How to Send Online Invitations

Whether you’re planning a birthday party, baby shower, or holiday event, sending online invitations is the fastest and easiest way to get your event started. With Punchbowl’s invitation maker, you can design, personalize, and send professional-looking online invitations — all without printing or postage.

Follow these simple steps to send your online invitation in minutes.

To begin, head to Punchbowl.com and either:

Sign in to your account, or
Create a new account if you’re a first-time user.

Step 2: Choose Your Design

From the homepage, browse themes and designs that match your event. You can search for birthday invitations, holiday parties, baby showers, and more.

When you find the perfect template, click “Personalize Design” to start customizing — or click “Back to Gallery” if you’d like to explore more options.

Step 3: Enter Your Event Details

Next, add your event information, including:

Event Type (e.g., Invite with RSVP, Save the Date without RSVP)
Event Title
Date & Time
End Time (optional)
Guest of Honor’s Age (if applicable)

Step 4: Add Host and Location Information

Fill in your Host Name, Email, and optional Phone Number.

Then, enter your Event Location:

Location Name, Address, City, State, ZIP
Or toggle “Virtual Event” for online gatherings.

If there’s more you’d like to include — such as attire suggestions, venue information, or co-host contact information — add it under Additional Information. This text will appear beneath your invitation when guests open it.

Step 5: Add Your Guest List

Once your invitation looks great, it’s time to add your guests. You can manually enter names and contact info, upload contacts from a file, or select contacts from a previous event hosted on Punchbowl. Learn about all your options in this help article.

Step 6: Configure Invitation Options

Before sending, review your Invitation Options:

Show Guest List: Choose whether guests can see each other’s names and RSVPs.
Allow Guests to Bring Others: Specify how many additional guests are allowed.
Send Automatic Reminders: Customize when and to whom reminders are sent.
Customize Message: Edit the subject line and greeting for email invitations.
Enable Guest Messaging: Determine whether guests can send you private messages.
Add a Gift Registry, Potluck, or Gift Ideas to help guests prepare.

You can also take advantage of tools in the Advanced Features tab, including:

Setting an RSVP due date
Allowing guests to forward the invite
Tracking adults, children, and infants
Limiting the number of attendees
Requesting contributions

Step 7 (Optional): Explore Member Features

If you have a Punchbowl membership (Platinum or Premium), you’ll unlock exclusive tools to make event planning even easier:

Add one or more co-hosts
Create a poll for guests
Schedule recurring events
Remove advertising for a cleaner experience (Platinum Membership Required)

Step 8: Send a Test or Deliver Your Invitation

Before sharing your invitation, send a test invite to yourself to make sure it looks perfect. Then click Send Now — and watch the RSVPs roll in!

Your guests will receive a beautiful online invitation that’s easy to open and respond to from any device.

If you have additional questions about creating or sending your online invitation, please reach out to help@punchbowl.com for assistance.