Physical line
Clipboard
The name stays on paper. If they leave the doorway, they lose their place.
Virtual queue app
Virtual queue system.
Guests wait nearby.
A virtual queue lets guests join a line from their phone instead of standing in it. They scan a QR code or open your link, see their place and quoted wait, and get a WhatsApp when it is their turn.
Waitlist runs that queue in the browser, with no app download and a free plan for one location.
Free for one location · No app · No credit card
Waitlist
Friday · 7:42 PM
Table ready
Waiting
12
Seated
8
Avg
18m
Open
4
Waitlist
Friday · 7:42 PM
Waiting
12
Seated
8
Avg wait
18m
Open
4
- 01Waiting
Sarah
Party of 2 · 15 min
- 02Waiting
Ahmed
Party of 4 · 25 min
- 03Waiting
Emma
Party of 3 · 32 min
- 04Waiting
James
Party of 6 · 45 min
- 05Waiting
Mia
Party of 2 · 48 min
- 06Waiting
Leo
Party of 5 · 55 min
| # | Guest | Party | Wait | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Sarah | 2 | 15 min | Waiting |
| 02 | Ahmed | 4 | 25 min | Waiting |
| 03 | Emma | 3 | 32 min | Waiting |
| 04 | James | 6 | 45 min | Waiting |
| 05 | Mia | 2 | 48 min | Waiting |
| 06 | Leo | 5 | 55 min | Waiting |
Next: Sarah4 tables available · Next: Sarah
How it works
How virtual queuing works
Share the link or print the QR once. After that, every party goes through the same three steps.
New guest
Joined from their phone
Name
Sarah Chen
Phone
+1 (415) 555-0142
Party size · 2On the list
Virtual queue
What is a virtual queue?
A virtual queue replaces the physical line with a list on the guest's phone. It is also called a virtual queue system or virtual queuing. Instead of standing at the host stand or writing a name on a clipboard, the guest joins from a QR code or a link. A virtual queue app is the software around that: the join page, the place in line, and the ready message.
Once they are on the list, they can wait nearby, or join before they arrive if you sent the link. They see their place and the quoted wait. WhatsApp tells them when the table is ready. For a restaurant, this is a virtual waitlist: a name and a party size, not a ticket number. The QR code queue is how they join. This page is where they wait. For the longer explainer, see what an app for queuing has to do.
Virtual queue
#3
The place in line stays on their phone, so they can wait nearby.
| Compared on | Physical line | Virtual queue |
|---|---|---|
| How they join | Stand at the host stand or write a name on paper | Scan a QR code, open a link, or the host types them in |
| Where they wait | In the line or the doorway | Nearby, with their place still on their phone |
| What they can see | The parties in front of them | Their place in line and the quoted wait on a personal link |
| How they are called | A name from the stand | WhatsApp. Automatic on Pro, from the row on Free |
| More than one line | A second clipboard | One list per location. Another address is another location |
In action
See it in action
Print the join QR
Set up the list
Sign up, name the restaurant, and share the join link or print the QR. No extra hardware.
In the browser
#3
No app to install
No app download
Guests open the join page in the phone browser. No app store visit, and no guest account.
Your table is ready. Please come to the host stand.
WhatsApp when the table is ready
You message them from the host list. Pro can send the welcome and the ready message. Two-way SMS is not live yet.
Why switch
Why a host stand switches
The doorway can clear
Guests with a phone can wait nearby and still see their place.
One host list
A link sent before they arrive and a name typed at the door land on the same list.
You still seat them
Party size starts at 2 until you change it. The host decides who is next.
Includes
What the virtual queue includes
QR or link join
Guests scan a printed code or open the same link. Both add a row to the host list.
Same link
waitlist.best
Sarah
On the host list
Place in line
The personal link shows where they sit in the list and the quoted wait.
Your link
#3
About 15 min
WhatsApp
Free sends WhatsApp from the row. Pro can send the welcome and the ready message.
Free · from the row
You send the WhatsApp.
Pro · automatic
Welcome, then the table is ready.
Host list
See party size, quoted wait, and who is next. Add a guest who will not use a phone.
NextSarah
Party of 2 · 15 min
WaitingAhmed
Party of 4 · 22 min
WaitingWalk-up
No phone · host added
One list per location
Friday at one address stays on that list. A second site is another location on Pro.
This address
Friday list
Pro
Second site
Analytics on Pro
Walk-ins, average wait, peak times, and no-shows, with a CSV export.
Sample report
42
Walk-ins
18m
Avg wait
7pm
Peak
3
No-shows
Compare
Virtual queue vs standing in line
What changes for the guest and for the host.
Standing in line
At the door
- They wait where you can see them
- The host writes every name
Virtual queue
On their phone
- They leave the doorway and keep their place
- WhatsApp calls them back
| Feature | Standing in line | Virtual queue |
|---|---|---|
| How they join | Walk up and wait at the stand | Scan a QR code or open the link |
| Where they wait | In the doorway | Nearby, then come back when you message them |
| App required | No list on their phone | No app. The join page is in the browser |
| Place in line | Count the parties in front | Shown on their personal link |
| Who runs the list | The host writes every name | Guests can add themselves. You still seat them |
| Ready message | A name from the stand | WhatsApp. Automatic on Pro, from the row on Free |
Try a virtual queue for free
Share the join link or print a QR code. Guests can join in the browser. Free covers one location, manual WhatsApp, and up to 50 parties a day.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is a virtual queue?
A virtual queue is a waiting line that lives on the guest's phone instead of in front of the host stand. They join from a link or a QR code, watch their place in line, and get a WhatsApp when the table is ready.
What is a virtual queue app?
A virtual queue app is the software that holds that line. Guests do not install one. They use the phone browser. Staff run the list from the host screen.
What is a virtual queue system?
A virtual queue system is the same job under a longer name: the join page, the live place in line, the host list, and the ready message. Waitlist runs one list per location.
How is a virtual queue different from standing in line?
In a physical line the guest has to stay where you can see them. On a virtual queue they can leave the doorway, because their personal link still shows their place and WhatsApp tells them when to come back.
Do guests need to download an app?
No. The camera or the link opens your join page in the browser. There is no app store visit and no guest account.
Can guests join before they arrive?
Yes, if you send them the join link. They land on the same host list as someone who scans at the door. You still set the party size before you seat them.
Is the virtual queue free?
Free is $0 for one location, the digital waitlist, manual WhatsApp, and up to 50 parties a day. Pro is $30 a month, or $24 a month billed annually, and adds automatic WhatsApp, reservations, tables, analytics, and unlimited locations. Two-way SMS is not live yet.
Who is this virtual queue for?
A restaurant host stand with one walk-in line. It is names and party size, not ticket numbers, a lobby TV, or a separate queue for every service.
Clear the doorway
Guests join on their phone, wait nearby, and come back when WhatsApp says the table is ready.
Free for one location · No credit card · Up to 50 parties a day