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October 22, 2026

Make an Event Private with a Passcode

Lock your event page so only people with the passcode can see the details, and choose how long guests stay unlocked (Entry and Pro).

Keep the details between you and your guests

Whether it's a family gathering or a private meeting, you can protect an event page with a passcode. Anyone without it sees only a "This event is private" screen. The title, date, place and description aren't sent to their browser at all. Passcode-protected events are available on the Entry and Pro plans, and it's optional per event.

Set a passcode

  1. Create or edit an event.
  2. In the Privacy section, turn on Require a passcode to view this event.
  3. Type a passcode (4 to 64 characters, case-sensitive) or click Suggest for a memorable one like maple-lantern-42.
  4. Choose Keep guests unlocked for: 1, 7, 30 or 90 days.
  5. Save the event.

Very guessable passcodes such as 1234 or the event's own title are rejected. A short pass-phrase is easier to share and harder to guess than a number.

Share it with guests

Send guests the event link and the passcode, ideally in the same message. Use Copy passcode or Copy invite text in the event form to make this quick.

Important: a passcode can't be shown again after you save. SendToCal stores only a scrambled form of it. If you forget it, open the event and set a new one.

What stays locked

A private event is hidden everywhere details could leak:

  • the public event page and its search/preview information. Shared links show a generic Private event card,
  • the calendar (.ics) download and the RSVP form,
  • the sitemap and search engines. Private events are never indexed,
  • the embeddable widget, which shows a neutral Private event button that opens the event page.

What guests experience

A guest opens the link, types the passcode once and sees the full page. Their browser remembers them for the number of days you chose. They won't be asked again on that device until it expires.

Changing the passcode signs everyone out. Guests will need the new one. Turning the lock off makes the page public again.

Teams and plans

  • Team Members and above can set a passcode, and team members never need to type it on their own events.
  • If your plan drops below Entry, existing locks stay in force. You can still turn them off, but can't create or change one until you upgrade.
  • Locking an event that is already embedded elsewhere can take up to a day to fully take effect for the widget, because of caching.

What a passcode is not

It keeps casual visitors out. It is not encryption, and anyone you give the passcode to can share it. For genuinely sensitive material, don't put it on an event page. Pair the passcode with RSVPs and a spot limit to control who actually attends.