Full slots now take a waitlist — next in line, one at a time

Someone cancels on Thursday night. You know three families wanted that spot — so you message all three, the fastest thumb wins, and two people who did nothing wrong feel like they lost a race. There had to be a better way, and now the sheet handles it for you.

The short version: Full slots now show Join the waitlist. When a spot frees up, the first person in line is offered it by email with a 24-hour window to claim it — one at a time, in order, never a blast to everyone at once. On every plan, on by default, nothing to set up.

One at a time, in order

The moment a spot opens — a volunteer cancels, you remove someone, you raise a slot's capacity — the first person in line gets an email: a spot opened up, and it's yours for the next 24 hours. One click claims it, and they're a normal sign-up from there: confirmation, calendar link, change-or-cancel link, and (on Pro) the same ChMS sync as everyone else.

If they pass — or the window quietly closes — the offer moves to the next person. Nobody gets an email about a spot that was never really theirs, and nobody wins because they happened to be holding their phone at 9:47 on a Thursday.

Volunteers never make an account

Joining takes a name and an email on the sheet itself. The receipt says where they are in line, the offer email carries its own claim link, and either one lets them bow out — all without a login, like every volunteer surface on SignUpChurch.

You stay in the loop, not in the loop-de-loop

Each slot on the sheet editor lists its waitlist — next in line first, with a badge showing whose turn it is and until when. A claimed spot triggers your usual new-sign-up email. And if a particular event would rather look full than take a line, the sheet editor's new Waitlist card turns it off for that sheet.

The waitlist is live now on every plan, including Free — your full slots already have the button. Details in the help article.

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