---
title: "Understanding the Purpose of Tables"
url: "https://help.checkinpax.com/en/article/understanding-the-purpose-of-tables"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2026-04-25T08:39:21.559Z"
---

# Understanding the Purpose of Tables

Group your guests by table number – perfect for fundraisers, galas, and any event with assigned seating.

**What are Tables?**

Tables in Check-in Pax are a visual way to organize your guests into seating groups. Instead of managing a single, flat list of attendees, you can now see your entire venue layout at a glance - who is sitting where, how many have checked in, and how many seats remain empty.

**Why use Tables?**

| **Challenge** | **Solution with Tables** |
| --- | --- |
| Long guest lists are hard to scan | Collapsible table cards show only key stats |
| Last-minute seat changes are chaotic | Move guests between tables with a simple dropdown |
| Check-in staff waste time searching for stats | View check-in status per table (e.g., "8/12 checked in on Table 2") |

**Key terminology**

-   **Table:** A group of seats (e.g., 12 seats for an Annual Gala)
-   **Seat:** An individual guest assignment within a table
-   **Empty:** A seat available for a walk-in or unassigned guest
-   **Collapsed view:** Shows only table name, total seats, checked-in count, and empty seats
-   **Expanded view:** Shows the full list of guest names at that table

**Where do Tables appear?**

-   In your **Tables configuration screen and guest lists** for setup and management
-   In your **Check-in App** for day-of-event operations
-   In **Reports** for post-event analysis