---
title: How to Manage Your Waitlist
description: Quickly add, assign, and seat parties using the waitlist. Track wait times, manage reservations, and free up tables in real time.
---

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1. [Help Center](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/knowledge?hsLang=en)
2. [Table Management](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/knowledge/table-management?hsLang=en)

# How to Manage Your Waitlist

## The Waitlist helps hosts manage guest flow during busy times by organizing arriving parties, tracking wait times, and seating guests efficiently as tables become available.

- [**Adding and Managing Parties**](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/knowledge/how-to-manage-your-waitlist#adding)
- **[Drag and Drop a Party to the Waitlist](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/knowledge/how-to-manage-your-waitlist#draggparty)**
- **[WATCH: Drag and Drop Parties](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/knowledge/how-to-manage-your-waitlist#draganddrop)**

- - - - **Adding and Managing Parties**

- - Add customers to the waitlist by tapping the orange "**+**" icon at the top of the "**Waitlist**" submenu.   
      ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jul-11-2023-05-16-07-2272-AM.png?width=241&height=125&name=image-png-Jul-11-2023-05-16-07-2272-AM.png)
    - The **“Add Party”** form will appear on the left. 
      
      ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-17-22-4085-PM.png?width=670&height=340&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-17-22-4085-PM.png)
      
      You can add guest details including:
    - Party name
    - Party size
    - Phone number
    - Server notes
- The waitlist is ordered sequentially. Parties who have waited the longest amount of time will be at the top of the list - as noted by the total minutes waiting in orange.
  
  ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-23-25-6442-PM.png?width=670&height=341&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-23-25-6442-PM.png)
  
    - There are a number of icons to pay attention to in order to provide the best service possible to waiting diners.
- **Party Size and Name**
  
  ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-26-41-3898-PM.png?width=264&height=330&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-26-41-3898-PM.png)  
    - For example, this party on the waitlist for Tom is a two-top table.
- **Timing details**
  
  ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-28-11-9258-PM.png?width=260&height=326&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-28-11-9258-PM.png) 
    - Tom's party has been waiting '19' minutes as seen by the time within the orange rectangle.
- **Reservations**
  
  ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-29-32-0911-PM.png?width=259&height=329&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-29-32-0911-PM.png) 
    - The purple 'reserve' plaque marks that Tom is a reservation and should be prioritized over walk-ins on the waitlist.
- **Seating Your Customers** 
    - Select a party on the waitlist to expand the individual details and select 'SEAT IMMEDIATELY' to assign them a table. Let's walkthrough seating Tom's party.
      
      ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-33-23-5886-PM.png?width=670&height=330&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-33-23-5886-PM.png)
    - Here you can also review or add 'Server notes' as well as view all details for reservations by clicking the 'More' button.  Sometimes diners share that they have a gluten allergy or a special occasion that their server should be aware of.
    - Choose an open table on the floor for the party. 
      
      ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-35-11-1049-PM.png?width=670&height=327&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-35-11-1049-PM.png)
    - A confirmation window showing the SMS was sent to the customer will appear.
      
      ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-35-52-1402-PM.png?width=456&height=145&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-35-52-1402-PM.png) 
          - Your customers will see transactional text messages that depend on your app's settings. Here is one example below:
            
            ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-52-00-8015-PM.png?width=670&height=400&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-52-00-8015-PM.png)
    - After selecting 'SEAT IMMEDIATELY', the customer's table will now appear as '**Assigned**'. But they're not yet seated. The elapsed time at the bottom of their table is how much time has passed since the customer was notified that their table is ready. 
      
      ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-53-07-3617-PM.png?width=670&height=340&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-53-07-3617-PM.png)
      
      ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-37-32-1054-PM.png?width=105&height=135&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-37-32-1054-PM.png)
    - On the waitlist, you'll know who has been 'assigned' but not yet 'seated' at a table by the orange graphic of a person walking to a table.
      
      ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-47-31-6870-PM.png?width=262&height=241&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-47-31-6870-PM.png)
    - An 'assigned' table on the floor plan will show how long ago the customer was notified. This customer below was notified 11 minutes ago. 
      
      ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-53-07-3617-PM.png?width=670&height=340&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-53-07-3617-PM.png)
      
      ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-53-20-7480-PM.png?width=165&height=127&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-53-20-7480-PM.png)
    - Any party's table that was 'assigned' more than 10 minutes ago will be highlighted red on the floor plan. This helps hosts have a clear idea of when to drop a party from the waitlist. **[Here](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/knowledge/how-to-use-spothopper-waitlist-management-reservations-app?hsLang=en#No-show-party)** is what you can do if a party has taken too long to seat.
    - Once Tom's party is ready to be seated, select 'PARTY SEATED' under their name.![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-39-13-1329-PM.png?width=670&height=336&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-39-13-1329-PM.png)
    - In this case, the table now shows that Tom is seated at table 7.
      
      ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-57-00-8158-PM.png?width=670&height=341&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-10-57-00-8158-PM.png)
    - The elapsed time at the bottom of the table is how much time has passed since the party was seated. This table has been seated for 2 minutes.
      
      ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jul-11-2023-05-42-02-7977-AM.png?width=203&height=142&name=image-png-Jul-11-2023-05-42-02-7977-AM.png)
    - Clear finished tables by selecting the table and then selecting 'FREE TABLE'.  
         
      ![](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jun-05-2024-11-26-00-0107-PM.png?width=670&height=351&name=image-png-Jun-05-2024-11-26-00-0107-PM.png)

      **Dragging Parties from Waitlist to Floor Plan**
    - Drag the party from the **Waitlist** to a table on the **Floor Plan**.
      
      ![Nested Sequence 30.00\_00\_16\_21.Still001.jpg](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Nested%20Sequence%2030.00_00_16_21.Still001.jpg.png?width=531&height=283&name=Nested%20Sequence%2030.00_00_16_21.Still001.jpg.png)
    - Parties assigned to tables by dragging are set to **Pre-Seated** immediately,  
      and the timer starts.
      
      ![Nested Sequence 30.00\_00\_24\_23.Still005](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Nested%20Sequence%2030.00_00_24_23.Still005.jpg?width=543&height=283&name=Nested%20Sequence%2030.00_00_24_23.Still005.jpg)
    - Do the same in **Timeline View** — drag a party and release it to set it at the current time.
      
      ![Nested Sequence 38.00\_00\_38\_23.Still012](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Nested%20Sequence%2038.00_00_38_23.Still012.jpg?width=670&height=197&name=Nested%20Sequence%2038.00_00_38_23.Still012.jpg)
    - The party is now in **Pre-Seated** status on the assigned table.
      
      ![Nested Sequence 38.00\_00\_39\_18.Still013](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Nested%20Sequence%2038.00_00_39_18.Still013.jpg?width=670&height=159&name=Nested%20Sequence%2038.00_00_39_18.Still013.jpg)
    - A long press on a party in the Waitlist allows you to reorder it.
      
      ![Nested Sequence 38.00\_01\_18\_15.Still014](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Nested%20Sequence%2038.00_01_18_15.Still014.jpg?width=228&height=350&name=Nested%20Sequence%2038.00_01_18_15.Still014.jpg)
    - Drag it higher to prioritize, or lower to reduce priority.
      
      ![Nested Sequence 38.00\_01\_21\_15.Still015](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Nested%20Sequence%2038.00_01_21_15.Still015.jpg?width=231&height=357&name=Nested%20Sequence%2038.00_01_21_15.Still015.jpg)
    - Release it to the desired position.

       

      ###### ![Nested Sequence 34.00\_00\_05\_04.Still002](https://howto.spothopperapp.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Nested%20Sequence%2034.00_00_05_04.Still002.jpg?width=242&height=370&name=Nested%20Sequence%2034.00_00_05_04.Still002.jpg)
    - Taylor was last on the **Waitlist** and has been moved to the top position. 
      
      **Drag and Drop Parties - Video**
      
      <iframe width="256" height="144.64" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_IAJJpRVKRk?feature=oembed" allowfullscreen style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: none;" data-mce-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_IAJJpRVKRk?feature=oembed" data-mce-style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: none;"></iframe>

Just like that–**you're ready to stop losing walk-ins and manage your waitlist**! Keep reading to see how you can use SpotHopper Reservations with your waitlist app.

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