Configure booking restrictions
Limit repeat attendance for one participant, and require a validation code before someone can book.
Stop one attendee from booking the same event over and over, or require a validation code before anyone can book at all. This page covers both controls on the Activity touchpoint, and when the broader Restrictions (number, frequency, time slots, validation codes) model applies to a different touchpoint type instead.
Where each control lives
Per-participant attendance limits live in the Slots tab, under Booking Restrictions (or Check-in Restrictions for a check-in-only event). A validation-codes pool, if your team gates bookings behind one, is configured directly on the Activity's own Restrictions tab — not a separate setup.
When this page matters most
Use the per-participant limits when the rule is about how many times one participant may attend the same Activity. Use the validation-codes pool when the rule is about who can book at all.
Common examples:
- a kids activity that allows only one check-in per child per day
- a drop-in activation that allows at most three visits during the campaign
- an invitation-only workshop that requires a code before booking
Choose the right control
| Need | Best place to configure it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Limit repeat attendance for one participant on this Activity | Booking Restrictions in the Slots tab | One child may join the same workshop only once per day |
| Control how many people fit in one slot | Ticket capacity and slot setup | A VIP session with 8 seats per slot |
| Require a code before someone can book | The Activity's own Restrictions tab | Invitation-only access to a private workshop |
Configuration
Decide which control you need
Pick the one that matches your rule:
- Stay in the Slots tab when the rule is about repeat attendance on this specific Activity.
- Open the Restrictions tab when the rule is about requiring a validation code before someone can book.
Set a per-participant limit
In the Slots tab's Booking Restrictions section, use the per-participant counters to cap repeat attendance. You can set:
- a total cap for how many times one participant may attend
- optional daily and weekly caps when the same Activity repeats often
Choose a number that fits a real scenario
Base the limit on how the event actually runs. For example:
- a kids workshop might allow 1 per day
- a brand activation might allow 3 across the campaign
- a recurring VIP consultation might allow 1 total booking per participant
Add a validation-codes gate if needed
Open the Activity's own Restrictions tab and turn on Validation Codes Restriction, then select a Validation Codes Pool. Anyone booking must now enter a valid code from that pool.
This control sits on the Activity itself, so you don't need a separate setup to gate bookings this way.
How the limit is applied
The limit is checked at the moment a participant tries to book. If they have already reached it, the booking is refused and they are told they have booked the maximum number of tickets — so the cap turns people away during the campaign rather than surfacing as a publish error.
Only confirmed bookings count towards it:
- a cancelled booking gives the participant their allowance back, so someone who cancels can book again;
- a waitlisted booking does not count until it is confirmed;
- the daily and weekly caps count confirmed bookings inside their own window, while the total cap counts them across the whole Activity.
Check the numbers on Booking + Check-in Activities
Until 13 August 2026 these per-participant limits were applied only on Check-in Only Activities. On a Booking + Check-in Activity you could set a limit, save it, and publish, and participants were never actually stopped by it. That is fixed, so a limit configured earlier and quietly ignored is now live.
If you have a Booking + Check-in Activity running or about to run, open its Slots tab and confirm the numbers are what you would choose today. A cap left at 1 from an early draft will now start refusing repeat bookings that used to go through.
If publishing is blocked
A few common reasons and how to fix them:
- The per-contact booking limit is 0 or invalid — set a positive number, or turn the booking limit off.
- The validation-codes restriction is on but no pool is selected — choose the intended pool, or remove that restriction.
See Validation & publishing for the full publish flow.