Draft events let you create and refine an event privately before it goes live. A draft is not visible to the public, so you can get the details right and publish only when you are ready.
Draft vs published events
Feature | Draft | Published |
Visibility | Hidden from the public | Public (based on calendar settings) |
Public links and calendar feeds | Not accessible | Available for sharing |
RSVP collection | Not available | Available |
Badge | Orange Draft badge shown | No badge |
Creating a draft event
You can create a draft in two ways.
Create a draft directly
Open your calendar dashboard and start a new event.
Fill in the event details (title, date, description, and so on).
Click Create Draft Event instead of the main create button.
The event is saved as a draft with an orange Draft badge.
Turn an existing event into a draft
Open the event and edit it.
In the Calendar section, turn on the Draft Mode toggle. It then shows Event is hidden from public.
Click Update Event to save.
Managing your draft events
Draft events appear in your event list alongside published events, marked with an orange Draft badge so you can tell them apart at a glance.
To edit a draft, open it from your event list, make your changes, and click Update Event. While Draft Mode is on, the toggle shows Event is hidden from public.
Publishing a draft event
The quickest way is the Draft mode banner shown at the top of the draft event. Click Publish event on that banner and the event goes live straight away, with no need to open the editor.
You can also publish from the editor:
Open the draft event for editing.
In the Calendar section, turn off the Draft Mode toggle. It now shows Event is publicly visible.
Click Update Event.
Events in a series are the exception: the banner has no Publish event button on an individual series instance, so publish those from the editor instead.
The orange Draft badge disappears, the event becomes visible based on your calendar settings, and public links, calendar feeds, and RSVPs become active.
Important: once an event is published, any further changes take effect immediately and may affect people who have already responded.
Things to know
Team members can view and edit draft events in your AddCal account.
Changes are not saved automatically. Click Update Event to keep your edits.
You cannot collect RSVPs on a draft, because it is not publicly accessible.
The orange Draft badge helps you avoid leaving an event unpublished by mistake.