Recurring Events#

Create events that repeat on a schedule. Set up weekly classes, monthly meetings, or annual conferences from a single event.

How recurrence works#

When you publish a recurring event, the plugin creates one event post per extra date. The original event is the parent. Each generated event is an instance linked to the parent.

• The parent keeps the first date
• Each instance copies the parent’s title, content, time, venue, organizer, type, status, capacity, categories, and featured image
• Instances are normal events. They show in calendars, lists, and the archive on their own dates
• Saving a published parent deletes all instances and creates them again. Edits made to single instances are lost

Setting up recurrence#

1. Create or edit an event
2. In the Event Settings box, set Repeat Event to a pattern
3. Fill in the interval, days, and end condition
4. Check the Summary line under the fields
5. Publish the event

Repeat Event#

• Does not repeat
• Daily: every X days
• Weekly: every X weeks on the selected days
• Monthly: every X months
• Yearly: every X years
• Custom: every X days, same as Daily

Every#

The interval between occurrences, from 1 to 99. The unit follows the pattern (days, weeks, months, or years).

Weekly options#

Under Repeat on, tick the days of the week. Pick several days for an event that runs more than once a week. Leave all unticked to repeat on the start date’s weekday.

Monthly options#

• Same day of the month: for example the 15th
• Same day of the week: for example the second Tuesday

Ends#

• Never: generates dates for the next 2 years
• On date: stops at the End Date you pick
• After occurrences: stops after the number in Occurrences (1 to 365)

A series is capped at 365 dates in all cases.

Managing instances#

Viewing instances#

In Events > All Events, each instance appears as its own event with the same title and its own date. The parent’s Event Settings box shows “This event has X recurring instances.”

Editing one instance#

1. Open the instance from Events > All Events
2. Change the time, content, venue, or other details
3. Update

The instance shows a notice that it belongs to a recurring series, with a link to the parent. Recurrence fields can only be changed on the parent.

From version 1.1.0, an instance keeps its own changes when you update the parent later. If you change the parent’s venue, for example, every instance that still had the old venue gets the new one, and an instance you gave its own venue keeps it.

Editing the whole series#

1. Open the parent event
2. Change the details or the recurrence fields
3. Update

From version 1.1.0, saving the parent keeps the existing instances. Only a change to the schedule (start date or time, end date or time, pattern, or when it ends) adds or removes dates:

• New dates in the schedule are created.
• Dates that drop out of the schedule are moved to the trash.
• A date that has tickets sold is never removed. It is kept, and a notice lists it so you can cancel or move those tickets first.

Changes to the time, venue, or other details also apply to dates that have tickets. A notice lists those dates so you can tell the ticket holders.

The Regenerate Instances button updates every date to match the schedule right away, with the same rules.

Removing one date#

Move the instance to Trash. It stays removed when you update the parent, but comes back if you change the schedule or click Regenerate Instances.

Removing the series#

Set Repeat Event to Does not repeat on the parent and update. Instances without tickets are moved to the trash. Instances with tickets are kept, and a notice lists them.

Trashing the parent does not remove its instances. Remove the series first, then trash the parent.

Tickets for recurring events#

From version 1.1.0, one ticket product sells every date of a recurring event.

1. Open the main (parent) event of the series and click + Add New Ticket in the Event Tickets box, or link a product to the main event on its Event Ticket tab.
2. Set the price and publish.

On the event page, customers see a Choose a date list above the tickets. Picking a date reloads the page for that date: its time, status, remaining places and seats. Dates that are sold out or closed show in the list but can’t be picked. With the waitlist on, a sold out date can be picked to join its waitlist. Each date’s own page sells that date, with a link to see all dates.

What follows the chosen date:

• Capacity. Each date has its own limit, copied from the main event. Selling out one date leaves the others on sale.
• Seats. A seat sold for one date is still free on the others.
• Tickets, emails, and My Account show the date that was bought.
• Check-in. Each date is listed on its own in Events > Check-in, with its date next to the title.
• Sales. Sales for a date end when that date starts, unless you set a sales end on the product.

If a date is cancelled or sells out while a ticket for it is in someone’s cart, checkout stops and asks them to remove it.

Product stock is not used for recurring tickets, because one product covers many dates. Leave stock management off on the product; each date’s capacity limits sales.

A product linked to a single date still sells only that date, as in earlier versions.

Waitlist for a sold out date#

Turn on Enable Waitlist on the ticket product to give each date its own waitlist.

• When the chosen date is sold out, the waitlist form replaces the buy button, with the date in its heading, such as “Join the waitlist for October 4, 2026 7:00 pm”. Dates on sale show the buy button as usual, and dates that have started or are cancelled show no form.
• A customer joins the list for that date only. The same email can wait for more than one date, but not twice for the same date.
• When a place opens on a date, only the people waiting for that date are emailed. A place opens when a ticket for the date is cancelled, its order is cancelled or refunded, or the date’s capacity is raised.
• The email names the date and links to the event page with that date chosen.
• Events > Waitlist shows each entry’s date in the Event column, and the event filter lists each date as “Title (date)”.

Examples#

Weekly class#

• Repeat Event: Weekly
• Every: 1
• Repeat on: Tuesday, Thursday
• Ends: After occurrences, 24
• Result: 24 sessions over 12 weeks

Monthly meeting#

• Repeat Event: Monthly
• Type: Same day of the week
• Every: 1
• Ends: On date, December 31
• Result: same weekday each month through year end

Annual conference#

• Repeat Event: Yearly
• Every: 1
• Ends: After occurrences, 5
• Result: one event a year for 5 years

Biweekly workshop#

• Repeat Event: Weekly
• Every: 2
• Repeat on: Saturday
• Ends: After occurrences, 6
• Result: 6 workshops over 12 weeks

Recommendations#

Plan the pattern first Set the pattern before anyone registers. Changing it later moves dates without tickets to the trash, and keeps dates with tickets.

Check generated dates Open Events > All Events after publishing and review the dates.

Edit instances when you need to Per-date changes are kept when you save the parent again. A changed field on the parent only updates dates that still had the parent’s old value.

Duplicate events from version 1.0.2 or earlier#

In version 1.0.2 and earlier, saving a published recurring event could remove its dates and create many duplicate events. Version 1.1.0 fixes this. If your site has duplicates left over, a notice on the Events screens says how many and offers to move them to the trash in one click. Duplicates that have tickets are never touched.

Limitations#

• Maximum 365 dates per series, or 2 years when Ends is Never
• No excluded dates in the editor
• Series set to never end are created two years ahead; click Regenerate Instances later to add more dates.
• Dates set to draft by hand, and draft dates left by version 1.0.2, stay drafts when the main event is published.