Reminders

The Email Reminder feature allows you to set up automated email reminders that will be sent to registered users relative to an event’s publishing date. Reminders can be scheduled for both before and after the publishing date.

Setting Up Reminders

Reminders are configured with a time offset in minutes from the publishing date

• Negative offset values (–60) schedule the reminder before the publishing date
• Positive offset values (60) schedule the reminder after the publishing date You can add reminders by enabling Registration → Email settings → Email reminders, and clicking Add reminder email before the event or Add follow-up email after the event.

After clicking either of the buttons above, you will see a form like this:

Wherever you use :EVT_NAME, it will be replaced with the event’s name.

You can also preview the email with Preview reminder email which opens only a preview of the email that will be sent. Final email may differ from this preview as email clients render the email differently.

When Reminders Are Sent

A reminder is sent at its scheduled time, or within an hour after it. A reminder is not sent when:

• its scheduled time was more than an hour ago, for example when it is switched on a day after its time
• it is a reminder before the event and the event has already started

So if a reminder was switched off by accident and you switch it on long after its time, it does not go out to all registrants at once. A reminder switched on up to an hour late, before the event starts, is still sent.

The reminder shows a notice when this applies:

• This reminder’s time has passed, so it will not be sent. To send it, move the time to the future. Then save.
• Once saved, this reminder will be sent shortly. The reminder is due now and will go out within a few minutes of saving.

Smart Anti-Spam Protection

To prevent users from receiving a reminder before the event too soon after registration, the system implements smart timing logic. It applies only to reminders before the event: a reminder after the event is sent to everyone registered, however recently they registered.

Minimum Time Before Reminder

The system calculates a minimum required time between a user’s registration and the reminder’s scheduled time. If less time than that has passed, the user doesn’t get that reminder. The minimum is determined by:

1. Taking the absolute value of the reminder’s offset and doubling it

• Example: For a 1-hour pre-event reminder (–60 minutes), the minimum time would be 2 hours

2. The system enforces a minimum threshold of 2 hours, even for small offsets

• Example: For a 30-minute pre-event reminder (–30 minutes), the minimum time would still be 2 hours

3. The minimum time is capped at 24 hours for large offsets

• Example: For a 24-hour pre-event reminder (–1440 minutes), the minimum time would be capped at 24 hours instead of 48 hours

Examples

1. Short Pre-Event Reminder

• Reminder set for 30 minutes before event
• User registers 1 hour before event
• Result: No reminder sent (less than 2-hour minimum)

2. Standard Pre-Event Reminder

• Reminder set for 2 hours before event (–120 minutes)
• User registers 7 hours before event, 5 hours before the reminder
• Result: Reminder will be sent (exceeds 4-hour minimum)

3. Post-Event Reminder

• Reminder set for 12 hours after event (720 minutes)
• User registers 1 hour before the reminder time
• Result: Reminder will be sent (no minimum for reminders after the event)

Best Practices

1. For important announcements close to the event time (less than 2 hours), consider using immediate notifications instead of reminders
2. When setting up long-term reminders before the event (> 12 hours), remember that the anti-spam protection is capped at 24 hours
3. Consider the user experience when setting multiple reminders - ensure they are spaced appropriately to avoid overwhelming users

FAQ

I didn’t get an email after registration

You might just have registered or the email sending might be capped out because of other time-sensitive reasons. Please see the Smart Anti-Spam Protection section for details and probable reasons.

I switched a reminder on, but it was not sent

A reminder is not sent if its scheduled time was more than an hour ago, or if it is a reminder before the event and the event has already started. The reminder shows a notice saying its time has passed. Move the time to the future and save, and it is sent at the new time. A reminder before the event still skips people who registered too close to it (see Smart Anti-Spam Protection). If the event has already started, a reminder before the event can no longer be sent: set a time that is after the event start and in the future instead, and it is sent as a follow-up email. See When Reminders Are Sent for details.

Can I use my own email address instead of no-reply@videosync.fi for registration confirmations?

Yes, you can customize the organizer email address for registration confirmations. Changing from the default no-reply@videosync.fi to your own email address does not affect spam risk or email deliverability.

However, there are important considerations when using a custom email address:

1. Functional email requirement: The email address must be active and functioning. Using a non-existent email address will cause viewers to receive bounce messages.

2. RSVP responses: Some email clients (particularly Gmail) send RSVP responses directly to the organizer email address. The owner of the custom email will receive these responses.

3. Contact management: The email address should belong to someone who can handle participant queries, as attendees may send questions, cancellation requests, or other inquiries to this address.