Managing the Waitlist

The Waitlist system ensures that when a popular session is fully booked, interested parents can still express interest and be automatically notified if spaces become available.

How it Works for Parents

When a session occurrence reaches its full capacity:

1. The standard booking buttons are replaced with a "Join Waitlist" button on the public calendar.
2. Parents are prompted to select which children they wish to add to the waitlist.
3. Once joined, their entry is stored and timestamped.

Automated Invitations

The system is designed to be "proactive." If a spot opens up (due to a cancellation or an admin increasing the session capacity), Oakline follows these rules:

• First Come, First Served: The system checks entries in the order they joined.
• Capacity Matching: It will automatically invite the first family whose required number of spots fits into the newly available space.
• Skipping: If a family requires 3 spots but only 1 is available, the system will skip them and invite the next family on the list that only needs 1 spot.

The Invitation Process

When a parent is invited:

1. They receive an email with the subject: "A spot opened for [Session Name]".
2. A temporary booking is created for them, and the spots are "held" for a limited time (typically 24-48 hours, depending on your settings).
3. The parent clicks the link in the email to go directly to a secure Stripe checkout page to confirm their place.

Admin Management

Admins can manage the waitlist from the Bookings > Waitlist section in the Admin Dashboard:

• View Entries: See who is waiting for which session and when they joined.
• Manual Invites: If you wish to bypass the automation, you can manually click "Invite" on any entry.
• Status Tracking:
  • Waiting: The family is currently in the queue.
  • Invited: An invitation has been sent, and we are awaiting payment.
  • Booked: The family has paid and is now officially part of the session.