Got a great idea for a new product but haven't had the chance to build it yet? Never fear: waitlists are here!
You can build your product behind the scenes while simultaneously gathering interest and engaging potential leads!
What does setting up a product waitlist mean?
This means you no longer have to stay stuck in “Draft mode” before launch — you can start gathering email addresses as soon as you have the idea or begin building your product!
Waitlisted products let you collect email addresses before launch, making it easy to target and email people who’ve already shown interest once your product goes live.
Here's what a product waitlist looks like (you can customize the design, but not the email capture):
How to offer a product waitlist
Here’s how to offer a product waitlist:
From your home feed, click on your site name and select Admin from the dropdown menu.
From the admin dashboard, use the sidebar menu and click:
Products, if you want to set a waitlist for a product (such as an online course, download, coaching session, or bundle).
Events, if you want to set a waitlist for an event.
Click the Edit icon next to the product/event you'd like to set to waitlist.
Once inside the product editor, navigate to the Pricing tab.
Click Edit next to the Offer option.
From the list, choose the Waitlist option and click save.
Next, you will need to publish your product by clicking publish in the upper-right corner of your product editor.
What happens when someone signs up for a waitlist?
Anyone who signs up for a waitlist will be added to the waitlist subscriber list for that product.
You can export and view that list at any time from your Products tab by clicking the three dots to the right of your product name, then clicking "Export subscribers":
While you continue building your product, you can send campaign emails or broadcasts to people on your waitlist to keep them engaged and interested.
Once your product launches, you can email your waitlist again to invite them to purchase — including special offers like coupons if you’d like.
When someone buys, they’ll automatically move from the waitlist to your main Customers list. Anyone who doesn’t purchase will remain on the waitlist, so you can follow up with them again later.
How to embed a waitlist signup form on another site
Want to collect email addresses for your product waitlist somewhere other than your Podia site? You can do that, too!
From your Products tab, click the three dots to the right of your product name, then click "Embed":
You'll be able to configure the success behavior for your embed waitlist form directly from your Settings.
Note: The embed code provided is pretty basic.
While we're happy to provide this code for you, we're not able to help customize it, as all websites are different and have different styling requirements.
FAQs
What product types am I able to create a waitlist for?
What product types am I able to create a waitlist for?
Waitlists can be made for any product type except for plans. At this time, you are not able to place a plan in waitlist mode.
What is the difference between a product waitlist and a paid product?
What is the difference between a product waitlist and a paid product?
There are a few key differences between a product waitlist and a Published product.
A Published product can be sold, while a waitlist product will allow you to capture email addresses only.
Note: If you're looking to presell your product i.e. start collecting money for it before it's ready, look at How to set a start date for your product. 💰
Can members access the content of waitlisted products?
Can members access the content of waitlisted products?
No. Waitlisted products don't provide access to the product's content.
Their primary function is to help you gather email addresses for potential customers, but these individuals won't be able to view the product's content even if invited.
To allow people to access your product's content, you'll need to switch the offer type to either Free or Paid.
If you prefer to restrict access for the time being, you can set a start date for the product by following these instructions: How to set a start date for your product.
Can I customize the Thank you message that appears when someone signs up for my waitlisted product?
Can I customize the Thank you message that appears when someone signs up for my waitlisted product?
Yes! You can also choose to redirect folks to a thank you page instead! This article goes over the process of setting both of those options up.
My member bought a product previously, and now they can't see it in their account. Is it because I've placed it in Waitlist?
My member bought a product previously, and now they can't see it in their account. Is it because I've placed it in Waitlist?
Yes. Once a product is changed to Waitlist mode, your customers who previously had access will lose access until the product is made available again.
They may report that the product has disappeared from their dashboard or that they no longer have access.