Guesty uses the terms 'platforms' and 'sources' to indicate where a reservation originated and how it was delivered to Guesty. This article will help you understand the differences between platforms and sources, identify them for specific reservations, create custom sources, and update a reservation's source.
Platforms (channels)
Each reservation received in Guesty originated in a platform (named "Channel" on the reservation page). Platforms are automatically created and can't be altered or removed.
| Platform name | Details |
|---|---|
|
[name of booking channel]
For example:
|
The reservation originated in a booking channel |
| direct | The reservation originated in a "direct" integration (Guesty Booking Engine, Guesty Booking Engine API, or Google Vacation Rentals).
The platform is displayed as "direct", while the source is displayed as "website" or "BE API". Learn how to identify which reservations originated from Google Vacation Rentals. |
| manual | The reservation was created manually in Guesty |
|
[name of channel manager]
For example: rentalsUnited |
The reservation originated in a booking channel (such as Airbnb, Booking.com) and was delivered to Guesty via a channel manager (such as Rentals United).
The platform is the name of the channel manager (rentalsUnited), while the source is the booking channel. |
Sources
Default reservation sources
A reservation source can be used for further specifications. You can add custom sources in Guesty and use them to better classify the reservation's origin.
The following sources are added automatically and can't be altered or removed:
| Source name | Details |
|---|---|
|
[name of booking channel]
For example:
|
The reservation originated in a booking channel. The source is displayed as the booking channel.
If you're using a channel manager such as Rentals United, the platform is the channel manager, and the source is the booking channel where the reservation originated. In Vrbo's case, the source is "Vrbo" or "VRBO", with the following exceptions:
|
| BE API | The reservation originated in the Guesty Booking Engine API.
The source is displayed as "BE API" on the reservations report, while on the reservation page, it's shown as "Direct". |
| manual | The reservation was created manually. The source is displayed by default as "manual" (case sensitive). |
| website | The reservation originated in the Guesty Booking Engine.
The source is displayed as "website" (case sensitive) on the reservations report, while on the reservation page, it's shown as "Direct". |
Locate the reservation source or platform
You can create a custom reservations report and add "source" and "platform" as filters or columns.
Additionally, navigate to the reservation page to check its source. The "Source" field is located in the "Summary" section.
Create a reservation source
You can create a new reservation source when creating a manual reservation.
The reservation source is case-sensitive. If you type "Manual" instead of "manual", a new reservation source will be created, different from the default "manual". Reservations classified with the "Manual" source will not be displayed as part of the manual reservations in your reports.
Step by step:
-
Create a manual reservation. In "Channel & status", under "Source", type in the name of the new source you want to create. Then, select it from the dropdown menu.
- Click Book reservation. After the reservation is created, the new source will be added to the list of available sources, sorted by most recently added.
Change a reservation's source
Note:
Changing a reservation source is not supported for Accounting users.
You can change a reservation's source only for reservations with a manual source (created manually in Guesty). This doesn't apply to "website" (the Booking Engine), "BE API" (Booking Engine API), or "Owner" (owner stays) sources.
Contact us if you need to change the reservation source of an owner stay, a booking channel, or a direct integration source.
Important:
Changing a reservation's source can trigger a recalculation of the reservation price based on the channel's financial settings. The recalculation takes effect if you make additional updates to the reservation such as changing the number of guests.
Step by step:
- Sign in to your Guesty account.
- In the top navigation bar, click the mode selector and select Operations mode.
- Click Reservations.
- Click the relevant reservation.
- Next to "Summary", click
. - Under "Source", select a new reservation source from the dropdown menu.
- Click Save.
Remove a reservation source
A reservation source can't be removed after the reservation is created. When there are no more active reservations with the source you created, it will disappear from the list of sources. If needed, you can create it again as a new source.
