Why people can't find or register for your event

“Nobody can sign up” is usually one of two different problems: people cannot find the event, or they find it and cannot register. Start by opening the event page yourself the way a visitor would, then match what you see to the sections below.

Tip

Check it signed out, in a private browsing window. Signed in as an administrator you can see private events and an admin strip that visitors never get, so the page looks healthier than it is.

They cannot find the event at all

Work through these in order.

Check the event's visibility

Open Manage → Edit Event Details and look at Visibility on the Basic Info step. Private means only signed-in members of your church can see it — a visitor following a link gets nothing. Switch it to Public and save.

Check the dates

An event whose end date has passed drops off the public list. If the date was wrong, correct it on the Date & Time step rather than creating a second event, so existing registrations stay attached.

Check whether it is a recurring service

A Recurring Service does not behave like a one-off event. It has its own page showing the next date and the ones after it, and it never takes registrations. If you meant to collect sign-ups, the event needs to be a different type — see Managing recurring services.

Note

Sharing the link directly always works, even before people can find the event by browsing. Share Event on the Overview page gives you the registration link and, when volunteering is switched on, a separate volunteer link.

They can see it but cannot register

When registration is unavailable, the card on the event page says Registration closed and prints the reason underneath. That sentence tells you which setting to change.

“This event isn’t accepting registrations yet.”

The event was created as announcement-only. Open Setup → Registration and turn on RSVPs — Allow guests to register for this event — then Save Changes.

Setup → Registration holds every setting that can stop a sign-up

“Registration closed on [date].”

The RSVP deadline has passed. You have two choices on the same page: clear or move the deadline, or leave it and turn on Late registration (“Allow sign-ups after the deadline passes”), which reopens the button while still showing the original date to visitors as guidance.

Note

When sign-ups happen on another organisation’s website, a passed deadline hides that link and tells visitors to contact the event organiser instead. Only the deadline closes an external event — the Registered so far number you type in is a display aid and never closes anything.

“This event ended on [date].”

The end date is in the past. Nothing on the Registration page reopens this; fix the date on Edit Event Details if it was entered wrongly, or leave it closed if the event genuinely happened.

“This event is full”

Every spot in Guest limit is taken. This one is not really a fault: the counter reads 0 of N spots remaining and the button becomes Join the waitlist, so people can still put their name down. Volunteering stays open too, since a volunteer takes no attendee spot.

A full event still takes names — sign-ups are filed as waitlisted

To actually let people in, either raise the guest limit — or clear it for no limit — or promote them one at a time from the registration list. Nobody moves off the waitlist on their own; see See who is coming and message your attendees.

One particular person cannot register

If the page works for you but not for them, the cause is usually one of these.

They do not meet the age or grade limits. Eligibility restriction on the Registration page limits an event By Age or By Grade. Anyone outside the range is told they are not eligible. Widen the range, or register them yourself with Quick Add.
They never finished. A visitor who is not signed in enters an email address and then a six-digit code sent to it. If that email never arrives — a typo, a spam folder, a work address that blocks outside mail — the registration is never completed. Ask them to try again with a personal address, or add them with Quick Add.
They are already registered. The card says You’re registered with an Edit registration button instead of Register. That is the expected result, not a fault — see Change or cancel your event RSVP.

Tip

Whatever the cause, Quick Add on the Registrations page gets someone onto the list right now while you sort the setting out. It ignores limits and deadlines because you are the one vouching for them.

The volunteer button is missing

Volunteering is off until you switch it on. Open Setup → Registration, find Volunteer Applications, and choose Public or Private instead of Disabled. Full instructions are in Setting up volunteer registration.

Nothing above matches

Confirm the person is on the right event — two events with similar names on nearby dates is the most common surprise. Then open the event from your Events page in a signed-out window and read the card yourself. If the card contradicts your settings after a save, reload the page once; the public page reads saved settings, not unsaved edits.