Invite codes
Invite codes let you control exactly who can register for an event. When an event requires an invite code, each family needs their own single-use code to complete their registration. Once a code has been used it cannot be used again, so a code that is forwarded on or shared in a group chat does not let extra people in.
This is different from an event code, which is shared by everyone and only controls whether an event can be found. You can use invite codes on both public and private events:
- A private, invite-only event is hidden from your event website. Families need the event code to reach the event, and their invite code to register. This suits events for a specific group where you also want to keep the event itself out of sight.
- A public, invite-only event is listed on your event website for anyone to find, but only families holding an invite code can register. This suits events you want to promote widely while limiting attendance to invited families, such as a scholarship interview day or a capped enrollment session.
Invite codes are the right tool when the number of people who can register matters, or when only certain families should be able to attend. If you simply want to keep an event off your event website homepage, a private event with the event code is enough.
Turning on invite codes
You can require an invite code when you start a new event, or later from the event's Settings page, by ticking Require an invite code to register.
Once enabled, an Invite Codes option appears in the event menu, alongside Registrations. You can generate codes while the event is still in draft, so they are ready to send out ahead of time. The codes only start working once the event has been published.
An invite-only event cannot accept any registrations until you have generated at least one code. The readiness checklist flags this, and it becomes a blocking item once the event is published.
Turning the option off again removes the requirement straight away. Existing codes are kept, so you can turn it back on later without generating a new set.
Generating codes
- Click on Events in the main menu.
- Choose the event name from the list, and click Invite Codes.
- Choose how you want to generate the codes:
- A set number of codes creates a batch of anonymous codes. Use this when you will hand codes out as needed and don't need to know who each one was meant for.
- One code for each name on a list creates a code for every line you paste in, and records that line as the code's label. Paste a column from your student system, such as family names or student IDs, and each family gets a code that stays linked to their name.
- Click Generate codes.
You can generate up to 2,000 codes at a time, and run the generator as many times as you need. New codes are added to the existing list.
Each code is 8 letters and numbers, shown in two groups of four such as K7WM-4PXH. Codes avoid characters that are easy to confuse, such as O and 0 or I and 1, and families can enter them with or without the hyphen.
Sending codes to families
Parent Events does not send invite codes out for you, because event notifications can only reach people who have already registered. Instead, export the list and include each family's code in your own invitation.
- On the Invite Codes page, click Export CSV.
- Use the CSV with a mail merge in your email tool or student management system, matching each label to the family it belongs to.
The same list is available as a PDF from the Invite Codes page and from the event's Reports section.
There are three ways a family can use the code you send them:
- A direct link. Add
?invite=and the code to the event's registration link, so the code is applied automatically when they open it: https://customername.parentevents.com/REPLACEME/register?invite=K7WM4PXH. Replacecustomernamewith your event website address,REPLACEMEwith the event code, and the invite code with the family's own code. This is the smoothest option for email invitations, and also works well as a QR code on a printed letter. - The event website homepage. The code entry box on your event website accepts an invite code in place of the event code, and takes the family straight to the right event. This means a printed letter only needs to include the invite code.
- During registration. If a family reaches the event without a code, they are asked for it before their registration is created. The prompt appears after they have signed in with their email, so the sign-in link can be opened on a different device without losing anything.
The Event Flyer report reminds families to use the invite code from their invitation, so it can be used alongside your letters or newsletter.
Tracking uptake
The Invite Codes page shows how many codes have been issued, how many have been used, and the resulting uptake percentage. The same figure appears on the event dashboard in place of the attendee count, with a link to the Invite Codes page.
Below the summary, every code is listed with its label, whether it is Available or Used, and for used codes, the name of the family who registered with it and when. The Registrations page also gains an Invite code column, showing the label of the code each attendee used, so you can check registrations against the list you invited.
Uptake is kept as part of the event's statistics, so it is still available after the event has been archived.
Removing codes
Only codes that have not been used can be deleted:
- To delete a single code, use the delete button next to it in the list.
- To delete every unused code at once, click Delete unused codes. This is useful when invitations have closed and you want to make sure no leftover codes can still be redeemed.
A used code cannot be deleted directly. If a family should not have registered, remove their registration instead. Removing an attendee releases their code, so it becomes available to use again.
Templates and archiving
When you save an event as a template, the invite code requirement is copied to events created from it, but the codes themselves are not. Generate a fresh set for each new event.
When an event is archived, the labels on invite codes are cleared along with other attendee information. The record of which codes were used is kept, so the uptake figure stays accurate.