Automatic fill-ins
Let Dansly ask eligible dancers when a class is short on leads or follows, follow one request from the check to a claimed spot, and stop or restart it.
For owners and managers
Outcome: when a class is short on leads or follows, Dansly asks the right dancers for you, and the first to claim fills the gap. No messages from you, no group chats.
Who can do this: owners and managers set it up. Teachers see the result on their class. Nobody sends requests by hand.
Before you start: your level lists should be in place (see G01), because the rules use them.
The example#
Studio Voorbeeld's Salsa · Beginners 2 on Tuesday at 20:15 has 10 leads and 9 follows enrolled. Noor has told the school they can't come next week, so next Tuesday has 10 leads and 8 follows: 2 follows short.
Decide first#
| Setting | Studio Voorbeeld's choice | The trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Who can fill in | Dancers who pay you | A free class is a gift. This gives it to people with a plan or a course seat. Anyone who has joined you reaches the most people, including people who've never paid. |
| Check the balance | 4h | Earlier gives dancers time to plan; later means fewer asks for gaps that fix themselves. |
| Ask when the gap is | 1 or more | 2 or more tolerates a small imbalance. |
| Who gets asked | Only classes at or below their level | One level above too asks more people, and lets slightly less experienced dancers into the class. |
These are example choices, not recommendations for every school.
Steps#
- In the sidebar, open Fill-in rules. Turn on Automatic requests and set the four choices above. Save changes.
- Check the course: open Salsa · Beginners 2 and make sure Ask dancers when a week here is short is on (it is by default). An open class uses Follow the school setting unless you chose Off for this class.
- That's all. From 16:15 on Tuesday (4 hours before), Dansly checks every few minutes. Next Tuesday is 2 follows short, so it asks.
Who is asked#
Everyone who fits is asked at the same moment:
- Eligible: a credit plan this month or a course seat.
- Level: Beginners 2 or higher, under the "at or below" rule.
- Free: not already in this class, and not booked in another class at 20:15.
Those dancers can see the spot on their Fill-ins tab. Of them, only those who also cover follow, are usually free on Tuesdays, haven't turned fill-in messages off, and haven't muted the school get a message.
At Studio Voorbeeld:
- Fleur (Beginners 3, Regular plan, follows) gets the message.
- Lotte (Intermediate 1) turned fill-in messages off: Lotte can see the spot, but isn't told.
What dancers see#
Fleur gets a notice, "Salsa · Beginners 2 needs 2 follows", with "Free · Tue 20:15" and a link to the Fill-ins tab. Fleur chooses Claim, and sees "Claimed. See you there." It costs nothing and uses no credit. The request now needs 1 follow. When a second follow claims, it closes.
Watch it on the class#
Open the lesson from Tonight or Schedule. The Fill-in request card shows what was asked, how many were told, and who claimed. Open the reach breakdown to see, for every dancer, why they were or weren't asked.
- Stop asking (managers): calls off the search. Those who claimed keep their place, and the other invitations are quietly withdrawn. Nobody is messaged. The automatic check then leaves this class alone, even if more people drop out.
- Start asking again: brings the same invitations back, before the class starts. Nobody is messaged a second time.
When someone is marked absent early#
If a teacher or manager marks a dancer absent on the register before class, and that leaves the class short, Dansly asks straight away instead of waiting for 16:15. The register tells you: "A fill-in request for one follow went out to 3 dancers." Classes and schools with fill-ins switched off never ask.
Check it worked#
- The lesson's Fill-in request card shows the request with how many were asked.
- After a claim, the dancer appears on the roster as Fill-in · claimed with the time.
Changing your mind#
- Turning Automatic requests off closes open requests: invitations can no longer be claimed, and dancers' Fill-ins tab disappears.
- Switching one course off stops only that course asking.
- Saved rule changes apply from the next check. Requests already open keep going, except that tightening Who can fill in takes an open request away from dancers who no longer qualify.
If it doesn't work#
- Nobody was asked. Check that the gap is at least your threshold, that you're inside the check window, and that the request wasn't stopped by hand. Also check the class isn't a social, event or solo course. See Why wasn't this dancer asked?
- A particular dancer wasn't asked. The reach breakdown gives the reason, and says whether it's yours to change (eligibility, level) or theirs (messages off, role, availability).