Choosing how to send your guests messages

When sending messages to guests through the Inbox or calendar, or as an automated message, you choose how it will be sent. Read more about the options and limitations below, depending on your distribution channels and type of message.

Before you begin

To set up guest communication with these channels, take note of the following:

Airbnb

• Messages to Airbnb guests can only be sent via Airbnb, due to Airbnb’s Off-Platform Policy, which stipulates that communication between hosts and guests must remain on the Airbnb platform. 
• You can send images via Airbnb from the Inbox, with the following limitations: 
  • Images can't contain text.
  • Only one image can be sent at a time. If you send a message via Airbnb that contains more than one image, each image will be send separately.
• You can send up to five images in automated messages, however automated messages via email are not supported for Airbnb.
• The total size of all images attached to a message is limited to 25MB.

Booking.com

• Ensure Guesty is set as the connectivity provider in the Booking.com Extranet for each of your listings.
• When a guest sends a message through the Booking.com conversation thread, Booking.com may generate a new proxy email address for that guest. In such cases, Guesty will automatically replace the existing primary email address for the guest with the newly generated proxy address. This update happens behind the scenes and does not require any action on your part.
• You can send up to five images at a time when sending via Booking.com from the Inbox.
• You can send up to five images in automated messages. 
• The total size of all images attached to a message is limited to 25MB.

Limitations

Timeframes

• You can only send a message to your guest within 7 days after their checkout or reservation cancellation.
• If a guest sends a message about the booking, you have an additional 14 days to respond.
• Guests can send messages about listings from the time of the booking until 66 days after check-out. 

Links

• You can't use URL shorteners in your message (such as TinyURL).
• You can only send links and email addresses that have been approved in Booking.com's messaging security settings.

Expedia

Sending messages to Expedia guests can be done in the following ways:

• The Expedia Communication Center: If the guest's primary email address in Guesty is the proxy email address provided by Expedia, messages sent from the Guesty inbox are delivered to the Expedia Communication Center. Ask your Expedia account manager to make sure Expedia provides these proxy addresses when sending the reservation to Rentals United. In addition, add your Rentals United integration email as an authorized address in the Expedia platform. Failure to do so will default to the guest's private email and messages will not be displayed in Expedia.
• The guest's private email address: If the guest's private email is set as the primary address in Guesty, all emails, whether manual or automatic, will be sent to this address.
• Pilot users can send up to five images at a time when sending via Expedia from the Inbox.
• The total size of all images attached to a message is limited to 25MB.

Vrbo

• To enable message syncing between platforms, add the Guesty integration email to your Vrbo account and as a contact for each of your listings.
• You can send links to a guest from your Guesty Inbox for unconfirmed reservations.

  The warning message "Some channels do not allow hosts sending links to guests prior to reservation confirmation" may appear because some channels do not accept emails with links. The message will still send, but if the channel does not accept it, the guest will not see it.

• You can send up to five images at a time when sending via Vrbo from the Inbox.
• You can send up to five images in automated messages. 
• The total size of all images attached to a message is limited to 25MB.

Other booking channels

For reservations made through all other booking channels or platforms, the message will be sent to the guest's primary email address in Guesty.

Sending options

• via booking channel

  • Message sent to guest's booking channel Inbox.
  • Available for Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo only.
  • For all other booking channels: 
    • If the primary email is a proxy email, the guest will receive the message in the booking channel.
    • If the primary address is the guest's private email, the message will be sent to the guest's private email.

• via email

  • Message sent to the guest's primary email in Guesty.
    • If the primary email is a proxy email, the guest will receive the message in the booking channel.
    • If the primary address is the guest's private email, the message will be sent to the guest's private email.
  • This option is useful if you want to send your guest messages that include images, videos, attachments, links or HTML.

• via SMS

  • Available if the guest's cellphone number is saved in Guesty.

  • This option is useful to send short or urgent messages for your guest to see right away, or messages that require quick response, for example a mid-stay or pre-checkout reminder. See more information and limitations about sending messaging via SMS.

• via WhatsApp
  
  • Available for messages sent from the Inbox and Calendar only. Learn more about sending messages via WhatsApp.

What is a proxy email address?

A proxy email is a unique email address used to facilitate communication between the booking channel and Guesty. Depending on the guest contact details collected, you may have both a proxy email and a private email address for a guest. A proxy email consists of a string of numbers and letters, for example: 60751cdf-d121-450336f@messages.homeaway.com.

Reservations made manually don't receive a proxy email.

Sending automated messages

You can create a message automation and decide when you want automated messages to be sent, define the specific conditions under which they should be sent.

Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo / Expedia - pilot: You can include up to five images in automated messages. 

Replying to a guest

When a guest makes a reservation, the guest's details are automatically saved to the contacts list in Guesty. Learn more about setting up contacts. 

You can reply to a guest or send a message via the Inbox or the Multi-Calendar. When replying to a guest, the message is automatically sent using the same method it was received. For example, if the guest sent a message via SMS, your reply is sent via SMS. Select a different delivery method according to your needs.

The available message delivery options depend on the booking channel and the guest's contact details stored in Guesty. For example, if the contact details include an email address and a cellphone number, you will see the following options:

If the ability to communicate via booking channel inbox is available for the guest, it will appear as an option:

If there are no contact details for a guest, you cannot send a message. The only available option is "Internal Note".