How do I create an event?
Sign in, click Dashboard, then "New gathering." Fill in a title, date, location, and a few items you'd like guests to bring. Save it as a draft to tinker, or publish to start sharing the link.
Frequently asked
How PitchInDish works.
Quick answers for hosts and guests. Email us at support@pitchindish.com if you can't find what you need.
For hosts
How do I invite people?
Three ways. Email each guest from the Guests page (we mint a one-tap link per recipient). Share the event link directly anywhere (text, group chat, social). Or share the QR code we generate, which is great for printed invites or posters.
Your guests don't need accounts to RSVP. The link does the work.
Can I add a co-host?
Yes. Open Settings on your event, scroll to Co-hosts, and add them by email. They need a PitchInDish account first.
Co-hosts can edit the event, manage the sign-up sheet, and see the guest list. They can't cancel the event or add more co-hosts. Only you can do those.
Can I edit an event after sending invites?
Yes. Date, location, items, and details are all editable any time. If you change the date or the location, we'll email anyone who RSVP'd yes or maybe so they get the update.
How do I cancel an event?
Open Settings on your event, scroll to the bottom, and choose "Call it off." We'll email everyone who RSVP'd yes or maybe so they hear it from you, not by showing up.
How do reminders work?
Two paths. Auto-reminders (off by default) email anyone who hasn't replied a week, three days, and one day before the event. Turn them on in Settings if you'd like that cadence.
Manual nudges are available any time. The Guests page has a "Nudge people who haven't replied" button that fires once per click, throttled to once per day per guest so you can't accidentally spam.
How does the sign-up sheet work?
You add items the gathering needs. For each one, set a quantity ("salad for 8"), pick a category ("sides," "drinks," "supplies"), and optionally flag it as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, or dairy-free. You can also add an "open contribution" item ("bring a dish") if you'd rather leave it loose.
Guests claim items from the gathering's page. Each claim is one tap.
Can I require a passcode to view my event?
Yes. In Settings, turn on Privacy → Passcode, and pick a code. Anyone visiting the event link will need to enter it before seeing details or RSVPing. Share the passcode the same way you share the link.
Can I download a guest list?
Not as a one-click CSV yet. The Guests page shows everyone who RSVP'd, their party size, kids count, and any dietary needs. You can copy from there if you need a quick list. Native CSV export is on the way.
Do I have to retype the same friends every event?
No. You have an address book at /contacts. Anyone you invite (or who RSVPs to your event) lands there. Next event, you pick from the list instead of typing.
You can also import contacts from a CSV. Google Contacts exports work out of the box.
For guests
Do I need an account to RSVP?
No. Open the invite link, fill in your name and email (or phone), and pick yes, maybe, or no. The host gets your reply. You don't have to create or remember anything.
How do I find a gathering I lost the link to?
Visit pitchindish.com and click "Find your gatherings." Enter the email or phone you used to RSVP, and we'll send you a magic link. One tap from there gets you back into every event you've been invited to.
Can I bring a +1 or my kids?
If the host allowed it. The RSVP form will show a party-size stepper for adults, and (when the host turned it on) a kids stepper. If you're not sure, ask the host directly. Surprise +1s are between you and them.
Can I change my RSVP after I submit?
Yes. Go back to the event link (or use "Find your gatherings" if you lost it), and submit again. The new answer replaces the old one and the host sees the update.
What if I have dietary restrictions?
The RSVP form has a small set of common flags: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free. Pick the ones that apply, and the host sees them right away on their guest list. They'll also see a summary on the items page ("2 guests need gluten-free") so they can plan around it.
For anything outside those five (sesame, low-FODMAP, religious restrictions), reach out to the host directly. We don't try to model every long-tail need in the form.
Can I see who else is coming?
Usually yes. After you RSVP, the event page shows the guest list. The host can hide it in Settings if they'd rather keep it private. You'll still see the headcount even when the list is hidden.
How do I claim an item on the sign-up sheet?
On the event page, scroll to the sign-up sheet, find an item that's open, and tap "I'll bring this." You can change your mind later with one tap. If the item is an "open contribution" (just "bring a dish"), we'll ask you to name what you're bringing so the host knows.
What if I can't make it after all?
Go back to the event link and change your RSVP to no. Same flow as the original RSVP. If you claimed any items, please release them so someone else can pick them up.
Chat
Who can see the chat for an event?
The host, any co-hosts, and anyone who RSVP'd yes or maybe. Guests who said no don't see it, and guests who haven't replied yet don't see it either. The mental model is: if you didn't say you're in, you're not in the room.
How do guests get to chat?
On the gathering's page, a small Chat button floats in the bottom-right on desktop (bottom-center on mobile). Tap it to slide open a side drawer with the full conversation. A small badge shows the unread count when new messages have arrived since your last visit.
What can hosts do that guests can't?
Hosts and co-hosts can pin a message (it sorts to the top of the thread — useful for the address, the parking note, whatever they keep asking about). They can also delete any message, not just their own. Guests can post messages and delete their own.
Can I delete a message after I post it?
Yes. The message disappears from the live thread and is replaced with "(message deleted)" so the conversation doesn't gap awkwardly around it. The original text is preserved server-side for moderation purposes but never shown again.
Do I get notified when there's a new message?
There's an unread badge on the chat button (for guests) and the Chat tab (for hosts) — it shows how many new messages have arrived since you last looked. It's per-device for V1, meaning it's saved in the browser you're using; it won't sync between your phone and laptop yet.
There's no email digest of missed chat yet. We're holding that one until we see whether anyone uses chat heavily enough to want it.
Can I message just the host, or just one other guest?
Not in V1. Chat is a single shared thread per gathering, visible to everyone with access. We left direct messages out on purpose — the whole point is to keep coordination in one place. If you need to reach the host privately, you can still reply to any of their PitchInDish emails directly.
Is there a length limit on messages?
1,000 characters per message. Enough for a paragraph, short enough that it nudges people toward "here's the parking situation" instead of essays.
Encore (post-event photos)
What is Encore?
Encore is the photo feed for after the gathering. Guests upload pictures from the event, react with a heart, and (if the host left it on) leave comments. It's a private memory book for the people who were there.
When does Encore open?
Uploads and viewing open when the gathering starts. That's when photos are actually being taken, so it's when the upload destination matters. The page stays open after the event too, so guests can come back and add ones they took later or look at what others shared.
Will I get an email when photos are up?
Yes, if you RSVP'd yes. A few hours after the gathering ends, we'll send one email letting you know the Encore is open and inviting you to add yours. One email per gathering. No nags.
Who can see the photos?
By default, only the host, co-hosts, and guests who RSVP'd. The host can flip a Privacy toggle in Encore that lets anyone with the link view too, which is useful if you want to share with people who couldn't make it. Uploads are always limited to invited guests.
Can the host turn Encore off?
Yes. In Settings, the host can disable Encore for a specific event. When off, no photos are collected and the post-event email doesn't go out. Useful for formal events, sensitive moments, or private gatherings.
Can the host disable comments but keep photos?
Yes. Settings has a separate toggle for comments. When off, guests can upload photos and tap to react, but the comment thread under each photo is hidden. Existing comments are preserved if the host changes their mind.
Can I delete a photo or comment I posted?
Yes. Tap your photo and choose Remove. Same for comments. The host and co-hosts can also remove anything on their Encore.
How long do photos stay up?
Depends on the host's plan. Encores from free gatherings stay for 1 year after the event ends. Single-gathering credit Encores stay for 2 years. Pro Encores stay for 5 years.
Before anything gets deleted, the host gets two reminder emails (60 days out and 7 days out), so there's plenty of warning. Viewing Encore is always free for everyone invited regardless of plan.
Dietary flags
What are the dietary flags?
Five common ones: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free. Guests pick the ones that apply on the RSVP form, and hosts can flag what's vegetarian-friendly (etc.) on each item in the sign-up sheet. The two together drive a summary on the host's items page so they can see at a glance whether anyone's covered.
Why only those five, instead of every allergy?
These five cover the bulk of what hosts actually plan around. Adding every long-tail allergy (sesame, low-FODMAP, religious restrictions, etc.) would turn the picker into a wall of checkboxes that hosts and guests both skip. Edge cases stay in the free-text note field on the item claim, where they get the host's full attention.
Can I leave a more specific note?
Yes. When you RSVP, you can mention anything in the open notes. When you claim an item, the claim form has a note field for things like "smaller portion" or "sesame-free version." Those land in the host's view alongside the structured flags.
How does the host see all this?
Two places. The guests page shows each guest's flagged restrictions as small badges next to their name. The items page has a "Dietary needs" summary card that aggregates everything: "3 guests need vegan, 2 items flagged vegan." If there's a gap, the card calls it out with a soft warning.
Privacy
Who can see the guest list?
By default, the host, co-hosts, and anyone who RSVP'd. Hosts can hide the guest list from guests in Settings if they want it private (you'll still see your own RSVP and a headcount).
What do you do with my contacts?
Your address book is private to you. We don't share, sell, or surface it to other users. The only writes come from you (typing or importing) or from your guests RSVPing to your events. We use the addresses to send the emails you ask us to send, nothing else.
What about guest data?
We collect what a guest gives us when they RSVP: name, contact info, party size, dietary needs. It's visible to the host of that event (and co-hosts). It's not shared across hosts. Guests can request deletion by emailing support.
Where are Encore photos stored?
On Google Cloud Storage, scoped to your event. Access is gated by the same rules as the event itself: hosts, co-hosts, RSVP'd guests, and (when the host opts in) public link-holders. We don't use the photos for anything else.
What happens to my data if I cancel my account?
Deletion happens immediately when you click the button on your account page. Your profile, every gathering you host, all the RSVPs, items, photos, chat, and your address book all go away right then. If you have an active Pro subscription, it gets cancelled at the same time.
Guests who RSVP'd to your gatherings lose access to those gatherings, but if they signed up for their own PitchInDish accounts, those stay intact. If you want a copy of anything before you delete, email support@pitchindish.com first and we'll help you pull it together.
Pricing and plans
Is PitchInDish free?
Your first gathering is free, no credit card required. After that there are three paid options: $9 for a single gathering credit, $39 for a 6-pack of credits ($6.50 each), or $99/year for Pro (unlimited gatherings).
Encore (the post-event photo feed) is always free for everyone invited to a gathering, regardless of the host's plan. See /pricing for the full picture.
Are there any limits?
Per plan: free gatherings allow up to 75 guests and 500 photos in Encore. Single-gathering credits ($9 each or 6 for $39) bump that to 200 guests and 1,000 photos, with up to 2 co-hosts. Pro ($99/year) goes to 500 guests and 2,000 photos with up to 5 co-hosts, and lets you publish as many gatherings as you'd like.
There's also a per-host daily email cap (around 1,500 outbound emails per day) that's the same across plans. It's there to keep things sustainable, not as a real-world limit.
What do the paid plans add?
Higher caps and longer photo retention. Paid plans raise the guest limit per gathering, the photo limit per Encore, the co-host count, and how long Encore photos stay around (1 / 2 / 5 years across the three tiers).
The actual features — sign-up sheet, RSVPs, in-event chat, password-protected events, CSV import, anonymous claims, reminders, Encore for everyone invited — are universal across all plans. See /pricing for the side-by-side.
General
What is PitchInDish?
A web-based app for planning gatherings where people pitch in. Hosts make an event, share a link, run a sign-up sheet, collect RSVPs, and after the gathering, share photos on Encore. Guests don't need accounts. It's built for the casual potluck and the planned dinner party alike.
Can I use PitchInDish for more than just potlucks?
Yes — anywhere you'd want to coordinate who brings what is a fit. The name leans into potlucks because that's the most-recognized version of the pattern, but plenty of hosts use it for dinner parties, birthday gatherings, holiday meals (Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, Easter brunch), backyard BBQs, watch parties, baby and bridal showers, book clubs with snacks — anywhere food is part of the gathering. The sign-up sheet has pre-built templates for several of these, and you can start from scratch for anything else.
Can I use it for a multi-day event?
Yes. One event covers the whole stretch — single invite, single RSVP, single guest list. The trick is the sign-up sheet: categories double as day groupings (Friday brunch, Saturday dinner, Sunday brunch, etc.). There's a "Multi-day weekend" template under "Or start from a template →" on the sheet that sets up Friday/Saturday/Sunday categories with the meals filled in. Rename the day labels to match your actual dates, and add or remove categories as needed.
Good fit for wedding weekends, family reunions, retreats, vacation rentals — anywhere a single group of people is together for several days and you want one place to coordinate all the meals.
Do I need to download an app?
No. Everything works in a browser, on a phone or computer. We may build native apps later, but the web version is the canonical product and isn't a stripped-down preview.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes. The site is built to work on any modern browser, including mobile. The Encore upload widget knows to open the camera on phones, so you can snap and upload in one motion.
How do I get help?
Email us at support@pitchindish.com. We're a small team and we read every message.
Can I export my events and data?
Working on it. CSV export of guest lists is on the near-term list. Bulk event export for your records is planned. If you need something specific in the meantime, email us and we'll see what we can do.