Setting Up Your Event Dashboard

Your Party Bucket event dashboard is your command center. From here, you can monitor activity in real-time, manage content, view analytics, and ensure your event runs smoothly. This guide will help you master every feature.

Accessing Your Dashboard

After creating an event, you can access your dashboard by:

1. Logging into your Party Bucket account
2. Clicking on the event from your events list
3. Or navigating directly to /dashboard/event/[eventId]

The dashboard is only accessible to event organizers and moderators. Guests see a different, simplified view.

Dashboard Overview

Your dashboard is organized into several key sections:

Header Section

At the top, you'll see the event name which you can click to edit event details, the event status showing whether it's active, upcoming, or past, and quick actions for common tasks like exporting content or sending emails to attendees.

Main Content Areas

The dashboard displays several key metrics and sections. The activity overview shows real-time stats on posts, attendees, and music engagement. The photo feed displays all photos and videos posted by guests, allowing you to moderate and manage content. The music queue shows the current playlist and voting status so you can see what's playing and what's coming next. The attendee list shows who's joined and their activity levels. Analytics provide detailed metrics and insights to help you understand event performance.

Understanding the Activity Overview

The activity overview provides at-a-glance metrics:

The activity overview shows total attendees (number of unique guests who've joined), total posts (photos, videos, and messages shared), music suggestions (songs suggested by guests), and active now (guests currently viewing or interacting with the event). These numbers update in real-time, so you can see engagement as it happens throughout your event.

Managing the Photo Feed

The photo feed shows all content posted by guests. From here, you can:

View Content

Click any photo or video to view it full-screen, see who posted it and when it was shared, and view engagement metrics like likes and comments if those features are enabled.

Moderate Content

For each post, you can approve it if pre-moderation is enabled—this makes posts visible to all guests. Hide inappropriate content so it remains in the system but isn't visible to guests. Delete content permanently if necessary, though use this with caution as it cannot be undone. While Party Bucket doesn't have a formal "report" feature, you can coordinate with team members if you have multiple moderators.

Bulk Actions

For efficiency, you can select multiple posts at once, apply actions like approve or hide to all selected items simultaneously, export selected content for your records, and delete or hide content in bulk to manage large volumes quickly.

Music Queue Management

The music section shows:

Current Playlist

The music section shows now playing (the track currently playing from Spotify), next up (the next few tracks in the queue), and voting status (which songs have the most votes and are rising in the queue).

Queue Controls

As the host, you can manage the queue through Spotify directly. While Party Bucket doesn't have built-in skip or pin controls in the dashboard, you can skip tracks through Spotify, and the voting system naturally prioritizes popular tracks. For special moments, you can manually manage the queue through Spotify to ensure specific songs play at the right time.

• Remove Songs: Remove inappropriate suggestions
• Adjust Settings: Change voting thresholds and cooldown periods

Playlist Sync

See when the last sync with Spotify occurred and manually trigger a sync if needed.

Attendee Management

The attendee list shows everyone who's joined your event. For each attendee, you can see:

• Display Name: How they appear in the event
• Join Time: When they first joined
• Activity: Number of posts and suggestions
• Status: Currently active or not

Moderator Features

If you've assigned moderators, you can:

• View moderator activity
• See what content they've approved or hidden
• Adjust moderator permissions

Analytics Deep Dive

The analytics section provides detailed insights:

Engagement Metrics

• Peak Activity Times: When guests were most active
• Content Breakdown: Photos vs. videos vs. messages
• Music Engagement: Most suggested artists and genres
• Participation Rate: Percentage of attendees who posted content

Growth Trends

• Attendee Growth: How the attendee count changed over time
• Content Velocity: Rate of posts over time
• Music Activity: Voting and suggestion patterns

Export Options

Export analytics as:

• CSV files for spreadsheet analysis
• PDF reports for sharing
• JSON data for custom analysis

Real-Time Updates

The dashboard updates automatically using WebSocket connections. You'll see:

• New posts appear instantly
• Attendee counts update in real-time
• Music queue changes as votes come in
• Activity metrics refresh continuously

No need to refresh the page—everything updates automatically.

Customization Options

Dashboard Layout

While the default layout works for most events, you can:

• Rearrange sections (if custom layouts are available)
• Show or hide specific metrics
• Adjust refresh rates
• Set up custom alerts

Notification Settings

Configure notifications for:

• New posts (especially if moderation is required)
• High engagement milestones
• Music queue issues
• System alerts

Best Practices

Before the Event

1. Familiarize Yourself: Spend time exploring the dashboard before your event
2. Test Features: Create a test event and try all features
3. Set Up Moderation: Configure pre-moderation if needed
4. Prepare Exports: Know how to export content in case you need it quickly

During the Event

1. Monitor Regularly: Check the dashboard periodically, but don't obsess
2. Engage with Content: Like and comment on posts to encourage more sharing
3. Watch the Music Queue: Ensure the playlist stays appropriate
4. Be Ready to Moderate: Have a plan for handling inappropriate content

After the Event

1. Export Everything: Download all photos, videos, and the playlist
2. Review Analytics: Understand what worked and what didn't
3. Archive the Event: Keep the event accessible for a while so guests can download content
4. Learn for Next Time: Use insights to improve future events

Mobile Dashboard

The dashboard is fully responsive and works on:

• Smartphones
• Tablets
• Laptops
• Desktop computers

While the mobile view is optimized, the full dashboard experience is best on larger screens. Consider using a tablet or laptop during your event for easier management.

Troubleshooting

Dashboard Not Loading

If the dashboard won't load:

1. Check your internet connection
2. Refresh the page
3. Clear browser cache
4. Try a different browser
5. Check if Party Bucket is experiencing issues

Real-Time Updates Not Working

If updates aren't appearing:

1. Check your internet connection
2. Ensure WebSockets aren't blocked by a firewall
3. Refresh the page
4. Check browser console for errors

Missing Data

If you're not seeing expected data:

1. Verify the event is active
2. Check that guests are actually joining
3. Ensure content moderation isn't hiding everything
4. Verify your permissions

Advanced Features

API Access

For power users, Party Bucket offers API access to:

• Retrieve dashboard data programmatically
• Build custom integrations
• Create automated workflows
• Generate custom reports

Webhooks

Set up webhooks to receive notifications about:

• New posts
• New attendees
• Music queue changes
• System events

Integrations

Connect Party Bucket with:

• Email marketing platforms
• Social media schedulers
• Analytics tools
• CRM systems

Security and Privacy

Your dashboard is secure:

• All data is encrypted in transit
• Access requires authentication
• Activity is logged for security
• You control who can moderate

Getting Help

If you need assistance with the dashboard:

1. Check our documentation
2. Review other blog posts
3. Contact support
4. Join our community forum

Ready to Master Your Dashboard?

The event dashboard is powerful but intuitive. Spend some time exploring before your event, and you'll be managing like a pro in no time. Create your event and start exploring the dashboard today!

Remember: The dashboard is there to help, not to overwhelm. Focus on the metrics that matter most for your event, and don't feel you need to monitor everything constantly. Set it up well, and it will work for you.