Smart invitations for people who care who shows up

Your shortlist. Your rules.

ShortList is the smart invitation platform for people and businesses who care about who shows up. Build ranked lists, send smart invitations, and let your contacts self-select — from the A-list to the opt-out.

Event

Offshore Fishing — Sat Jul 19

Spots

4 / 6

J
Jake R.
★★★Confirmed
M
Maria C.
★★★Confirmed
T
Tom W.
★★☆Confirmed
D
Dana P.
★★☆Confirmed
C
Chris M.
★☆☆Invited
S
Sarah K.
★☆☆Waitlist
Next slot advances automaticallySend round →
Used by
🎉 Parties🍽️ Restaurants🎣 Fishing trips🏈 Tailgates🎭 Private events

How it works

Three steps between you and a perfectly-filled event.

01
📋

Build your lists

Add contacts by phone or email. Organize them into lists — "Friday regulars", "VIP customers", "Fishing crew". Your contacts rank up automatically based on how they respond over time.

02
📅

Create an event

Set your capacity, date, and location. Choose how to fill spots: ranked (best responders first), random draw, first come first served, or invite everyone at once.

03
📨

Send smart invitations

ShortList texts and emails your list in the right order. Contacts say yes or no from any device — no app required. Waitlist fills automatically when someone drops out.

For individuals

Perfect for anyone with a shortlist

  • 🎣Fishing trips with limited boat space
  • 🍷Private dinner parties
  • 🏈Fantasy sports draft nights
  • 📚Book clubs and game nights
  • 🎵Concert tickets and group outings

No more group texts. No more awkward asks. Just the right people, every time.

🎉

Party of 20

14 confirmed in 2hrs

🎣

Fishing trip

6 spots, auto-waitlist

🍽️

Dinner party

Ranked invitations

🏈

Draft night

No app required

For businesses

The digital fish bowl — supercharged

Remember the business card fish bowl at the restaurant? ShortList is that, but smarter. Collect customer info, build your VIP list, and invite the right people to the right events.

  • Private dining & exclusive tastingsInvite your top regulars, not just whoever sees the Instagram post.
  • Influencer eventsManage your guest list with precision. Know who's coming before the event.
  • Loyalty without an appCustomers opt in via text or email. No downloads required.
  • Ranked invitationsYour best customers get first access, automatically.
  • Paid eventsCharge for exclusive experiences. ShortList handles ticketing.
Talk to us about ShortList for Business

VIP List

Summer Wine Tasting

Invited

18 / 24

The Galloways

47 visits

A-List

James W.

31 visits

A-List

Priya M.

22 visits

Regular

Derek H.

14 visits

Regular

New contact

Joined via QR

Waitlist

Customers joined via table QR code · No app required

From the shortlist to the… not-so-short list

Every contact builds a score based on how they respond. Say yes often? You move up. Decline repeatedly? You self-select to the bottom — no awkward conversations needed. It's your list, ranked automatically.

🟢

Always in

Consistent yes-sayers. First to get the invite, every time.

🟡

Usually in

Reliable but not guaranteed. Still gets early access.

🔴

Rarely responds

Self-selected to the bottom. Invited when spots remain.

Everything you need

Built for hosts who take their events seriously.

🎯

Smart invitations

Ranked, random draw, first-come, or open. You choose how spots fill.

🔄

Automatic waitlist

Spots fill themselves when someone cancels. Zero manual work.

💬

Group chat

Confirmed attendees automatically get a group chat for the event.

📱

No app required

Guests respond by text or email from any device.

💳

Paid events

Charge for exclusive experiences. ShortList handles ticketing. (Pro)

🌐

Public events

Publish to slist.me/explore for public discovery and join requests.

Free to start. Pro for power users.

No credit card required to get started.

Free

$0

Forever free

  • 1 contact list
  • Up to 10 contacts
  • Ranked & open invitations
  • SMS & email invites
Pro

Pro

Coming soon

Currently in test mode

  • Unlimited lists & contacts
  • Group chat for events
  • Paid events & ticketing
  • Public event discovery
Start free — no credit card required