DateableHow to set the close date on a Board invitation
Close applications early enough to choose, accept, and confirm with your guest 48 hours before the event. Defaults range from 14 to 60 days.
The close date is when your listing stops accepting new applications, giving you time to choose a guest, let them know, and leave them 48 hours to confirm before the day. You set it when you post your invitation: pick anywhere from 14 days away to 60 days away, or adjust it later if you change your mind.
Why the close date matters
Without a close date, applications could arrive the day before your event, and you would have no time to choose, contact, and plan together. A close date gives you a clear window to review who has applied, make your choice, send an acceptance, and hear back that they are confirmed. It is also a signal to applicants: a close date tells them when decisions will happen and how much time they have to apply.
The default and the range
When you post a Board invitation, the default close date is 14 days away. That is enough time for most events: applications come in, you choose someone, you confirm with them, and 48 hours later the event happens. If you need more time, you can set a close date up to 60 days away. You might do this for a trip, a mentoring arrangement, or any invitation where you want more time to find the right person and build confidence before you meet.
You can change the close date after you post. If applications slow down and you want to wait longer, extend it. If you find someone quickly and want to close early, you can close the listing before the date you set.
For a fixed date or time
Count backwards from the event. If you are hosting dinner on Saturday, and you want a week to plan and confirm, close the invitation on Sunday of the week before. If you want two weeks to know who is coming, close it two weeks before. Leave at least 48 hours between the close date and the event, so your chosen guest has time to reply and confirm they are still interested before the day arrives.
This works the same whether the event is a single date or a recurring arrangement. A regular Saturday dinner needs a close date far enough ahead to choose, introduce yourself, and know they will show up. A one-time trip needs the same: you want to meet them once before you are on a plane together.
For a flexible or open-ended arrangement
Mentoring, ongoing support, or a relationship without fixed dates can use a longer close date. Set it 30, 45 or even 60 days away. This gives applicants plenty of time to apply, shows that you are taking the search seriously, and gives you more messages to read and more choices. Applicants also know there is a real deadline, so they do not assume the invitation will stay open forever.
Even flexible arrangements benefit from a close date. It tells applicants your intentions are concrete and that you are making a choice, not collecting applications indefinitely. It also lets you close earlier if you find someone ideal.
What happens after the close date
When the close date passes, the listing stops accepting new applications. It does not disappear or delete: it stays on the Board so people can see it, but no one can apply. After the event date itself passes, the listing expires and is no longer visible on the Board or in search results. This keeps old listings from cluttering the platform while keeping current invitations visible to anyone searching for a match.
The rhythm: close date, choice, acceptance, confirmation
A good timeline looks like this. You post the invitation with a close date two weeks away. Applications arrive over those two weeks. On the close date, you review all applications, choose one person, and send them an acceptance message from the platform. They have until 48 hours before the event to accept and confirm. That gives you both certainty: you know they are coming, they know you are serious, and you can plan together.
You might tell them: 'I have chosen you from a few applications. Does this still work for you? I want to confirm we are both ready to go ahead.'
The applicant confirms, you plan together, and the event goes smoothly because both of you had time to decide and prepare. A close date that is too soon (a day away) does not give you time to think. A close date too far away feels uncertain and disrespectful of applicants' time.
When to adjust your close date
- You posted but made a mistake on the Board: close early if you need to adjust the invitation or if circumstances have changed.
- Applications are still arriving and you want more time: extend the close date a few more days to see more options.
- You found your ideal guest early: close the listing and begin your confirmation process.
- The event is less important than meeting the right person: use a longer close date to be more selective.
- You need decisions fast: use 14 days or close early once you have reviewed applications.
This is within your control. The close date is not a trap; it is a tool. Use it to create a rhythm that lets you choose well and plan confidently.
