What emails will I get when I apply to or join an activity?

This article walks through every email you might get after signing up for an activity. Which ones apply to you depends on whether you applied or joined, and whether you have a full account or signed up as a guest.

If you applied to an activity

Applying means the organisation reviews your request before confirming your spot.

• Application confirmation. Sent right away, with a copy of what you submitted.
• "Organisation hasn't responded" notice. Sent on some platforms if nobody's replied after a week. Not every platform has this turned on.
• Standard decline. Sent if the organisation says no, or if your application sits unanswered long enough that some platforms close it automatically. Reads the same either way.
• Acceptance. Sent the moment the organisation says yes.
• Message from the organisation. Sent if they reach out to ask a question or clarify something before deciding. You can reply directly from the platform.

Your acceptance or decline email might include a personal note, since organisations can add a message when they update your status.

If you joined an activity (RSVP)

Joining skips the review step.

• Acceptance. Sent straight away if there's space. No waiting, no review.
• Waiting list notice. Sent if the activity is full and it has a waiting list turned on. How that works is covered in How does the waitlist work?
• Promoted from the waiting list. Sent automatically once a spot opens up and you're next in line.

There's no reminder chain here, since there's no decision anyone needs to make.

If you signed up as a guest (no account)

• Confirmation request. Sent right after you apply. You need to click the confirm button inside it, since just opening the email doesn't count. The link stays valid for a year.
• If you never confirm, the draft application gets cleaned up automatically after about a month.
• Once you confirm, everything above applies to you the same way it would to a full account holder.
• You can upgrade to a full account later using the management link in your confirmation email.

More on signing up without an account is in Guest applications: how can users sign up without an account?

Emails about the activity itself

• Activity changed. Sent if the organisation changes the date, time, or location after you're accepted.
• Activity cancelled or deleted. Sent if the activity is removed while you're still signed up or waiting on a decision.

Managing what you receive

• Most of these emails can be turned off in your notification preferences, grouped by category (application updates, reminders, and so on). Where to find them is covered in How can I view my messages and notifications?
• A few always send regardless of your settings: account security emails like password resets, and the activity cancellation notice, since both carry information you need no matter what.

What if you're not getting an email you expect

• Check your spam or junk folder first.
• Check your notification preferences, in case the relevant category is switched off.
• You can also view your applications and their status yourself, see Where can I view my applications and cancel my application?
• If it still hasn't shown up, message the organisation through the platform.
• If the issue looks like something on the platform'end, contact your platform admin instead.

Curious what this looks like from the organisation's side?

Organisations get their own set of emails while your application sits with them, including reminders if nobody's responded yet. If you're curious how that works, see What emails does our organisation receive around applications?