Skip to main content
Must know
  • A waitlist lines families up for a specific program that has already reached capacity.
  • The registration queue is a temporary waiting room that limits how many people can register at once when a busy registration window opens.
  • The two are independent: a program can use a waitlist, the queue, both, or neither.
These two features both involve “waiting,” but they solve different problems and are set up in different places. A waitlist is per program, for when it’s full. Once a program hits its capacity, families can join that program’s waitlist instead of being turned away. They line up in join order, and when a spot opens they’re promoted into it — automatically or by hand. You turn it on in each program’s Waitlist settings and manage it from the program’s Waitlist tab. The queue is a waiting room, for when it’s busy. The registration queue (a virtual waiting room) throttles how many people reach the registration page at the same time, so a rush at open doesn’t overwhelm the system. Everyone gets a fair spot in line and is let through in batches. It’s configured separately under Settings → Registration → Queues, where you set things like the maximum number of concurrent registrants and when the queue activates. Different timing, different scope. The queue matters in the minutes around a popular registration opening — it’s about controlling traffic. A waitlist matters after a program is full — it’s about capturing demand you can’t fill yet. One is a short-lived crowd-control tool; the other is an ongoing list tied to a single program. Because they’re independent, you can run both: a busy signup can use the queue to manage the initial rush, and any program that fills can still offer a waitlist afterward. Related: What is a program waitlist? · How do I set up a registration waiting room (queue)? · How do I turn on a waitlist for a program?