Your response form is where guests confirm or decline their attendance. You can also use it to collect extra details, such as dietary requirements or the names of their +1s.
Each response form can be Private or Public. You choose this with the Form Access toggle in Form Settings.
Good to know: All forms are Private by default. A form only becomes Public when you switch it.
Private vs Public at a glance
| Private Form | Public Form |
Who can open it | Only invited guests, through their personal link | Anyone with the link |
How guests get it | The RSVP button in an email, SMS or WhatsApp invitation sent from zkipster | A shareable URL that you add to a webpage, post or send yourself |
Guest details | Pre-filled from the guest’s profile | Blank: guests enter their own details |
Effect on your guest list | Updates guests who are already on your list | Adds each new registration as a new guest |
Best for | Invite-only, VIP or personalized events | Open events, registrations and broad outreach |
Also called | Guest-Specific Invite Link | Public RSVP Link |
When to use a Private Form
Use a Private Form when you only want the people you invite to respond. It’s the right choice when:
Your event is invite-only, such as a VIP dinner, a board meeting or a press preview.
You need to control exactly who attends and match every response to a known guest.
You want guests to find their details already filled in, so responding takes seconds.
Each invited guest receives a unique, personal link through the RSVP button in their invitation. Because each private form is connected to an existing guest profile, it comes pre-filled with that guest’s details. However, guests can edit these details unless you’ve locked those fields. Any changes they make are saved directly to their guest profile, replacing the original details.
When to use a Public Form
Use a Public Form when you want anyone with the link to be able to register. It’s the right choice when:
Your event is open to a wider audience, such as a conference, product launch or open day.
You want to share the link on your website, on social media, in a newsletter or through partners.
You want to reach people who aren’t on your guest list yet.
Anyone who submits a Public Form and selects Attending is added to your event as a new, confirmed guest. Because public forms are not connected to an existing guest profile, the form starts blank and guests enter their own details.
Important: Only make a form public if you’re happy for anyone with the link to register. To keep your event exclusive, use a Private Form.
Using both: open up an invitation campaign
Sometimes you want to invite a set list of guests and also let others register. To do this, switch the response form in your invitation campaign to Public.
Invited guests still use their personal link. For them, the form works like a Private Form, with their details pre-filled.
Anyone else can register through the public URL and is added as a new guest.
If you only need a registration form and aren’t sending invitations, use a standalone response form instead.
How to switch a form between Private and Public
Open your response form in Campaign.
Go to Form Settings.
Use the Form Access toggle to choose Private or Public.
Things to know before you choose
Private Forms: forwarded invitations
If a guest forwards their invitation, the recipient will see that guest’s details pre-filled and could overwrite them. To prevent this, lock the First Name and Last Name fields: in the Form Builder, click each field and switch on the lock toggle.
Learn more in How to Manage Your Response Fields.
Public Forms: where new guests go
You can control how new registrations are added to your event:
Add new guests to guestlist: choose which guest list new guests join.
Max. total guests for new guests: limit how many +1s each new guest can bring.
Learn more in How to Set up and Use Public Forms.
Best Practices:
We recommend always setting a closing date for your form. This ensures guests can only RSVP during the period you choose, and the form closes on time even if you forget to close it manually. Go to ‘Form Settings’ → ‘Form Responses’ and choose when your form should close automatically, for example 24 hours before the event starts or on a specific date and time.
Related Articles
How to Configure your Form Settings (including how to set a closing date for your form)