Does SignUpGenius send reminders? What parents should know

The organizer controls the reminders

SignUpGenius’s help center says organizers set reminders when they build or edit the sign-up: the Settings tab, then Preferences, then Notifications. If they choose to send reminders, the reminders go out on their own, as many days ahead as the organizer picked.

There are 2 catches. Automatic reminders work only on sign-ups tied to specific dates, so the Slots Only format has none. And an organizer’s locked account settings can hide the reminder option from them.

On paid plans, organizers can also write a custom reminder with where to check in, what to bring and who to call. On the free plan, SignUpGenius sends its default confirmation and, if reminders are on, its default reminder email.

What you’ll get, and who decides

Set your own reminder

If you have a SignUpGenius account, you can add your own reminders on top of the organizer’s.

1. Log in to SignUpGenius.
2. Click the circle with your initials or profile picture in the upper right.
3. Choose Settings, then the Notifications tab.
4. Scroll to the bottom and check Email reminders, Text reminders or both.
5. Choose your reminder time. If you picked texts, a welcome text confirms you opted in.

No account? Check with the organizer about reminders. The confirmation email is still your record of what you signed up for.

If a reminder doesn’t arrive

Check spam first. SignUpGenius says some email providers block reminders as spam, so they may not even reach the spam folder. Adding [email protected] to your contacts helps them get through.

Then ask the organizer whether reminders are on and how many days ahead. On a Slots Only sign-up, there won’t be one.

Put your slot on the family calendar

The SignUpGenius reminder goes to the person who signed up. If another adult is baking the cupcakes or driving the carpool, they need the date too.

When the confirmation arrives, add an event to the family calendar with the slot, the time, the place and what to bring. Put 1 adult’s name on it, and give that adult their own reminder. Keep the confirmation email linked in the notes.

The 1-minute routine after you sign up

1. Open the confirmation email while it’s fresh.
2. Check the date, time and place against what you meant to pick.
3. Add the event to the family calendar with what to bring.
4. Name the adult doing it, and set their reminder.
5. Move the confirmation to your school label or folder.

A calendar entry to copy

Questions to ask the organizer

• “Are reminders turned on, and how many days ahead?”
• “Can a second adult get the reminder too?”
• “What should we bring, and where do we drop it off?”
• “Who do we contact if we need to swap?”