How the waitlist works

Turn the waitlist on or off

Waitlists start on the Starter plan. On Free the switch cannot be turned on and members are not offered a waitlist: a full class just reads full. If your studio moves to Free, people already waiting keep their place and are still moved up.

1. Open Settings and go to Booking rules.
2. Turn Waiting list when a class is full on or off. It is on by default.
3. Set Waiting list moves people up until (hours before class). The platform default is 24 hours.
4. Select Save.

A class can have its own cutoff: in the class editor, under Booking options, turn off Use the studio’s booking rules and set Waiting list moves people up until (hours before). Only the owner and admins change booking rules.

How members join

On a full class, the schedule shows Full: join the waitlist. The member opens the class, selects Join the waitlist, chooses the pass that will pay and confirms. They must be signed in, and they need a pass or membership that covers the class. If they have none, they are offered one to buy first.

No class is used while they wait. They see their place, for example “Waitlist, number 2”, in Account under Bookings, and get the Joined the waiting list e-mail. They can select Leave the waitlist at any time.

Automatic promotion

A spot opens when someone cancels, staff remove someone, you add spots, or an unpaid booking expires. If that happens before the waiting list cutoff:

1. elastudio checks the first person in line again.
2. If their pass still covers the class, they are booked, one class is used, and they get the Got a spot from the waiting list e-mail with the class, the pass used and their cancellation deadline.
3. If their pass no longer works (no classes left, limit reached or expired), they are skipped and get the Skipped on the waiting list e-mail with a link to buy. They stay on the list, and the next person is tried. You get the Waiting list could not give a spot notification.

After the cutoff

Spots that open after the cutoff are not given to the waitlist. They show as available, and anyone can book them. When the class starts, everyone still waiting is taken off the list and gets the Waiting list closed e-mail, which says no class was used.

Note: If the cutoff is shorter than your free cancellation window, a member booked from the waitlist may already be inside the window, so cancelling would use their class. elastudio shows a warning when you save rules like that.

Staff can still add people to a full class from the roster.