Do I have to use QR check-in, or can I just track RSVPs?

QR check-in is one of three RSVP modes. If you only want to know who is coming, Public RSVP or Manual Management Only work without any door scanning. Pick the mode that matches your event in Step 3.

Can I still edit my seating chart after I've sent invitations?

Yes. Moving a guest to a different table, adding tables, or changing the layout doesn't affect invitations already sent. Each guest's ticket always points at their current seat.

What does a guest actually receive by email?

It depends on the RSVP mode and how you send. With Digital Ticket & QR Entry, a guest either gets an invitation with a link to claim their seat (and their ticket follows once they do), or you can skip that step and mail them their ticket directly.

Do I need a printed backup at the door?

It's a good idea. The door scanner page has a printable guest list you can download before the event, in case a phone or the venue's connection fails on the night.

From seating chart to check-in: the complete walkthrough

One walkthrough connecting every piece: build your seating chart, invite guests by email, and check them in with QR codes at the door.

This is the whole path, start to finish: laying out tables on the canvas, adding your guest list, designing and sending your invitation, and checking guests in with a QR code at the door. Each section links to a deeper article if you want more detail on that one step.

1. Build your seating chart

Everything starts on the canvas. Create a chart, then drag tables, areas, and text onto the layout the way you'd arrange a room.

The seating chart canvas with tables placed and the left toolbar of elements — Drag tables from the toolbar onto the canvas, then arrange them like the real room.

Round tables, rectangular tables, and rows of seats all work the same way: place one, then set how many seats it needs. See Editor basics for the full set of tools, or Create your first seating chart if you're starting from the setup wizard.

2. Add your guests

With tables on the canvas, add the people who'll sit in them. Type guests in one at a time, or import a whole list from a spreadsheet.

The seats panel listing guests grouped by table, with names, RSVP status, and seat counts — Every seat you've placed shows up here, whether it has a guest yet or not.

A seat doesn't need a name to exist. Place all your chairs first, then fill in names as people confirm, or import a full guest list and let SeatPlanning seat them for you. See Add guests manually or Import guests from Excel.

3. Choose how guests respond

Open Invite Guests from your chart's menu to reach the Invite Hub. The first step is your RSVP mode, the same setting used everywhere else in the chart:

Manual Management Only: you track responses yourself, with no page for guests to visit.
Public RSVP: guests search for their name on a page and confirm attendance.
Digital Ticket & QR Entry: guests claim their seat by email and get a ticket with a QR code for the door.

The rest of this walkthrough follows Digital Ticket & QR Entry, since it covers every stage from invitation to check-in. See Choosing an RSVP mode to compare all three in depth.

4. Design your invitation email

From the Invite Hub, choosing the email channel takes you to the email wizard. Design Emails is where you set the subject line, heading, body text, and the button your guest clicks. The live preview on the right always matches what actually gets sent.

The invitation email editor with subject line, email elements, and a live preview showing the rendered email — Edit the subject, elements, and colors on the left. The live preview on the right updates as you type.

Placeholders like {{first_name}} and {{chart_name}} fill in automatically for each guest. If you remove the claim button by mistake, SeatPlanning warns you and offers to put it back, since it's the only way a guest reaches their seat. See Design email templates.

5. Send invitations, or send tickets directly

The next step is choosing who gets the email. You have two options for what to send:

Invitations: guests claim their own seat, then get their ticket automatically.
Tickets: skip claiming and mail the QR ticket straight away, useful once you already know who's coming (for example, guests you're marking as confirmed yourself).

The recipient picker with Invitations and Tickets options, RSVP filters, and a live preview of the ticket email showing the QR code note — Choosing Tickets adds a filter for RSVP status, so you control exactly who gets one.

Declined guests are excluded by default, so you won't accidentally ticket someone who said they can't make it. Once you send, a results screen lists anyone who was skipped and why (for example, a missing email address), and the Sends tab keeps a record you can resend from later. See Send email invitations.

6. What your guest sees

A guest who receives an invitation clicks their personal link, confirms a few details, and lands on a confirmation screen with their ticket and QR code attached. A guest who was sent a ticket directly gets that ticket straight away, no claiming step needed. Either way, the ticket is tied to their seat: if you move them to a different table afterward, their existing QR code still works.

7. Check guests in at the door

On the night, open your chart's scanner page. Point a phone camera at each guest's QR code for an instant green or red result, or search by name if a code won't scan.

The door scanner page showing Start Scanner and Check in manually buttons, with tickets issued, entered, and pending counts — The scanner page tracks tickets issued, guests entered, and who's still pending, in real time.

If you're not the one holding the phone at the door, you can hand a staff member a scanner link that works without their own account, or download a printable guest list as a backup. See The door scanner and live entry.

Where to go next

Create your first seating chart for the chart-creation wizard in detail.
The Invite Hub, step by step for the guided invite flow this walkthrough summarizes.
Enable QR entry if you want to turn on ticketing for a chart that's already using a different RSVP mode.
The door scanner and live entry for everything available at check-in, including staff scanner links and the printable door list.

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