An event registration form tells you who is coming, collects the ticket price and sends everyone the details they need. A good one takes a minute to fill in and saves you a spreadsheet of follow-up emails. This guide is ideal for beginners and for teams running workshops, classes, meetups and conferences. We cover the fields, payments, a limit on places and the confirmation email, with an event signup form you can build in WordPress in about 20 minutes.
The short version
- Ask for name, email and anything the day itself needs, such as dietary needs.
- Take payment on the form with Stripe or PayPal, free in Echo Forms.
- Close registration on a date or after a number of places with Signature.
- Send a confirmation with the date, place and what to bring.
Which fields does an event registration form need?
Only what the event needs. A typical event signup form looks like this:
| Field | Required? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Name and email | Yes | For the guest list and the confirmation |
| Ticket or session | Yes | If there is more than one option |
| Number of attendees | Often | For group bookings |
| Dietary needs or access | Optional | So the day goes smoothly |
| How did you hear about us? | Optional | To plan next year’s promotion |
Five or six fields take people about 2 minutes. Ask for job titles, company sizes and other details only if you will use them.
How do you take payment for registration?
Add a price to the form and connect Stripe or PayPal. In Echo Forms both are free, and we take 0% of every ticket on every plan, so only the processor’s own fee applies. A Single item field shows one ticket price, and a Total field sums everything up. With Signature you can offer several priced options, such as early bird and standard, and accept coupon codes for speakers or partners.
Registration with payment keeps no-shows down, because people who pay tend to come. Even a small fee of $5 to $10 for a free event can lift attendance.
How to build an event registration form, step by step
- In Echo Forms, start from a blank form or the Group Fitness Class Signup template.
- Add the fields from the table above.
- Add a Single item with the ticket price, then a Total.
- Connect Stripe or PayPal under Connections, and test in test mode with Stripe’s test cards.
- Write a confirmation email with the date, the address and what to bring.
- Put the form on the event page, and send a test registration.
The payments guide covers connecting Stripe and PayPal, step by step.
How do you limit registrations?
With Echo Forms Signature, set an open date, a close date and a maximum number of entries on the form’s scheduling settings. The form closes itself when the room is full, and shows a message you write, such as a link to the waiting list. The scheduling and limits guide shows each option. It means you never have to watch the count at 11 pm the night before.
What should the confirmation email say?
Everything people would otherwise email to ask: the date and time, the address with a map link, parking or transport tips, what to bring, and how to cancel. Send it right after registration, then send a reminder 1 or 2 days before. Put the most asked question in the subject line, such as Your ticket and directions for Saturday.
An event registration form built this way takes about 20 minutes and runs on its own until the doors open. Start with the fields you need for the day, and add payments and limits as your events grow.
Registrations, payments and a cap on places
Payments are free in Echo Forms; open and close dates and limits come with Signature, from $49.99 a year.
