The guest invitation feature lets you register visitors who want to visit your residence hall. Create digital invitations with QR codes that your guests present at the front desk for easy check-in. This guide covers everything you need to know about inviting guests through the resident portal.
Your housing administrator must enable guest invitations for your account. If you see a message saying "You are not allowed to invite visitors," contact your residence life office.
Accessing Guest Invitations
Navigate to /guests or /visitors in your resident portal. You'll see:
New Invitation button — Create a new visitor invitation
Upcoming list — Future visitors you've invited
Past list — Previous visitors and completed invitations
Toggle — Switch between showing all invitations or only upcoming ones
Creating a New Invitation
Click New Invitation to open the invitation form. Here's what you'll fill out:
Basic Visitor Information
For each visitor, provide:
Full Name — Legal name matching their ID for front desk verification
Email — Where they'll receive the invitation and QR code
Phone Number — May be required depending on your institution's policy
Date of Birth — Required for visitor identification
Visit Dates and Times
Select when your visitor will be on campus:
Click the start date and time picker
Choose when your guest will arrive and check in
Click the end date and time picker
Choose when your guest will leave and check out
You can only select dates and times during your institution's visitor hours. Grayed-out dates are blocked for visitors (like finals week or breaks). If your invitation is longer than allowed, you'll see an error message.
Inviting Multiple Visitors
To invite more than one person for the same visit:
Fill out the first visitor's information
Click Another visitor
Fill out the second visitor's information
Repeat for additional visitors
All visitors in the same invitation will share the same arrival and departure times.
Custom Questions
Your housing office may ask additional questions like:
Purpose of visit
Vehicle information for parking
Dietary restrictions
Emergency contact details
Answer all required questions before submitting the invitation.
Special Instructions
Use the instructions text field to add notes for front desk staff or your guest, such as:
Building entry instructions
Parking directions
Meeting location
Special accommodations needed
Inviting on Behalf of Someone Else
If you have permission, you may see an on-behalf-of selector. This lets resident assistants or other staff create invitations for other residents. Select the resident who is hosting the visitor.
Sending the Invitation
After filling out all visitor information:
Review all details for accuracy
Click Send Invitation(s)
Your guest(s) will receive an email and/or SMS with their invitation
The invitation includes:
Visit dates and times
Check-in instructions
Link to their QR code
Contact information for questions
Understanding the QR Code
Each invitation includes a unique QR code at a link like /guest-invitation/[invitationId]. Your guest should:
Open the link on their phone or save it
Arrive at the front desk during their scheduled time
Show the QR code to the front desk staff
Complete check-in (may include signing waivers or showing ID)
Tell your guest to save the QR code to their phone before arriving, in case they don't have cell service in the building.
Managing Your Invitations
Viewing Upcoming Visitors
Your Upcoming list shows all future visitors with:
Visitor name(s)
Arrival and departure dates
Current status (Invited, Checked-In, Checked-Out)
Toggle Only show upcoming to hide past visitors and focus on active invitations.
Canceling an Invitation
If your guest can no longer visit:
Find the invitation in your list
Click Cancel or Revoke
Confirm the cancellation
The invitation will be marked as canceled and your guest's QR code will no longer work at check-in.
You cannot cancel an invitation after your guest has already checked in. Contact the front desk if you need to check out a guest early.
Viewing Past Visitors
Switch to the Past view to see your complete visitor history, including:
All checked-out guests
Canceled invitations
Expired invitations
This is helpful for tracking who visited and when.
Notifications
You'll receive notifications when:
Your guest arrives — "Your guest [Name] has arrived" when they check in at the front desk
Your guest is waiting — If front desk staff notify you that your guest is at the desk
Notifications appear in-app, via email, and via text message depending on your notification preferences.
Visitor Status Explained
Each invitation shows a status:
Invited — Invitation sent, guest hasn't arrived yet
Checked-In — Guest has arrived and checked in at the front desk
Checked-Out — Guest has left campus (may be automatic based on end time)
Canceled — You canceled the invitation before the guest arrived
Common Questions
Why can't I select certain dates?
Some dates are blocked for visitors due to campus policies, such as:
Final exam weeks
Winter or spring breaks
Move-in/move-out periods
Special campus events
Contact your residence life office if you need to request an exception.
What's the maximum visit length?
Your institution sets a maximum number of hours per invitation (commonly 48 hours for overnight guests). If you try to create a longer invitation, you'll see an error. For extended visits, create multiple back-to-back invitations or contact your residence life office.
Can I invite someone who's been banned?
No. If someone has been banned from campus, you won't be able to create an invitation for them. A message will appear explaining the restriction. Contact your residence life office if you believe this is an error.
What if my guest doesn't have a phone?
Your guest can:
Access the QR code from the email on any device
Print the QR code page and bring it to the front desk
Show the email on a tablet or laptop
As long as front desk staff can scan the QR code, check-in will work.
Do I need to be present when my guest checks in?
Policies vary by institution. Some require hosts to meet guests at the front desk, while others allow guests to check in independently. Check with your residence life office for your specific policy.
What happens if I forgot to send an invitation?
If your guest arrives without an invitation, front desk staff may:
Ask you to create an invitation on the spot
Check in your guest manually
Turn your guest away if unregistered visitors aren't allowed
Always create invitations in advance to avoid issues.
Troubleshooting
"You are not allowed to invite visitors"
This message appears if your housing administrator has disabled guest invitations for your account. Common reasons:
Conduct violations or probation
Housing agreement restrictions
Temporary policy changes
Contact your residence life office to discuss your visitor privileges.
Invitation times are grayed out
You can only invite guests during your institution's visitor hours. If all times appear grayed out:
The date may be an exclusion date (blocked for all visitors)
The time may be outside allowed hours (e.g., only 8 AM - 10 PM allowed)
The duration may exceed the maximum allowed
Adjust your dates and times to fit within the allowed schedule.
My guest didn't receive the invitation email
Ask your guest to:
Check spam/junk folders
Verify you entered the correct email address
Wait a few minutes for delivery
You can view the invitation details in your list and manually share the QR code link with your guest.
Related Resources
Admin Portal: Guest and Visitor Management (for housing administrators)
Operations Portal: Visitor Check-In and Management (for front desk staff)
Notification Settings: Managing Your Alerts