Waitlist template
Print one, copy it into Google Sheets, or skip the paper entirely and let guests add themselves to a list that updates live.
Both are free. Neither needs an account.
A sign in sheet template that survives a rush
Most printable sign-in sheets have one column too few. You want the name, the party size, the time they arrived and a box to tick when you have served them - the arrival time is the one people leave off, and it is the only column that lets you answer "how much longer" without guessing. Our printable version has all four and fits fifteen rows on a page.
A waitlist template for Google Sheets
A waiting list spreadsheet is a real step up from paper: it is legible, two people can see it, and it does not blow off the counter. What it still cannot do is tell the person waiting anything. They have to come back and ask you, which is the interruption the sheet was supposed to prevent.
What paper and spreadsheets cannot do
Neither one can be read by the person who is waiting. That is the whole gap. A digital waitlist gives every guest a private link showing their own place in line, updating as you work through the list - so they stop asking, and you stop losing people who got tired of standing there.
From paper to live, without redoing the work
- 01
Start with the template
Print the free sign-in sheet, or copy the column layout into Google Sheets. Both are free and neither needs an account.
- 02
Move it to a waitlist when the paper fills up
Type the names in, or share a join link and let people add themselves. Still no account required.
- 03
Give each person their own link
Everyone waiting sees their own place in line, live, on their own phone. Nothing to download.
Waitlist templates: common questions
Make four columns - name, party size, time added, and a served checkbox - and add one row per person as they arrive. Sort by time added so the order is never in question. That covers the record-keeping, but be aware of what it does not cover: a spreadsheet cannot show the person waiting where they are in the queue, so you will still be answering "how much longer" by hand.
Name, party size, arrival time, and a column to mark someone as served. Arrival time is the one most templates omit and the one you need most, because it is what turns "there are four people ahead of you" into "about twenty minutes". A phone number is optional and, on paper, is worth thinking twice about - see the next question.
It can be. A clipboard on a counter shows every previous customer's name, and often their phone number, to whoever signs in next. If you collect phone numbers on paper, keep the sheet turned away from the queue and shred it at the end of the day. A digital list avoids the issue entirely, because each person only ever sees their own entry.
Yes - the printable sign-in sheet on this site is free, needs no account, and prints from your browser. The digital version is free too: up to 15 guests per waitlist, with no time limit and no card.
That is the common pattern. Keep the printed sheet at the door as a backup for when the wifi drops or a phone dies, and run the live waitlist as the real record. The two do not need to be reconciled - the paper is just insurance.
Related: printable waitlist template, QR code waitlist, restaurant waitlist app.
Skip the clipboard
Free for up to 15 guests. No account, no card, no app for your guests.