Waitlist Overview
When a booking slot, event, program, or coach block reaches full capacity, SlotBase offers waitlists so interested players can queue up for the next available spot. The waitlist system uses a first-in, first-out (FIFO) approach to ensure fair promotion when spots open up.
Types of Waitlists
SlotBase supports four types of waitlists, each tied to a different booking context:
| Waitlist Type | What It Covers | When It Applies |
|---|---|---|
| Booking Waitlist | Time slots on resources | A specific time slot is fully booked |
| Event Waitlist | Events (clinics, camps, etc.) | An event has reached its registration capacity |
| Program Waitlist | Programs (ongoing enrollments) | A program has reached its enrollment limit |
| Block Waitlist | Coach blocks (private lessons) | A coach's available block is fully booked |
How FIFO Promotion Works
When a spot opens (through a cancellation, admin action, or capacity increase), the waitlist system promotes the next player in line:
- The first player who joined the waitlist is identified.
- Their status changes from WAITING to NOTIFIED.
- An email notification is sent informing them a spot is available.
- The player has a limited time window to confirm their booking.
- If they confirm, their status changes to BOOKED.
- If they do not respond within the expiry window, their status changes to EXPIRED and the next person in line is promoted.
FIFO stands for "first in, first out." The player who joined the waitlist earliest is always promoted first. There are no priority overrides in the standard waitlist flow.
Waitlist Statuses
Every waitlist entry moves through a defined set of statuses:
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| WAITING | The player is on the waitlist and waiting for a spot to open |
| NOTIFIED | A spot has opened and the player has been notified via email |
| BOOKED | The player confirmed their spot and the booking/registration is complete |
| EXPIRED | The notification period elapsed without the player confirming |
| CANCELLED | The player voluntarily removed themselves from the waitlist |
Enabling Waitlists
Waitlists are configured at the facility level:
- Navigate to Facility Settings in your admin dashboard.
- Find the Waitlist configuration section.
- Enable the waitlists you want to offer.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| waitlistEnabled | Master toggle to enable or disable waitlists at your facility |
| waitlistExpiryHrs | How many hours a notified player has to confirm before their spot expires |
A 24-hour expiry window is a good starting point. It gives players enough time to respond without holding up the queue for too long.
Notification Flow
When a player is promoted from the waitlist:
- Email notification -- The player receives an email with the details and a link to confirm.
- Dashboard notification -- A banner appears on the player's dashboard.
- Countdown -- The expiry timer begins (based on your configured hours).
- Outcome -- The player either confirms (status becomes BOOKED) or the notification expires (status becomes EXPIRED and the next player is notified).
Waitlists from the Admin Perspective
As a facility admin, you can:
- View the waitlist for any booking slot, event, program, or block
- See the order of players on the waitlist
- Manually promote a player if needed
- Remove a player from the waitlist
Manually promoting a player out of FIFO order should be done sparingly. It can cause confusion if other players expect to be next in line.