How Resy Notify Works, and Why It Misses Tables
Updated September 22, 2026 · 5 min read · Written by the ResTracker team
Resy Notify is the free waitlist built into Resy. When the date you want is sold out, you ask to be notified instead of booking, and Resy tells you if a table opens. It is worth switching on for any date you care about. It is also the reason many people conclude that cancellations never happen, because by the time they tap the alert, the table is gone.
What Resy Notify does
On a sold-out date, Resy offers a Notify option in place of booking. You set it for the restaurant and date you want.
If a matching table opens, usually because someone cancelled, Resy sends you a notification. You then open the app and book it yourself, if it is still there.
Notify is free. Restaurants pay Resy, so diners are not charged for it.
A notification is not a reservation
The alert does not hold the table for you. It tells you the table exists, and anyone else can book it in the meantime.
Resy notifies the people waiting for that restaurant and date, not just the first person in line. At a popular restaurant that can be a long list, and it becomes a race to whoever taps through first.
Why the table is usually gone
At the hardest restaurants a released table is often claimed within seconds. That is less time than it takes to notice a notification, unlock your phone and finish booking.
Cancellations also arrive at inconvenient times: overnight, during work, while you are driving. An alert that arrives while you cannot act on it is the same as no alert.
How to get more out of Notify
- Set Notify on several dates rather than one. More dates means more openings you can use.
- Make sure notifications are switched on for the Resy app, including on your lock screen.
- Save a payment card on your Resy account ahead of time, since many restaurants require one to book.
- Act immediately. Treat a Notify alert as something to open right away, not later.
- Pair it with something that books automatically, so you are not relying on reaching your phone first.
Notify compared with a monitoring service
Notify tells you and leaves the booking to you. A monitoring service watches the same availability, can cover a time window and several dates at once, and in some cases books the table the moment it appears.
ResTracker, which publishes this guide, checks each restaurant every few minutes and books Resy tables automatically through your own Resy account. Running it alongside Notify costs nothing extra, since Notify is free.
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Pick a restaurant, your dates, a time window and party size. ResTracker checks Resy and OpenTable every few minutes, emails you the moment a table appears, and on Resy can book it for you. No card needed to start.
Start your free trialFrequently asked questions
Is Resy Notify free?
Yes. Resy Notify is free for diners and built into the Resy app and website.
Does Resy Notify book the table for me?
No. Resy Notify sends you an alert when a table opens. You still have to open Resy and complete the booking yourself before someone else does.
Does Resy Notify hold the table for me?
No. The table is not held. Other diners can book it after the alert goes out, which is why popular tables are often gone by the time you tap through.
Can I use Resy Notify and a reservation monitoring service together?
Yes. Notify is free and does not conflict with a monitoring service. Using both gives you Resy's own alert plus an automatic booking attempt, which covers the times you cannot reach your phone.