The Four Channels
Every queue can accept people from up to four channels:
- Walk-in — they walk up, your staff adds them. Old-fashioned, still common.
- Online (QR / short link) — a poster at your door, on a window decal, in your Instagram bio, or printed on a receipt. They scan or tap and join from their phone.
- Kiosk — a dedicated tablet at your entrance. They tap-tap-done.
- Staff manual entry — your staff adds someone on their behalf, usually because the person called ahead.
Each channel can be turned on or off independently in the queue settings. Pick the ones that suit your operation.
Online by QR Code or Short Link
Every queue gets a unique short link like q.nowaitn.com/abcd1234. You can also generate a QR code from the queue settings — print it, put it on a sandwich board, paste it into your Instagram, share it in a group chat.
This is the lowest-friction channel and the one we recommend turning on first. People who scan from outside arrive already in the queue. People sitting in their car can join without coming in. Staff are freed from sign-in duties.
The QR code points to a public page that asks for name, phone, and party size (party size is optional). After joining, the person sees a status page showing their position and estimated wait — see The Public Status Page.
Kiosk Mode
If you have a tablet at the front and want a self-service experience, turn on kiosk mode. The tablet displays a full-screen branded join page. People tap, enter their info, and get a position.
Best for: lobbies, drive-thru sign-in stations, government counters, walk-in clinics. Works well alongside a QR poster — some people prefer the tablet, others prefer their own phone. See Setting Up Kiosk Mode for the full setup.
Walk-Ins and Manual Staff Entry
Sometimes people just walk up and you add them yourself. The staff app has an "Add" tab that takes name, phone (optional), party size, and notes.
Use it when:
- Someone phoned ahead and you're saving them a spot.
- The person is older or less comfortable with apps.
- The customer is already at the counter and self-service would be slower.
This channel is always available to staff regardless of whether "walk-in" is enabled at the customer-facing level. See Adding People to the Queue Manually.
Mixing Channels
Most operators run two or three channels at once. A few common combinations:
- Restaurant: QR poster + kiosk + manual staff entry for phone-aheads.
- Walk-in clinic: kiosk only (HIPAA-conscious — keeps phone numbers off public posters).
- Service desk: QR + manual staff entry (no public kiosk).
- Salon: QR + manual staff entry (people often book ahead via Reservations).
There's no penalty for turning on extra channels. The wait estimate, position, and notifications work the same way regardless of how the person joined.