Guest applications: how can users sign up without an account?

What is this feature?

Guest applications allow people to apply for a volunteer opportunity without creating an account first. All they need is an email address. This can lower the barrier for first-time volunteers who aren't ready to register — they can express interest immediately and decide later whether to create a full account.

Before you start: enabling guest applications

Guest applications are turned off by default. To use them, someone from Deedmob needs to enable the feature for the relevant opportunity types (standard volunteering, community events, workshops, or peer-to-peer).

If you'd like this enabled on your platform, contact Deedmob support.

How it works

For the volunteer

1. They visit an opportunity and click the RSVP or application button (this may be labelled Apply, Register interest, or something else depending on your platform settings).
2. They enter their email address.
3. If they already have an account, they'll be asked to log in.
4. If no account exists for that email, they can choose to either create an account or continue as a guest.
5. Guests receive a confirmation email and need to open it and click Confirm to submit their application.
6. Once confirmed, their application appears in your overview and you'll be notified as usual.
7. If a Guest hasn't received their confirmation link, they can alwasy re-apply and a new confirmation link will be send. Please note that these can always end up in a spam box.

They can continue to manage their application — check its status, withdraw, or upgrade to a full account — via a link in their confirmation email.

For you as an administrator

Guest applications work the same as regular applications once confirmed. You'll see them in your application overview, can accept or reject them, and can message the volunteer via email (until they upgrade to a full account, in-app messaging isn't available for guests).

Things to keep in mind

Unconfirmed applications don't appear in your overview. A guest application only becomes visible to you after the volunteer clicks Confirm in their email. If a volunteer tells you they applied but you don't see them, they may not have confirmed yet — ask them to check their inbox (and spam folder).

Unconfirmed applications are automatically deleted after 30 days. If a volunteer never confirms, their application is quietly removed. This window can be adjusted by your platform manager.

Guests have limited messaging. Until a guest upgrades to a full account, you can't exchange messages with them through the platform. Instead, you'll see a link to email them directly.

Guests can upgrade to a full account at any time. The confirmation email contains a link where guests can set a password and turn their guest record into a full account. Their existing application carries over.

Each activity can only have one active guest application per email address. If someone tries to apply as a guest for an opportunity they've already applied to, they'll receive a new email with the confirmation link.

Frequently asked questions

A volunteer says they applied but I can't find them — what happened? They most likely haven't confirmed their application yet. Ask them to check their inbox for the confirmation email, including spam. If more than 30 days have passed, the application may have been automatically removed.

Can a guest volunteer message me through the platform? Not until they upgrade to a full account. In the meantime, you'll see a direct email link in their application.

Can I tell from the application whether someone applied as a guest? Once confirmed, a guest application looks like any other. If the volunteer hasn't yet upgraded to a full account, their profile will be minimal (email address only, no full profile).

What if a guest wants to withdraw their application? They can do this from the management link in their original confirmation email — no account needed.