOS Bluetooth, re-pair from scratch

Supported: Brother QL-820NWB, Zebra with full Bluetooth

Not supported: Android (iOS only for badge printing)

Badge print errors/issues

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Common problems:

Blank badges printing:

• Template has no fields selected » Edit template » Add fields

Misaligned printing:

• Wrong label size » Confirm DK2205 or equivalent
• Template margins off » Adjust in badge designer

Printer stops mid-event:

• Check label supply » Swap roll
• Bluetooth disconnected » Reconnect in app Settings » Printers

Badge won’t print at all:

• Check printer connection status in app
• Restart printer, reconnect Bluetooth

QR codes won't scan

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Check-in app issues:

1. Camera permissions: Device Settings » Gatsby » Allow Camera
2. Lighting too dim: Move to better-lit area or use device flashlight
3. QR code damaged: Guest shows confirmation email » Manual check-in
4. Wrong QR code: Guest showing ticket from different system » Search by name

Guest app QR codes (for check-in):

• Have guest open Gatsby Guest app » Show QR code from there
• Backup: Search guest by name in check-in tool

Sent emails to the wrong people by mistake

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Immediate actions:

1. Send correction email ASAP: Acknowledge mistake, clarify who should attend
2. Update guest list: Mark incorrect recipients as Declined or remove
3. Resend to correct people: Create new campaign with apology and correct link

Can’t recall emails. Send lands immediately. Only option is follow-up correction.

Prevention: Always send test to yourself first. Double-check recipient selection before clicking send.

Test links were sent to real guests

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What happened: Sent test/preview link instead of real personal links.

Fix:

1. Send correct links immediately: Create new campaign with real {rsvpLink} merge tag
2. Explain in email: “We sent incorrect registration link. Please use this one instead.”
3. Check responses: Test link responses won’t register correctly

Prevention: Use Not Sent To filter when resending. Never use test link in real campaigns.

Event link redirects to home page

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Common causes:

1. Event deleted or archived: Can’t fix - event is gone
2. Public link disabled: Event Details » Public Link dropdown » Enable
3. Landing page not published: RSVP Tool » Landing Page » Click Publish
4. Wrong URL copied: Get fresh link from Event Details

Quick check: Try link in incognito browser to rule out caching.

'Guest not found' error

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When registering:

1. Personal link for different guest: They need their own link (check sent emails)
2. Email mismatch: Guest using different email than invited with
3. Not on guest list: Add them manually first, then generate their link

When checking in:

1. Search by alternate name: Try nickname, maiden name, informal name
2. Not registered yet: Add as walk-in during check-in

Registration buttons not working

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Check these settings:

1. RSVP buttons disabled: Landing Page » Edit » Right sidebar » RSVP button settings » Enable buttons
2. Registration mode closed: Event Details » Registration » Change from “Do not allow registration”
3. Capacity reached: Check if at capacity, adjust or disable capacity limit
4. JavaScript error: Try different browser, clear cache

Quick test: View in incognito browser. If works there, it’s browser cache issue.

Mobile registration broken

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Symptoms: Buttons don’t work, layout destroyed, content cut off on phones.

Fixes:

Layout destroyed:

• Landing page template issue » Switch to mobile-responsive template
• Preview on actual device before going live

Buttons not responding:

• RSVP button settings disabled » Enable in landing page settings
• JavaScript not loading » Test in different mobile browser

Content cut off:

• Template margins too wide » Edit template » Adjust mobile view
• Use Template Editor preview » Test all screen sizes

Prevention: Always test landing page on actual mobile device before sending invitations.

Registration Problems

Anyone can register (not what I wanted)

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What happened: Public link enabled when you wanted invite-only.

Fix:

1. Disable public link: Event Details » Public Link dropdown » Disable
2. Check existing registrations: Filter guest list by Registration Source “Public Link”
3. Move to waitlist if needed: Select unwanted registrations » Change Status » Waitlist
4. Enable approval workflow: Change Registration Mode to “Wait for approval”

For future: Keep public link disabled until intentionally enabling it.

Guests bypassing waitlist

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Common causes:

1. Personal links sent before waitlist enabled: Personal links ignore waitlist settings
2. Team members marking guests Accepted manually: Bypasses waitlist
3. Multiple registration methods: Public link in waitlist, personal links accept directly

Fix:

1. Set Registration Mode: Change to “Wait for approval” (applies to ALL registration methods)
2. Review accepted guests: Check who got through, move to waitlist if needed
3. Disable personal link registration: Use public link only for waitlist mode

Prevention: Enable “Wait for approval” mode BEFORE sending any invitations.

Calendar invites not being sent to guests

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Check these:

1. Calendar invite not attached: RSVP Tool » Email Settings » Confirmation » Three-dot menu » Add Calendar Invite
2. Confirmation email disabled: Email Settings » Toggle must be ON
3. No calendar organizer set: RSVP Tool » Calendar Settings » Set organizer to connected Google account
4. SendGrid not configured: Notification emails require SendGrid

Test: Register yourself, check what email arrives.

Guests have duplicates on their calendar

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What happened: Guest received calendar invite multiple times, added each one.

Causes:

• Sent invitation campaign WITH calendar attached + confirmation email also has calendar
• Multiple event updates sent
• Guest registered multiple times

Fix for guest: They need to manually delete duplicate calendar entries. You can’t remote-delete.

Prevention: Only attach calendar to confirmation email, not invitation campaigns.

Public Link registrants not getting confirmation emails

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Check:

1. SendGrid configured? Notification emails require SendGrid for public registrations
2. Confirmation email toggled off? RSVP Tool » Email Settings » Confirmation » Toggle ON
3. Spam folder: Have test registrant check spam/junk

Common mistake: Using Gmail/Outlook for notification emails. Switch to SendGrid.

Waitlist emails not sending

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Check:

1. Waitlist email toggled off: RSVP Tool » Email Settings » Waitlist » Toggle ON
2. SendGrid not configured: Waitlist notifications require SendGrid
3. Guest status not actually Waitlist: Check RSVP Status column

Test: Manually change guest to Waitlist status, check if email sends.

Missing calendar invites in confirmation emails

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Two scenarios:

Calendar invite was attached, not arriving:

• Check spam folder first
• Verify calendar organizer is connected Google account with permissions

Calendar invite never attached:

• RSVP Tool » Email Settings » Confirmation » Three-dot menu » Add Calendar Invite

Child events: Parent confirmation might not have calendar. Each child sends its own.

Email Delivery Problems

Emails going to spam

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Immediate fixes:

1. Send from authenticated domain: Set up SendGrid with DNS records (contact support)
2. Remove spam triggers: Check for ALL CAPS subject, too many exclamation points, “FREE”, “ACT NOW”
3. Test with yourself: Send to your own Gmail/Outlook, see if it lands in spam

Long-term solutions:

1. SPF, DKIM, DMARC setup: Required for SendGrid (IT team handles this)
2. Warm up sending domain: Start small (50 emails), gradually increase volume
3. Clean your list: Remove bounced emails, old addresses

Prevention: Use SendGrid from day one. Gmail/Outlook have stricter spam filters.

All emails failing

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Check these in order:

1. Sender account disconnected: Team Settings » Linked Services » Reconnect Gmail/Outlook
2. Hit sending limit: Gmail/Outlook cap at 300-500/day » Switch to SendGrid
3. Account suspended: Check sender’s email account status
4. Network issue: Try sending single test email first

Emergency workaround: Send from personal email client with BCC until Gatsby email fixed.

Delivery to specific domains failing

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Corporate email filters:

Some companies block external event platforms. Common with finance, government, healthcare.

Workarounds:

1. Ask guest to whitelist: Have them add noreply@gatsbyevents.com and your SendGrid domain
2. Alternative email: Collect personal email as backup
3. Phone follow-up: For VIPs, confirm via call/text they received invite

No universal fix. Their IT controls their email filters.

Email sending limits hit

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What happened: Gmail/Outlook caps sending at ~300-500 emails per day.

Immediate fix:

1. Stop current send: Cancel if still processing
2. Wait 24 hours: Limit resets daily
3. Send in smaller batches: 200 per day

Permanent solution:

Set up SendGrid. No daily limits. Contact support for setup.

Prevention: Use SendGrid for any event over 200 guests.

Authentication required notice

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What happened: SendGrid needs DNS authentication to send from your domain.

Fix:

1. Contact Gatsby support: Request DNS records for your domain
2. Send to IT team: They add SPF, DKIM, DMARC records to DNS
3. Wait for propagation: 24-48 hours for DNS changes
4. Support verifies: Gatsby confirms authentication active

Can’t self-serve this. Requires IT team + Gatsby support coordination.

Can't add SendGrid account

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Common issues:

1. DNS not set up yet: Authentication required first (contact support)
2. Wrong email format: Must be @yourcompany.com (not @gmail.com)
3. Domain not verified: Gatsby support must verify your domain first

Process: Contact support → Get DNS records → IT adds to DNS → Gatsby verifies → You can add SendGrid sender

Timeline: 2-5 business days depending on IT responsiveness.

Landing Page & Mobile Issues

Landing Page completely blank

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Check:

1. Published? Landing Page editor » Top-right » Click Publish
2. Template deleted? Restore from template library or duplicate from another event
3. Browser cache: Try incognito/private browser
4. Loading error: Check browser console for JavaScript errors

Quick test: View in different browser. If works there, clear cache in original browser.

Mobile layout destroyed

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Fixes:

1. Switch template: Use mobile-responsive template from library
2. Check preview: Landing Page editor » Device preview » Test mobile view
3. Remove custom CSS: Advanced edits might break mobile, revert to template default

Prevention: Always preview mobile BEFORE publishing. Test on actual phone, not just desktop preview.

Content cut off on phones

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Common causes:

• Template margins too wide for mobile screens
• Fixed-width elements don’t scale
• Too much content in hero section

Fixes:

1. Edit margins: Template Editor » Adjust section padding/margins
2. Simplify hero: Reduce content in top section
3. Switch template: Choose mobile-first template

Test on real device before going live.

Registration buttons show differently when editing Landing Page

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This is normal.

Edit mode shows all buttons. Published page shows buttons based on:

• RSVP button settings (right sidebar)
• Registration mode
• Capacity settings
• Guest’s current RSVP status

Fix: Preview landing page as guest (use test link) to see actual button behavior.

Check-In & Day-of-Event

Different devices showing different guest counts

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What happened: Check-in not syncing across devices.

Common causes:

1. No internet connection: Check-in requires internet to sync
2. Using same account on multiple devices: One device kicks other out, causing sync issues
3. Offline changes: Changes made offline don’t sync until reconnected

Fix:

1. Verify internet: All devices connected to WiFi or cellular
2. Use different accounts: Each iPad uses different team member login
3. Refresh check-in: Close and reopen check-in view to force sync

Prevention: Test sync between devices BEFORE event starts. Ensure all devices have internet.

Guest List & Data Issues

Duplicate guests appearing

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Common causes:

1. Different email addresses: Same person, two emails (john@work.com and john@personal.com)
2. Name variations: “John Smith” vs “J. Smith”
3. CSV import with mismatched emails

Fix:

1. Merge duplicates: Select both » Actions » Merge Contacts
2. Choose primary: Select which email/data to keep
3. Set associated contact: Link personal email to work email for future

Prevention: Import CSVs with consistent email format. Use “Associated Contact” feature for people with multiple emails.

CSV import not working

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Common issues:

1. File size too large: Break into smaller files (5,000 rows max recommended)
2. Email column missing: Importer requires email column to match/create contacts
3. Special characters in names: Use Excel-optimized export format
4. File encoding issue: Save as UTF-8 CSV

Fix:

1. Check required columns: Email is mandatory
2. Test with small file first: 10 rows to verify format works
3. Use Gatsby’s export format: Export sample, use as template

Missing guest data

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Why guests might be “missing”:

1. Filters active: Check top-right of guest list for active filters
2. Wrong view: Switch to “All Guests” view
3. Section filter: Unassigned guests hidden if viewing specific section
4. Search typo: Try broader search terms

Fix: Clear ALL filters » Switch to All Guests view » Search again

Data actually deleted? Actions » Add Guests » Restore Deleted Guests

CSV export is missing data

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What exports:

Only visible columns in current view + active filters.

Fix:

1. Add columns: Columns button » Add Fields » Select what you need
2. Clear filters: Export with no filters for complete guest list
3. Switch view: Use “All Guests” view for full export

Invisible columns don’t export. Must be visible in view first.

Shared views showing wrong data

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Common issues:

1. Filters applied: Shared view includes filters from when link created
2. Columns updated: Original creator changed columns, reshare to update
3. Permissions: External viewer seeing limited data by design

Fix:

1. Recreate share link: Update view, generate new share link
2. Clear filters before sharing: Ensure “All Guests” view
3. Check what’s visible: Open shared link yourself to verify

Event Configuration

Conditional logic broken

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Survey form conditional logic not working:

Check:

1. Logic correctly configured? RSVP Tool » Survey » Edit question » Show/hide rules
2. Parent question answered? Conditional question only shows if parent answered correctly
3. Personal link vs public link: Some conditionals based on guest data (only work with personal links)
4. Test both link types: Personal link shows conditions based on guest data, public link doesn’t

Fix: Test with yourself as guest. Answer parent question, verify child question appears.

Guests stuck or greyed out in seating chart

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Common causes:

1. Already seated elsewhere: Guest assigned to different table/seat
2. Declined status: Declined guests appear greyed out
3. Section mismatch: Table in different section than guest

Fix:

1. Check current assignment: Click guest » See if already seated
2. Change RSVP status: Move from Declined to Accepted
3. Move to correct section: Use section dropdown to match table section

Force assign: Drag guest to seat even if greyed out (overrides most restrictions)

Need to move everyone in Seating Chart quickly

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Bulk operations:

1. Export seating: Guest list » Columns » Add Table + Seat » Export CSV
2. Edit in spreadsheet: Update Table/Seat assignments in bulk
3. Import back: Import CSV » Map to Table and Seat columns

Rearranging visually:

1. Multi-select: Click multiple guests » Drag to new table
2. Table swap: Select all at Table A » Move to Table B » Move Table B to Table A

Clear all seating: Actions » Clear Seating (starts from scratch)

Seating Chart table layout wrong

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What happened: Tables in wrong positions, wrong shape, or wrong capacity.

Fix:

1. Edit table: Click table » Edit » Change capacity, shape, position
2. Delete and recreate: Sometimes faster than fixing
3. Use template: Floor Plans » Load venue template if available

Reset layout: Delete all tables, start fresh with cleaner layout.

Child guests not appearing in parent

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Event families sync issue:

Check:

1. Family relationship set? Child event » Event Details » Advanced » Set parent
2. Guest on child list? Verify guest actually added to child event
3. Sync delay: Wait 30 seconds, refresh parent guest list

Fix:

1. Re-establish relationship: Remove parent connection, save, re-add parent, save
2. Manually add to parent: If sync broken, add guest to parent directly

Prevention: Set up family relationships BEFORE adding guests to child events.

System & Performance

Performance considerations

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What affects speed:

• Guest list size (10,000+ guests may load slower)
• Number of custom fields (100+ custom fields impacts performance)
• Complex conditional logic in surveys (nested conditions slow rendering)
• Large image files on landing pages (compress before uploading)

If Gatsby feels slow:

1. Reduce visible columns: Hide unused columns in guest list views
2. Use filters: Filtered views load faster than All Guests with 5,000+ people
3. Compress images: Landing page images under 2MB load faster
4. Clear browser cache: Old cache sometimes causes slowness

For very large events (5,000+ guests):

Contact support. We can optimize your instance.

Browser compatibility

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Supported browsers:

• Chrome (recommended)
• Safari (macOS/iOS)
• Firefox
• Edge

Minimum versions:

• Chrome 90+
• Safari 14+
• Firefox 88+
• Edge 90+

Issues with old browsers:

• Landing page editor may not load
• Check-in QR scanner won’t work
• Some interactive elements break

Fix: Update to latest browser version. Use Chrome if problems persist.

Internet Explorer: Not supported. Never was, never will be. Use Edge instead.

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Still stuck?

Contact Gatsby support with:

• Screenshot of the error/problem
• What you were trying to do
• Your event date (for priority handling)

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