Generate a WordPress event RSVP plugin
If you run live or hybrid events from a WordPress site, the combined list of needs is always similar: a page per event, an RSVP form, capacity caps, waitlist, a confirmation email with a calendar invite, and an admin list to scan the day before.
The Events Calendar + RSVP add-on does this but the free tier lacks key fields (dietary, plus-ones), and Event Tickets Plus moves into WooCommerce territory if you only need RSVP without a ticket.
Why generate it instead of installing an existing plugin?
A generated plugin gives you exactly the fields you need: guest count, dietary preferences, arrival time estimate, whatever the event calls for. The event page is a regular WP page with a shortcode; the data lives in a clean table you own.
Capacity and waitlist logic is straightforward: we cap the "confirmed" state and auto-promote from the waitlist when a cancellation fires. ICS attachments generate from the event metadata and render correctly in Apple Calendar, Google, Outlook, and mobile mail clients.
Extending is easy: send reminder 24h before, send thank-you after, collect feedback form link. All just WP Cron tasks triggered off the event row.
Example prompt
This is the kind of description that generates this plugin. You can start from it and tweak whatever you need before hitting generate.
Plugin name: Acme Events
Event CPT with fields: title, date, end_date, location, capacity, description (rich text), waitlist_enabled (bool).
Shortcode [acme_rsvp event_id] renders:
- Event info block.
- RSVP form: name, email, guest_count (1-4), dietary (checkboxes: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, none), notes.
Submission logic:
- If confirmed_count + guest_count <= capacity -> status "confirmed", send email with ICS.
- Else if waitlist_enabled -> status "waitlist", send email "you are on the waitlist".
- On cancellation (signed link in email): free up the slot, promote top of waitlist (email "you're in").
Admin:
- Per-event list with filters (confirmed/waitlist/cancelled), CSV export, bulk email.
- Dashboard: today's events with confirmed count and capacity.
24h before event: reminder email with ICS re-attached and location map link.What the generated plugin typically includes
- Event CPT with admin fields and front-end page template
- RSVP table with status enum and guest metadata
- Capacity check with atomic slot reservation (row lock)
- Waitlist auto-promotion on cancellation
- ICS file generator attached to confirmations
- WP Cron for 24h reminders and post-event follow-up
- Signed cancel link in every email
RSVP fields, capacity behavior, email cadence and whether plus-ones are allowed are defined in the prompt. Ticket sales (paid) are out of scope for this template; see the appointment booking one for paid flows.
Frequently asked questions
What if two people RSVP at the same second and we are at capacity?
The slot reservation uses a transaction with a row lock so only one of them gets the last seats; the other goes to waitlist. We tested this under burst load.
Can I collect payment?
Not in the default shape. If you need paid tickets, describe it and the plugin adds a Stripe step before confirmation.