Controlling who can join
Anyone with the link, Ask to join, or Invite only — and how join requests work.
Who can join? controls what happens when someone opens your adventure link and isn't already a member. You choose it when you create the adventure, and you can change it at any time from the overview.
The three options
| Setting | When someone new opens the link and signs in… | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Anyone with the link (default) | They're added straight away, as Invited, and can RSVP | Trusted group chats, friends, small clubs |
| Ask to join | They send you a request. They only get in once you approve it | Links shared somewhere large or public; when you need to cap numbers |
| Invite only | Nothing — they're told the trip is invite only | Fixed groups, guided trips, anything private |
Whatever you choose:
- Existing members are never affected. They keep using the same link as normal, on any device.
- People you invite by email always get in. See Inviting people.
- You, the organiser, always have access.
Changing the setting
- Open the adventure overview.
- Find the Public view / Who can join? card (only you can see it).
- Pick an option. It saves immediately.
Changing the setting never removes anyone who has already joined.
Approving join requests
With Ask to join switched on, someone who opens your link and signs in sees a Ask to join button. When they click it:
- You get an email: "Sam asked to join Mingulay 2027".
- A "1 person has asked to join" card appears at the top of your overview, showing their name and email.
- Click Approve or Decline.
Approve adds them to the adventure as Invited — they get an email saying they're in, and they can RSVP. Decline keeps them out; they'll see that their request wasn't approved and can't send another.
Until they're approved, someone with a pending request sees only the adventure's name, cover photo, dates and location — nothing else. (If the adventure is also public, they can see the public read-only view.)
Who can join vs. public view
These are two separate switches:
- Public view is about seeing the plan without an account.
- Who can join? is about becoming a member — being able to RSVP, post in the discussion and, once going, edit the plan.
| Who can join: Anyone | Who can join: Ask to join | Who can join: Invite only | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public view off | Must sign in; then joins instantly | Must sign in; then asks to join | Must sign in; sees "invite only" |
| Public view on | Anyone can look; signing in joins | Anyone can look; signing in lets them ask | Anyone can look; only invited people can join |
Removing someone
If you remove someone from the adventure (see Managing attendees) while it's set to Anyone with the link, they could rejoin by opening the link again. If you don't want them back, switch to Ask to join or Invite only first.
What happened to adventure passwords?
Adventures used to have an optional password. It's been replaced by Who can join?, which is more secure and easier for everyone:
- a password usually got shared in the same group chat as the link, so it didn't keep anyone out;
- members kept being asked for it on new phones and browsers;
- some browsers filled it in automatically when the adventure was created, so organisers ended up with passwords they never chose.
Adventures that had a password and weren't public were switched to Ask to join, so they stay closed to strangers. Nobody is asked for an adventure password any more — you can change the setting to whatever suits your trip.
Still stuck? Get in touch and we'll help.