Follow our best practices to help maximize your work efficiency and communication with guests, team members, and property owners. This guide covers how to utilize our message automation templates, customizable conditions, and automated messages based on your needs.
How message automations work
Message automations allow you to structure a series of automated messages throughout the timeline of a reservation. Each message automation allows you to:
- Jumpstart your message automation using a template.
- Set reservation conditions to determine which type of reservation will initiate it.
- Create customized messages with individual message conditions.
Best practices
Follow these best practices when adding a message automation:
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Use a template
Templates cover the most common ways that guests book a stay. Learn more about which messages guests should receive before, during, and after their stay.
Pro users: Use "Advanced best practice" templates.- Use “Require check-in form” templates to ask for more details from your guests before check-in. This can help you get to know your guest better and protect yourself from fraudulent guests.
- Use “Add more guest types” templates to help strengthen your communication strategy and create an even more customized experience for your guests.
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Apply reservation conditions
Define which reservations will receive the associated automated messages. -
Use customization tools
- Reduce manual work when updating automated messages or adding new listings by grouping listings. If your account contains groups of listings with the same information (e.g. rooms in apartment buildings, etc.) you can set your automated messages to be sent based on listing details such as city or tags. The automation will automatically be applied to new listings added to Guesty that belong to that group.
- Populate your messages automatically with variables and custom fields (Pro users).
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Apply message conditions for specific use cases (e.g. longer stays, late check-in times, etc.)
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Set up message automations based on a reservation’s payment status
This ensures that you, your team, and your guests are all in sync about payment. Learn more about payment-related automated messages. -
Set up message automations to send out rental agreements to your guests
Simplify sending out rental agreements to your guests directly after they confirm their reservation. -
Set up automated messages for non-guest recipients (e.g., staff, yourself, owners, etc.)
Automated messages aren't just for guests; you can utilize this feature and create automated messages to be sent to yourself, other users/team members, owners (Pro users only), phone book contacts, and even use some custom fields (Pro users only).
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We recommend starting with three different message automations:
We recommend including automated messages for the following scenarios:
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We recommend that you have these four different automated messages included in your message automations:
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A message for a reservation confirmation
Use this opportunity to thank your guests for the reservation, and ask for their ETA or any other important details to know before check-in. -
Internal reminders
For example, remind your staff to follow up on collecting payment. -
Pre-check-in instructions
If the reservation has been fully paid, you can schedule pre-check-in instructions such as asking for verification. -
Check-in instructions
If the reservation has been fully paid, you can schedule the sending of check-in instructions to provide the door code, wifi password, etc.
When a reservation is altered, we recommend including messages to notify staff, owners, and guests, ensuring everyone stays informed about any changes. Message automations are triggered based on the reservation details at the time of confirmation. Any updates made to the reservation after confirmation will not modify or re-trigger the assigned message automation.
Include the following automated messages:
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An internal message to your team about any important changes
For example, if a reservation’s check-in date has changed to an earlier date and the cleaning team needs to be informed to prepare the property earlier. -
A message to the guest with their reservation updates
Make sure to include confirmation that changes to the reservation have been received. - A message to the property owner (if necessary)
If a guest cancels a reservation, we recommend that you have a message automation for the guest, as well as internal messages for the property manager/team.
Include the following automated messages:
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An internal message to the property manager or your team (with any relevant instructions)
For example, let the property manager know that the property is now available for specific nights, notifying relevant staff that there is revenue loss, informing the cleaning team, etc. -
A message to the guest with their reservation cancellation
Confirm that the reservation has been canceled. You can let the guest know that you hope for an opportunity to host them in the future. - A message to the property owner (if necessary)