Facebook events allow users to create and host events on the platform. As the event creator, you have control over various settings for the event, including who can invite others.
Can others invite friends to my Facebook event?
Yes, other people can invite friends to your Facebook event, but only if you enable the invitation settings to allow it. As the event host, you have full control over who can invite others.
When you create a Facebook event, you can choose the guest list settings. Under “Guests Can,” there is an option to allow “Invite Friends.” If this is enabled, people you invite to the event or who are interested in the event can invite their friends as well.
However, if you disable the “Invite Friends” option, only you as the event host can invite people. No one else will be able to extend invites to their friends or networks.
Should I allow others to invite friends to my event?
There are pros and cons to allowing others to invite friends to your Facebook event:
Pros:
- Increases reach and awareness of your event
- Takes invitation workload off the host
- Leverages networks of existing guests
- Gets more people to the event
Cons:
- Host has less control over final guest list
- Could exceed venue capacity
- Friends of friends may not be target audience
- Dilutes host’s relationship with attendees
Ultimately it’s up to you as the event host whether the pros outweigh the cons for your specific event and guest list.
How to allow guests to invite friends to your Facebook event
If you decide to allow guests to invite friends, follow these steps:
- Create your Facebook event
- Go to the Event Details section
- Find the Guests Can section
- Check the box next to “Invite Friends”
- Click Save Changes
Once enabled, any existing or future guests will have the option to click “Invite Friends” and extend invites to people in their friend network. They can invite friends directly or individually.
How to prevent guests from inviting friends
If you decide not to allow guests to invite friends, make sure the “Invite Friends” box is unchecked in the Guests Can section when you create the event.
You can also change this setting at any time leading up to the event:
- Go to your Facebook event page
- Click Edit Event
- Go to the Guests Can section
- Uncheck the box next to “Invite Friends”
- Click Save Changes
Once disabled, existing guests will no longer have the invite friends option for your event.
Can I select specific people to invite friends?
Unfortunately, the Facebook event guest settings are all-or-nothing. As the event host, you cannot pick and choose specific people to allow inviting friends.
However, when others invite their friends, you will get notified and have the ability to approve or deny each invitee. So you can still control guests on an individual basis, even if you allow friend invites.
Can I limit how many friends each person can invite?
No, you cannot limit the number of friends each existing guest can invite. Enabling the “Invite Friends” option gives invitees free rein to invite as many friends as they want.
The only way to limit overall invites is to disable friend invites completely.
What happens if I change the invite setting later?
You can change the invite friend setting at any time, even after sending initial invites. Here is what happens:
- If you disable invite friends, existing guests can no longer invite additional friends.
- If you enable invite friends, existing guests can start inviting their friends.
- Existing friend invites will remain – Changing the setting will not cancel any pending or accepted invites.
So feel free to update the invite setting even after your initial rounds of invites. Just know it will only impact future ability to invite, not existing invites.
Can I see who invited whom?
Yes, as the event host you can see exactly who invited each guest. When viewing your event guest list, there is an “Invited By” column showing who extended each invitation.
This allows you to track how invites spread through friend networks and which guests were the most active at inviting others.
Can I restrict some friends from inviting others?
Unfortunately, there is no way to allow certain people to invite friends while restricting it for others. The “Invite Friends” setting applies to all guests equally.
Your only options are enabling it for everyone or disabling it completely. You cannot pick and choose who gets to invite friends.
Do invited friends also get the option to invite friends?
Yes, if you allow friend invites, there is no limit to how many degrees of separation they can go.
For example:
- You invite Bob
- Bob invites Sue
- Sue can also invite her friends
- And those friends can invite their friends
Once you enable friend invites, your event can potentially spread through friend networks indefinitely.
How many friends can someone invite at once?
When a guest clicks the “Invite Friends” button, a screen pops up allowing them to select multiple friends to invite at one time. There is no hard limit on the number they can invite in one batch.
The selection screen shows about 50 friends per page. Your guests can keep paginating and selecting more friends to their heart’s content. So they could theoretically invite hundreds of friends all at once if they wanted!
Can I limit how many total invites are sent?
Unfortunately there is no built-in way to limit the total number of friend invites. Since invites can spread indefinitely through friend networks, it’s impossible to predict or cap the total.
If you need to strictly limit numbers, it’s best not to allow friend invites at all. Enable them at your own risk!
Should I be concerned about stranger danger?
Possibly. When enabling friend invites, it does open your event up to strangers several degrees of separation away.
While unlikely, it’s possible for a bad actor to gain access to your event through a friend of a friend of a friend. Especially for private events, you may want to limit things to people you personally know and trust.
That said, you will have to approve any invited guests before they can RSVP. So you still have control and can deny suspicious invites.
Can I rescind friend invites?
Yes, at any time you can rescind invitation abilities for the group. Follow these steps:
- Go to your event page
- Click Edit Event
- Uncheck the “Invite Friends” option
- Click Save Changes
This will prevent existing guests from sending any new invites. However, it will not cancel invites already sent and pending your approval.
What’s the best practice for friend invites?
Here are some best practices when enabling friend invites for your Facebook event:
- Closely monitor incoming invites and decline any that seem suspicious
- Consider adding screening questions to learn more about each invitee
- Revoke invite abilities a few days before the event so numbers don’t balloon
- Review your guest list the day before and clean up any questionable guests
Enabling friend invites definitely requires extra oversight from the host. But used properly, it can be a great way to boost your event turnout and engagement.
Can banned guests invite friends?
No, if you ban or decline a guest’s RSVP, they will not be able to invite any friends either. Banned guests are automatically excluded from all event abilities, including inviting friends.
Do invited friends get guest controls too?
Yes, once a friend is invited and approved, they have the same abilities as any other guest you approve.
That includes the ability to invite their own friends if you keep that setting enabled. So invites can continue spreading indefinitely through friend networks.
Can invited friends see the full guest list?
Yes, invited friends who are approved can see the full guest list for the event, same as anyone else attending. As a public event, all confirmed guests have equal visibility into who else is coming.
The only exception is for private events – those guest lists remain hidden from anyone not explicitly invited by a host.
If I disable comments, does that block invites?
No, disabling comments on your Facebook event only limits people’s ability to post on the event wall or photo walls. Guests can still extend and receive invites even if comments are disabled.
The guest invitation ability is completely separate from wall comments. Disabling comments has no impact on event invites.
Can I reinstate blocked guests’ abilities?
If you block a guest from inviting friends but later have a change of heart, you can undo this in a few steps:
- Go to your list of blocked users
- Find the user you want to unblock
- Click the “Unblock” button
This will remove the block and reinstate their ability to invite friends and fully engage with the event just like any other user.
Do private events also allow friend invites?
Yes, enabling the “Invite Friends” option applies to both public and private events. Guests for private events can invite their friends once approved by the host.
The main difference is that private events and their guest lists remain invisible to anyone not explicitly invited. But the invitation abilities work the same.
Can I limit invites to a certain friend list?
Unfortunately there is no way to restrict which friends someone can invite. When enabling friend invites, guests can select invitees from their full friend list.
Facebook does not allow limiting invites to only certain friend lists or groups. The host’s only options are to enable or disable friend invites overall.
If I cancel the event, what happens to the invites?
If you cancel your Facebook event entirely, all pending and accepted invites associated with it will automatically be cancelled as well.
No one will be able to RSVP or interact with an event that no longer exists. Any outstanding invites essentially evaporate.
However, you can choose to delete or hide the event while still allowing it to continue if needed. But fully cancelling will remove all guest abilities.
Can I see analytics on shares and invites?
Yes, Facebook provides statistics and insights about your event guests and invites:
- See total number of invitees and breakdown by RSVP status
- Number of guests who invited friends
- How many invites were sent by each friend inviter
- Conversion rate of invites to acceptances
Analyzing these invite metrics can help you better understand event reach and engagement.
Do Facebook limits on friend requests also apply?
Normal Facebook limits on sending friend requests do not apply to event invites. Guests can send unlimited invites even if they hit friend request limits.
The number of invites a user can send is not restricted by how many pending friend requests they have. Event invites are completely separate.
Can I export a list of invitees?
Unfortunately Facebook does not have an automated way to export your full list of invitees and their status. However, you can compile it manually:
- Go to your event page
- Click on the Guests tab
- Scroll through the alphabetical list and record each name and RSVP status
While tedious, this will allow you to create a master invitee list for your records. Just make sure to do it before the event starts.
Conclusion
Allowing guests to invite friends is a great way to spread the word about your Facebook event. But hosts need to be cautious about losing control of the guest list and opening up to strangers. Set clear invite settings and follow best practices to strike the right balance.
Monitor incoming invites closely, revoke abilities nearing event time, and leverage built-in analytics to understand the impact. Used properly, friend invites can take your event to the next level.