Facebook events allow users to publicize gatherings, connect with other people interested in the same events, and coordinate plans. When you RSVP to a Facebook event or get invited to one, you might wonder whether your friends can see that event or if it is private.
Quick Answer
In general, when you RSVP to or get invited to a Facebook event, it will be visible to your friends unless the event organizer makes the guest list private. So most of the time, people in your friends list will be able to see which events you plan to attend.
Can Friends See My Upcoming Facebook Events?
When you get invited to or RSVP to a Facebook event, it will show up on your timeline. By default, anything posted on your timeline can be seen by your friends.
So when you respond to an event invite, your friends will get a notification about it and will be able see that event listing on your timeline. They’ll be able to see details like the event name, location, date/time, host, and other people who are interested or going.
Public vs. Private Guest Lists
However, the visibility of Facebook events ultimately depends on the privacy settings chosen by the event organizer:
- Public guest list – If the event has a public guest list, anyone who can see your timeline can see the event. Friends will get notifications when you respond to the event invitation.
- Private guest list – If the event has a private guest list, only the organizer and invited guests can see who is going or interested. Friends who are not invited will not get notifications and won’t see the event on your timeline.
So in cases where the event organizer makes the guest list private, your RSVPs and invitations to those events will be invisible to your broader friends list.
Where Friends Can See Your Event RSVPs
If an event has a public guest list, there are a few places where friends can see that you RSVP’d or got invited:
Your Timeline Post
When you respond to an event invite on Facebook, it will automatically create a post on your timeline with the event details. Friends who can view your posts will see updates like “[Your name] is going to [Event name].”
Friends’ News Feeds
Friends may also see event RSVPs in their news feeds as status updates from you. The news feed shows recent stories and activities from friends, so event responses can show up there.
Mutual Friends’ Pages
If you and a friend are both invited to or interested in the same event, it may show up on both of your timelines. So your mutual friends may be able to see the event on each of your pages.
Event Pages
For public events, anyone who visits the event page can see the list of people interested in or attending the event. So your RSVP will be visible there to anyone.
Where You Can View Friends’ Upcoming Events
Just as your Facebook friends can generally see events you RSVP to, you can also view events your friends are interested in or attending in the following places:
Their Timelines
When your friends respond to event invites, the events get posted on their timelines. As long as you are friends with them on Facebook, you can view their timelines and see any upcoming events.
Mutual Friends’ Pages
If a friend has RSVP’d to an event that you are also invited to or interested in, it will show up on both of your timelines. So you can see when mutual friends have responded to the same events.
News Feed
Event RSVPs from your friends may also appear in your news feed. You can see a stream of your friends’ recent Facebook activities there.
Event Pages
For public events, you can visit the event page to see the full list of people interested in or attending. You’ll be able to see if any of your friends have RSVP’d to that public event.
How to Hide Your Event RSVPs from Friends
If you don’t want your Facebook friends to see the events you’re interested or planning to attend, there are a few options:
Unfollow the Friends You Want to Hide From
Unfollowing a friend on Facebook will prevent them from seeing your posts and activity. You can still be connected as friends, but their updates won’t show in your news feed and your updates won’t show in theirs.
Adjust Timeline Review Settings
In your timeline settings, you can choose who is able to see your posts by default. You can exclude certain friends or limit visibility to only close friends.
Ask Event Organizers to Make the Guest List Private
For specific events you want to keep private, you can ask the organizer to make the guest list private. That will prevent your RSVPs from being visible to friends.
RSVP as “Not Going”
Instead of hitting “Interested” or “Going” on the event, select that you are “Not Going.” Your friends will not get a notification about it or see it on your timeline.
Don’t RSVP Within Facebook
Rather than responding to the Facebook invite, you can contact the event organizer outside of Facebook to let them know you are going. That way it won’t show up on your timeline at all.
Limitations of Hiding RSVPs
While you can take steps to conceal your Facebook RSVPs, there are some cases where friends may still find out you’re going to an event:
- If a friend is going to the same event, they could see you there in person.
- If the event has a public guest list that displays all attendees, anyone could see you on the list.
- Friends might hear about the event through outside communication channels, like if you told them about it in a text message or email.
So while Facebook itself gives you some control over the visibility of your RSVPs, you can’t guarantee secrecy. If you want to keep an event totally private, the only way is avoiding any mention of it on or off Facebook.
Conclusion
By default, when you RSVP to or get invited to a Facebook event, your friends will be notified and be able to see it on your timeline. The exception is if the event organizer makes the guest list private, in which case only invited guests can view who is attending.
If you want to keep your event attendance private from certain Facebook friends, you can unfollow them, restrict your timeline visibility, ask organizers to hide the guest list, say you’re not going, or RSVP outside of Facebook. However, if the event is public or your friends hear about it offline, they may still find out you plan to attend.
| Event Guest List Setting | Who Can See Your RSVP |
|---|---|
| Public | All Facebook friends |
| Private | Only invited guests |
References
- https://www.facebook.com/help/211513702214269
- https://www.facebook.com/help/1064665161495088
- https://www.facebook.com/help/120970480240984
- https://www.facebook.com/help/202297150814615
- https://www.facebook.com/help/117604146003091