As your big day gets closer, firm numbers matter more and more: for the caterer, the seating plan and the drinks. It's reassuring when a yes stays a yes. That's exactly what the “Antworten nach dem Absenden sperren” switch (lock replies after sending) is for. When it's on, every yes and no stays exactly as your guests sent it. It starts out switched off, so you can decide in your own time whether and when you need it.

You'll find the switch in two places, and both control the same setting:

The setting is saved immediately and applies right away, without publishing again. Whatever you switch in one place shows up the same way in the other.

While the lock is on, a short note appears in the RSVP form right above the send button whenever “Ja” (yes) or “Nein” (no) is selected:

“Nach dem Absenden kannst du deine Antwort nicht mehr selbst ändern. Wenn sich etwas ändert, melde dich einfach bei uns.”

In English: “Once you've sent your reply, you can't change it yourself. If anything changes, just get in touch with us.” Guests on the English version of your page read exactly this sentence. On a birthday page, the sentence ends with “bei mir” (with me). The note doesn't appear for “Vielleicht” (maybe), because that answer can still be changed.

If your guest opens their personal link again after saying yes or no, they see their reply to read through instead of the form, for example with “Danke, Anna! Deine Antwort ist gespeichert.” (Thank you, Anna! Your reply has been saved.) Below that are their name, their answer and the details they gave in the form, for example about their plus-one, children, dietary needs or song request. For a decline, it's just the name and the answer. At the end, they read that they can simply get in touch with you if they'd like to change anything.

If a guest still tries to send the form again, for example from a window they already had open, they read “Du hast schon geantwortet, Anna.” (You have already replied, Anna.) and, below that, that their saved reply stays as it is. Nothing changes in your guest list.

You don't need to switch the lock on before sending your invitations. It applies straight away to every guest who has already said yes or no themselves, including replies from a few weeks ago. Anyone who hasn't replied yet can RSVP as usual, and from their yes or no onwards, their reply is locked too.

If you've allowed “Noch unsicher” (not sure yet) in the form, your guests can answer “Vielleicht” (maybe). We never lock that answer: anyone who can't commit yet should still be able to say yes or no on their own later. Only that yes or no is then locked.

If your guest included their plus-one when they replied, the plus-one's details are part of the guest's reply. As soon as the guest has said yes or no themselves, the plus-one is locked as well. If the plus-one wants to change something themselves, they need their own permission. The main guest's permission isn't enough for that: it only allows the main guest to send the joint reply again through their own link.

The lock only applies to your guests, never to you. Under Gäste (Guests), you can still change any answer yourself with “Antwort ändern” (change answer) in the three-dot menu, for example after a phone call.

Here's how it works: anyone who has never replied themselves won't be locked by your entry. They can still reply on their own later, and only their own yes or no is then locked. If your guest has already replied themselves at some point, a yes or no that you enter for them counts as final, even if they had said “Vielleicht” before. Usually you're just recording what they told you anyway. If you set them back to “Ausstehend” (pending), they can reply on their own again.

Sometimes plans do change: the babysitter cancels, or a no turns into a yes after all. Then you can let exactly this guest send their reply once more:

Through their link, your guest then sees the form again with their previous details and can send a new reply. With their next yes or no, it's locked again. We don't send them a message about this, so just let them know yourself. If you change your mind, you can take the permission back in the same menu with “Wieder sperren” (lock again).

If a guest doesn't have a personal code yet, for example because they signed up through your general link or came along as a plus-one, they automatically get one when you allow the change. The same happens the first time you choose “Link kopieren” for them.

While the lock is on, every locked reply has a small padlock next to its status in your guest list. On a computer, hover over it and you'll read “Antwort gesperrt, der Gast kann sie nicht mehr selbst ändern” (reply locked, the guest can no longer change it themselves). On your phone, the word “Gesperrt” (locked) appears right next to the padlock. If you've allowed a guest to make a change, the padlock is open and “Freigegeben” (unlocked) appears next to it.

A guest replies again without their personal link. What happens then?
If they enter the same name and the same email address as the first time, we recognise them. They then read “Du hast schon geantwortet” (you have already replied), and their saved reply stays as it is. If it isn't a clear match, we create a new entry as usual, marked “Möglicher Doppeleintrag” (possible duplicate) if the name is the same. The locked reply isn't touched. If it's the same person, you can combine the two with “Zusammenführen…” (merge) in the three-dot menu, or delete the new entry.

Can new guests still RSVP while the lock is on?
Yes, of course. The lock only affects yes and no answers you already have. Anyone who hasn't replied yet can RSVP as usual, through their personal link or through your general link.

What happens if I switch the lock off again?
Then your guests can change their reply themselves again, just like before. The note above the send button disappears, and so do the padlocks in your guest list. If you switch the lock back on later, all yes and no answers are locked again right away, including the ones that came in in the meantime. Any permission a guest hasn't used yet still applies.

I can't see the note in the editor preview.
That's intentional. We only show the note above the send button on your published page. It's best to open your page yourself once, then you'll see it exactly as your guests do.