How to take RSVPs by WhatsApp

How it works

WhatsApp has a “click to chat” link, wa.me, that opens a chat with a number and can fill in the message. Website Maker builds that link when a guest presses Send, from what they typed in the form. The guest sees the message in WhatsApp and taps send; you get it in your own WhatsApp like any other message.

Because the reply is an ordinary message from the guest, there’s no form service in the middle, no spreadsheet to share and nothing stored on a server.

Your number, written the right way

WhatsApp’s link needs your number in full international form: the country code, then the number without the 0 at the start, and no plus sign, spaces or brackets. Website Maker tidies the spaces and the plus sign for you, but the country code has to be there.

• A UK mobile, 07700 900123, is 44 7700 900123.
• A US number, (555) 010-0123, is 1 555 010 0123.
• A number written 0044 7700 900123 works too.

If the number starts with 0, the app asks for the country code instead of making a link that wouldn’t work.

Set it up

1. Open Website Maker (the Birthday party template already has a WhatsApp RSVP), or add an RSVP block to any page.
2. Under Replies come to you by, choose WhatsApp and type your number with its country code.
3. Choose what it asks: the most people in one reply, food needs and a song request.
4. Turn on Add to calendar to show the date with buttons for Apple, Google and Outlook calendars.
5. Tap Share and send the link, or print an invitation with its QR code.

Email or a text message instead

Not everyone uses WhatsApp. The same form can open the guest’s email app with the reply to your address and a subject such as “RSVP from Ana: coming”, or their messages app with the reply to your mobile. Email is easiest to keep track of for a large guest list; WhatsApp and texts suit a party where you already message the guests.

Keeping count

Replies arrive one by one, so keep a list as they come: a note, or a spreadsheet such as Gridwork with a row for each guest. With Website Maker Pro’s short link, the visitor stats count how many replies were sent from the page, though never what they said.