Waitlist Emails
Eventixa Pro includes dedicated email templates for every important stage of the waitlist workflow.
Customers can receive confirmation when they join, a booking offer when a seat becomes available, and an expiration notice if they do not complete the booking in time. Event administrators can also receive a notification when someone joins a waitlist.
Available in: Eventixa Pro
Email Templates: Eventixa → Settings → Emails → Email Template
Notification Controls: Eventixa → Settings → Tickets → Waitlist
Related features: Waitlist, Reservations & Offers, Email Templates, Email Placeholders
Waitlist Email Types
Eventixa currently includes four dedicated Waitlist email templates:
- Waitlist Confirmation
- Waitlist Seat Available
- Waitlist Offer Expired
- Waitlist Admin New Signup
Each template serves a different part of the waitlist lifecycle.
Waitlist Confirmation
The: Waitlist Confirmation
email is sent when a visitor successfully joins an event ticket waitlist.
Its purpose is to confirm that the customer’s waitlist entry has been created.
The default subject is:
You’ve Joined the Waitlist – {event_name}
The default heading is: Waitlist Confirmation
What the Confirmation Email Means
The confirmation email means:
- The customer successfully joined the waitlist.
- Their waitlist entry exists.
- They are waiting for capacity.
- Eventixa can notify them if a ticket becomes available.
It does not mean:
- A booking is completed.
- A seat is reserved.
- Payment has been received.
- An attendee ticket has been issued.
Notify User on Join
Whether Eventixa sends the Waitlist Confirmation email is controlled by: Eventixa → Settings → Tickets → Waitlist
Enable: Notify User on Join
The current default is: Enabled
If this option is disabled, the waitlist entry can still be created, but Eventixa does not send the automatic confirmation email.
Confirmation Email Content
The default confirmation message tells the customer that they have successfully joined the waitlist and that Eventixa will notify them if a ticket becomes available.
It also includes: Waitlist Information which can display useful waitlist details.
Waitlist Information Block
Eventixa supports the special placeholder:
{waitlist_information}
This renders a structured information block containing available details such as:
- Event
- Ticket
- Queue Position
- Status
- Offer Expiration
Only relevant information is displayed.
For example, a new Waiting entry may not have an Offer Expiration yet.
Waitlist Seat Available
The: Waitlist Seat Available
email is sent when a waitlisted customer is promoted and receives an active offer.
The default subject is: A Ticket is Available for You – {event_name}
The default heading is: Ticket Available
When the Seat Available Email Is Sent
The email can be sent when a Waiting entry becomes: Reserved or Offered depending on whether seat reservation is enabled.
A Reserved entry means Eventixa is protecting a seat during the offer window.
An Offered entry means the customer received an offer without protected capacity.
Notify User on Promotion
Seat-available notifications are controlled by:
Notify User on Promotion
under: Eventixa → Settings → Tickets → Waitlist
The current default is: Enabled
If disabled, Eventixa can still promote the waitlist entry, but it does not automatically send the customer the offer notification.
Seat Available Email Content
The default message tells the customer:
- A ticket is now available.
- They should complete the booking before the reservation expires.
- Their waitlist information.
- A booking button.
Complete Booking Button
The default Seat Available template includes: {booking_button}
Eventixa renders this as an orange: Complete Booking button.
The button opens the waitlist offer URL for that customer.
Booking Link Security
The waitlist booking URL contains information used by Eventixa to validate the offer.
This includes:
- Waitlist entry
- Offer token
- Ticket
The offer is validated before Eventixa allows the reserved checkout workflow to begin.
Booking URL Placeholder
You can also use: {booking_url}
This outputs the waitlist offer URL as text.
For most customer-facing templates, the styled: {booking_button} or {booking_link} is usually easier for customers to use.
Booking Link Placeholder
The placeholder: {booking_link} renders the same styled Complete Booking button used by the waitlist offer workflow.
Reservation URL Placeholder
The Waitlist email merge system also supports: {reservation_url} which points to the same waitlist offer URL.
Offer Expiry
Use: {offer_expiry} to display when the active waitlist offer expires.
For promoted customers, this helps make the booking deadline clear.
Waitlist Offer Expired
The: Waitlist Offer Expired template can notify a customer when their Reserved or Offered waitlist opportunity expires before they complete the booking.
The default subject is: Your Waitlist Reservation Has Expired – {event_name}
The default heading is: Reservation Expired
Notify User on Reservation Expiry
Expiration notifications are controlled by: Notify User on Reservation Expiry under: Eventixa → Settings → Tickets → Waitlist
The current default is: Disabled
Enable this setting if you want customers to receive an email when their offer expires.
Expired Email Content
The default expiry message explains that:
- The reserved ticket expired.
- The booking was not completed within the reservation period.
- The offer is no longer active.
- The customer can join the waitlist again if they still want a ticket.
Expiration Happens Even Without Email
The waitlist expiration process does not depend on email delivery.
If:
Notify User on Reservation Expiry
is disabled, Eventixa still:
- Expires the offer.
- Updates its status.
- Releases the reservation.
- Continues the waitlist workflow where appropriate.
The email is only a notification.
Waitlist Admin New Signup
The fourth template is: Waitlist Admin New Signup
This email notifies the site administrator when someone joins an event ticket waitlist.
The default subject is: New Eventixa waitlist signup – {event_name}
The default heading is: New Waitlist Signup
Notify Admin on New Waitlist Entry
Admin signup notifications are controlled by:
Notify Admin on New Waitlist Entry under: Eventixa → Settings → Tickets → Waitlist
The current default is: Disabled
Enable it if administrators should receive an email for every new waitlist signup.
Admin Email Recipient
Unlike customer waitlist templates, the Admin New Signup template includes a: Recipient field.
By default, Eventixa uses the WordPress administrator email address.
You can enter another valid email address if waitlist notifications should go somewhere else.
If the Recipient field is empty, Eventixa falls back to the WordPress admin email.
Customer vs Admin Notifications
Customer and administrator notifications are independent.
For example, you can configure:
Notify User on Join: Enabled
Notify Admin on New Waitlist Entry: Disabled
In this setup:
- The customer receives the Waitlist Confirmation.
- The administrator does not receive the Admin New Signup email.
Email Template Enable Setting
Each Waitlist email template also has its own: Enable setting.
This is separate from the Waitlist notification switches.
For an automatic email to be delivered, the relevant notification setting and template configuration must both allow it.
Example — Confirmation Email
For a Waitlist Confirmation to be sent:
- Waitlist is enabled.
- Customer successfully joins.
- Notify User on Join is enabled.
- Waitlist Confirmation → Enable is enabled.
- Global Eventixa email sending is enabled.
- The customer has a valid email address.
Example — Seat Available Email
For the Seat Available email to be sent:
- The waitlist entry is promoted.
- Notify User on Promotion is enabled.
- Waitlist Seat Available → Enable is enabled.
- Global Eventixa email sending is enabled.
- The waitlist entry contains a valid customer email.
Example — Expiry Email
For an expiration email to be sent:
- The active offer expires.
- Notify User on Reservation Expiry is enabled.
- Waitlist Offer Expired → Enable is enabled.
- Global Eventixa email sending is enabled.
Global Email Setting
Waitlist emails also respect Eventixa’s global email system.
If global Eventixa email sending is disabled, Waitlist templates are not sent even if their individual template and waitlist notification settings are enabled.
Manage Waitlist Email Templates
Go to: Eventixa → Settings → Emails → Email Template
Find the Waitlist templates.
The current templates are:
Waitlist Admin New Signup
Waitlist Confirmation
Waitlist Seat Available
Waitlist Offer Expired
Select: Manage for the template you want to customize.
Template Fields
Waitlist email templates provide fields such as:
- Enable
- Subject
- Heading
- Message
The Admin New Signup template also provides:
- Recipient
Subject
The: Subject is the email subject customers see in their inbox.
For example:
A Ticket is Available for You – Community Science Festival
The {event_name} placeholder is replaced automatically.
Heading
The: Heading appears inside the email content.
For example: Ticket Available
Message
The: Message contains the main email body.
You can combine text with Eventixa Waitlist placeholders.
Waitlist Email Placeholders
The current Waitlist email system supports placeholders including:
{site_title}{site_url}{name}{customer_name}{customer_email}{event_name}{event_title}{event_date}{event_time}{event_date_time}{venue}{ticket_name}{ticket_id}{queue_position}{offer_expiry}{booking_url}{reservation_url}{booking_link}{booking_button}{waitlist_information}{waitlist_status}
Not every placeholder is useful in every template.
Customer Name
Use either: {name} or: {customer_name} to display the name stored with the waitlist entry.
Customer Email
Use: {customer_email} to display the customer’s waitlist email address.
Be careful when using this in administrator-facing or customer-facing templates so personal data is shown only where appropriate.
Event Name
Use: {event_name} or: {event_title} to display the Eventixa event title.
Event Date
Use: {event_date} to display the applicable event date.
For recurring events, Eventixa resolves the date using the occurrence associated with the waitlist entry.
Event Time
Use: {event_time} to display the applicable event time.
Event Date and Time
Use: {event_date_time} when you want the date and time together.
This is particularly useful for recurring events.
Venue
Use: {venue} to display the event venue information when available.
The generated value can include the venue name and stored address details.
Ticket Name
Use: {ticket_name} to display the Eventixa ticket associated with the waitlist entry.
For example: Standard Event Pass
Ticket ID
Use: {ticket_id} to display the internal ticket post ID associated with the waitlist entry.
This is different from an attendee ticket number created after a successful booking.
Queue Position
Use: {queue_position} to display the customer’s current queue position.
For example: 2
The {waitlist_information} block formats the same position with a # when shown in its information table.
Waitlist Status
Use: {waitlist_status} to output the current stored Waitlist status.
Examples include:
- waiting
- reserved
- offered
- expired
Offer Expiry
Use: {offer_expiry} for active offer expiration.
This is especially useful in the Seat Available email.
Waitlist Information
Use: {waitlist_information}
when you want Eventixa to generate the standard waitlist information table automatically.
The table can include:
- Event
- Ticket
- Queue Position
- Status
- Offer Expires
This is usually preferable to manually rebuilding the same details inside the email.
Complete Booking Button
Use: {booking_button} to show the styled: Complete Booking button.
This is intended primarily for the Seat Available email.
Booking Link
Use: {booking_link} to render the styled Complete Booking button as well.
Customizing the Seat Available Email
When editing the Seat Available template, keep the important booking information clear.
A useful structure is:
- Customer greeting
- Seat availability message
- Booking deadline
- Waitlist information
- Complete Booking button
Avoid removing the booking access entirely unless you have another way for the customer to use the offer.
Do Not Hard-Code Offer URLs
Do not manually enter a fixed event checkout URL in the Seat Available template.
Use:
{booking_button}
or:
{booking_url}
because Eventixa generates the offer-specific URL for the current waitlist entry.
Recurring Event Emails
Waitlist email data is occurrence-aware.
For recurring events, placeholders such as:
{event_date}{event_time}{event_date_time}
use the occurrence connected to the Waitlist entry.
This helps customers understand exactly which recurring date their waitlist entry applies to.
Example
Suppose a customer joins: Community Science Festival for: August 16, 2028
The Waitlist email can display that specific occurrence rather than only the overall event title.
Offer Email Failure
If Eventixa attempts to send a Seat Available email and delivery fails, the system records the failure.
The active reservation is not automatically discarded simply because the email failed.
Eventixa can schedule an offer notification retry.
Offer Notification Retry
For failed offer email delivery, Eventixa can retry the Seat Available notification through its task system.
The current retry task supports up to: 3 attempts
This helps protect the customer’s reserved opportunity from a temporary email failure.
Retry Does Not Extend the Offer
Retrying email delivery does not reset:
- Reservation
- Offer token
- Offer expiration
The original offer remains the same.
Resend Email from Waitlist Admin
Administrators can manually resend an active Seat Available email from: Eventixa → Waitlist
For a: Reserved or Offered entry, select: Resend Email
What Resend Email Does
Resend Email sends the existing offer again.
It does not:
- Create a new reservation.
- Generate a new token.
- Reset the offer start time.
- Extend the expiration.
- Reposition the customer.
Expired Offers Cannot Be Resent
Once an offer has expired, it is no longer an active offer.
The old offer should not be resent as if it were still valid.
Confirmation Email Failure
A Waitlist entry does not depend on confirmation email success.
If the customer joins successfully but WordPress cannot send the confirmation message, the Waitlist record can still exist.
The administrator should investigate email delivery separately.
Admin Notification Failure
The same principle applies to the Admin New Signup notification.
Failure to notify the administrator does not cancel the customer’s waitlist entry.
From Name and From Email
Waitlist emails use the normal Eventixa email configuration.
The email headers can use the configured:
- From Name
- From Email
- Reply-To
under Eventixa’s email settings.
HTML Emails
Waitlist notifications are sent as:
HTML emails
using Eventixa’s normal email template wrapper.
This keeps Waitlist messages visually consistent with other Eventixa transactional emails.
Email Delivery Configuration
Eventixa sends Waitlist emails through the WordPress email system.
For a production site, reliable SMTP or transactional email delivery is recommended.
If messages are not arriving, verify:
- WordPress mail configuration
- SMTP plugin/service
- Sender authentication
- Spam folder
- Customer email address
Common Problems
Customer Joined the Waitlist but Received No Confirmation
Check:
- Notify User on Join
- Waitlist Confirmation template is enabled.
- Global Eventixa email sending is enabled.
- Customer email is valid.
- WordPress email delivery is working.
The waitlist entry may still exist even if the email failed.
Administrator Received No Signup Notification
Check:
- Notify Admin on New Waitlist Entry
- Waitlist Admin New Signup template is enabled.
- Recipient email is valid.
- Global Eventixa email sending is enabled.
Remember that admin notifications are disabled by default.
Reserved Customer Received No Offer Email
Check:
- Notify User on Promotion
- Waitlist Seat Available template is enabled.
- Customer email address
- WordPress mail delivery
- Waitlist entry status
Eventixa can retry failed offer notification delivery.
Customer Received the Offer Twice
Check whether an administrator used:
Resend Email
or whether an offer notification retry occurred after an earlier failed delivery attempt.
The repeated email does not represent a second reservation.
Resent Email Has the Same Expiration
This is expected.
Resending does not extend the offer.
Expired Customer Received No Expiration Email
Check:
Notify User on Reservation Expiry
This setting is disabled by default.
Also confirm the Waitlist Offer Expired template is enabled.
Booking Button Is Missing
Check that the Seat Available email contains:
{booking_button}
or:
{booking_link}
Also verify that the waitlist entry contains a valid active offer token.
Booking Link Shows an Expired Error
The Waitlist email can remain in the customer’s inbox after the offer expires.
Eventixa validates the link when the customer opens it.
An expired offer cannot start valid checkout.
Wrong Recurring Date Appears
Review the occurrence attached to the waitlist entry.
Waitlist event date placeholders are generated from that occurrence.
Recommended Waitlist Email Configuration
For a typical production event:
Notify User on Join: Enabled
Notify User on Promotion: Enabled
Notify User on Reservation Expiry: Enabled if you want expiry notices
Notify Admin on New Waitlist Entry: Enable only if administrators need every signup notification
Also keep the related email templates enabled.
Recommended Pre-Launch Email Test
Before using Waitlist on a live event:
- Enable Waitlist.
- Configure the Waitlist notification settings.
- Review all four Waitlist templates.
- Join a test waitlist.
- Confirm the Waitlist Confirmation email.
- Confirm the Admin New Signup email if enabled.
- Release capacity.
- Confirm the Seat Available email.
- Test the Complete Booking button.
- Resend the offer and verify the expiry remains unchanged.
- Allow an offer to expire.
- Confirm the Expired email if enabled.
- Verify all emails show the correct event/ticket/occurrence information.
Important Notes
- Waitlist emails require Eventixa Pro.
- Eventixa includes four dedicated Waitlist email templates.
- Waitlist notification settings and individual email template settings are separate.
- Waitlist Confirmation is enabled for user notification by default.
- Seat Available notification is enabled by default.
- Reservation Expiry notification is disabled by default.
- Admin New Signup notification is disabled by default.
- Admin New Signup has a configurable Recipient address.
- If its Recipient is empty, Eventixa uses the WordPress admin email.
- Seat Available emails can contain secure offer-specific booking links.
- Resending an offer email does not extend its expiration.
- Failed Seat Available delivery can be retried without releasing the reservation.
- Recurring-event email dates are resolved from the waitlist occurrence.
- Email delivery problems do not automatically remove otherwise valid Waitlist records.
