Setting up an event
Make your event invitation-only
Private launches, members' nights and guest-list-only shows need tickets to reach only the people on the list. A shared password, personal invitations, a hidden-ticket access code and order approval each fit a different level of control, and one of them fits yours.
Compare a shared password, personal invitations and a ticket access code for private access, or review each order after checkout before tickets are issued.
- For
- Controlling who can buy tickets before or after checkout
- Takes
- 5 minutes
Before you start
- You can edit the event and its ticket types.
- You know whether you want to share one password, invite named guests, share an access code or approve each order after checkout.
-
Choose how access is controlled
Choose one of the four ways to control who can buy.
-
Turn on Password required to view event
If you chose a password, open Event Settings, turn on Password required to view event and add a password for each group under New Password.
Note: A password controls access to the page. It does not prove which person typed it, so anyone who receives it can pass it on.
Event Settings, Password required to view event. -
Turn on Invitation required to attend
If you chose invitations, turn on Invitation required to attend in Event Settings, then draft the email, add people one at a time or import a CSV, and set each recipient's ticket and transaction limits.
Note: The link is the key: send it to the intended person, and treat a forwarded link as shared access within that invitation's limits. If your event already lets buyers purchase through referral links without an invitation, those links still work.
Event Settings, Invitation required to attend. -
Attach hidden tickets to a No Discount promotion
If you chose an access code, keep the event page public, hide every ticket type, then attach those tickets to a promotion with No Discount. The code reveals the tickets without changing their prices.
Note: An access code is shared access, like a password, but it protects the tickets rather than the event page. People can still read the event details before they enter it.
Marketing, Promotions, Edit Promotion. -
Turn on Require order approval
If you chose order approval, open Tickets, select Settings and turn on Require order approval, or turn it on for selected ticket types only. Anyone who can reach the ticket can then place an order for you to accept or decline.
Note: Order approval does not restrict who can request tickets; it gives you the decision after checkout.
Tickets, Settings, Ticket Settings. -
Test your chosen access method before sharing it
Open the event in a private browser window, try to buy a ticket without the password, invitation or code, then try again with it. The first attempt should stop you and the second should reach checkout.
Note: For invitations, try to add a visible ticket without the invitation and confirm the purchase is refused; the ticket choices may still be visible. For approval, place your own order and check that it waits for your decision.
Try these steps on your own event
Create a free account, build your event and follow the steps above in your own dashboard. It takes a few minutes and you do not need to book a sales call.
No setup fees. No required monthly ticketing fee. No credit card required.
Or have it done for you
Fai, the assistant inside your dashboard, can compare the four approaches, check how your event is currently configured and set up the option you choose. She explains who gets access and when, then asks you to approve each change separately. You can also make every change in the dashboard.
In your dashboard, with Fai
Find my event by name. Ask me whether access should use shared passwords, personal invitations, a shared access code, or a decision after checkout. Recommend the best fit from my answer, explain who can get through and when access is decided, then show me every setting, ticket, promotion or invitation message you would change and ask me to approve each change separately
Let Fai do it for you
Fai works inside your Ticket Fairy dashboard. Create your account, open Fai and paste the prompt above.
No setup fees. No required monthly ticketing fee. No credit card required.
Questions you might have
- Which option gives each person their own access?
- Use invitation-required access. Each recipient gets a personal link and their own Max Tickets and Max Transactions limits. A password or access code can be used by anyone who knows it.
- Which option keeps my event page public?
- Use hidden ticket types with a no-discount access code. The event details remain visible, while the tickets appear only after the code is entered.
- Is order approval the same as an invitation-only event?
- No. Invitation-required access checks for a personal invitation when someone adds a ticket, apart from any valid referral-link access your event already allows. With order approval, anyone who can see the ticket can place a request. You decide after checkout.
- Can I combine two private-access methods?
- Yes. You can protect the page with a password and also require personal invitations, or use invitations to reveal selected hidden tickets. Every extra check adds another step for the buyer, so test the complete path before sending it.
- How do I stop access after I have shared it?
- Remove or replace a password, cancel a personal invitation, or delete the access-code promotion. To close a pending request, approve or decline it.
Still have a question?
Book a demo and we will answer it on a call, on your kind of event. Or create your account and see it for yourself.
No setup fees. No required monthly ticketing fee. No credit card required.
Related guides
Do this on your own event
Create your account, build your event and follow the steps in your own dashboard. You do not need to book a sales call.