1. Guesty Help Center
  2. Reservation Management
  3. Tasks & cleaning status
  4. Auto-tasks & Calendar-based tasks

Managing tasks

This article is relevant for:

Use tasks to efficiently organize and monitor property operations. They are handy for managing housekeeping, maintenance, check-ins, and other operational activities.

Guesty offers two types of tasks:

Auto tasks

Auto tasks are set up at the property level and are triggered by specific events in a reservation lifecycle.

For example, configure an auto task for cleaning a property one hour after check-out. Creating auto tasks is a two-step process: create a task template, then configure the task scheduling.

Calendar-based tasks

Calendar-based tasks are scheduled for specific dates or days. These tasks can be one-time or recurring and may be linked to properties or reservations. 

For example, schedule a recurring maintenance task for all your properties on the fourth Wednesday of each month.

Managing calendar-based tasks

Calendar-based tasks can be assigned to a property or a reservation. If the task is applied to a reservation, the task timing will not be affected by changes to the reservation. To tie tasks to reservation dates and times, use auto tasks instead. Alternatively, you can edit the task itself.

Users with restricted property access can only view tasks associated with their assigned properties. Tasks that are not associated with any properties are hidden from these users.

Create a calendar-based task

Follow the steps below to create a one-time or recurring calendar-based task.

Before you begin:

Keep the following in mind:

  • When creating a recurring task, a series of task instances is generated six months into the future, with new instances added daily where applicable. At any time, the latest instance you see is up to six months ahead.
  • A task assigned to multiple properties creates a series of task instances for each property. 

Step by step:

  1. Sign in to your Guesty account.
  2. At the top-right corner of the dashboard, click the circle plus icon  and select New task.
  3. Fill in the relevant information:
    • When setting a flexible time frame, the task’s assignee can decide when to begin and complete the task - anytime between the "Can start from" date and time and the "Must finish before" date and time you set.
    • Accounting users (only): Adding an expense helps you manage your Accounting folio by linking an expense to the task. 
    • When assigning a task to a group,  it is visible to all group members. Any member can assign the task to themselves. Once assigned, it will no longer be visible for the group.
    • When assigning the task to a property, select from the following options: 
      • All: Will apply the task to all existing and future properties. You can exclude specific properties.
      • By rule: Will apply the task to existing and future properties that match a set of criteria. You can exclude specific properties that meet the criteria
      • Specific: Will apply the task to specific properties. A task can be assigned to a maximum of 150 properties.
  4. Click Save.

Edit or delete a series or instance of calendar-based tasks

Follow the steps below to edit or delete an entire task series or an instance within the series.

When editing a field in a task instance, that field is “detached” from the series. Updates to this field for the series won’t apply to the task instance. 

If you modify the timing of a task series, upcoming instances that have not yet started are deleted, and new instances are generated based on the new timing.

Pro users Lite users

Step by step:

  1. Sign in to your Guesty account.
  2. From the top navigation bar, click the mode selector and select Operations mode.
  3. Click Field operations, then select Tasks.
  4. Select the relevant task instance.
  5. At the top-right, click Edit.
  6. From the dropdown menu, select Edit instance or Edit series.
  7. Adjust the relevant information, or click Trash icon to delete.
  8. Click Save, then click Save again.

Managing auto tasks

To create an auto task, begin by setting up a task template that includes all the details your team needs to complete the task. Then, configure the task’s scheduling - you can even automatically change a listing's cleaning status after an auto task has been completed.

The new auto task automatically generates instances for all existing reservations, and reservations made for future dates.

If a reservation is canceled, the associated auto task is also canceled. Additionally, changes to the check-in, check-out, estimated arrival, or estimated departure time automatically updates the auto task triggered by those parameters.

Once an auto task is scheduled and not assigned to a user, it will appear as 'Unassigned' until a group member accepts it through the Guesty mobile app. Even if the task is not accepted, it will remain linked to the reservation.

Create a task template

Pro users Lite users

Step by step:

  1. Sign in to your Guesty account.
  2. In the top navigation bar, click the mode selector and select Operations mode.
  3. Click Properties.
  4. Click the relevant property.

    If the listing is a multi-unit, manage this feature via the main unit to apply the setting to all sub-units. Alternatively, configure the settings for a specific sub-unit. Click the main unit or the specific sub-unit.

  5. In the left-side menu, select Task templates.
  6. Click Create task template.
  7. Enter the relevant information.
    • Accounting users (only): Adding an expense helps you manage your Accounting folio by linking an expense to the task. 
    • Assign a task to either an individual or a group. When assigning to a group, any of its members can assign the task to themselves.
  8. Click Save.

Edit or delete an auto-task template

Auto tasks are automatically updated when you modify the corresponding task template or when a listing or reservation’s check-in or check-out date/time is changed.

If you delete a template, all associated tasks without expenses will automatically be deleted, whether related to past or future reservations.  Tasks with expenses will not be deleted, but won’t be associated with any task template.

Also, when editing a field in a specific auto task instance, the field will be detached from the task template, so future updates to the template won’t update it. 

If you want to remove the scheduling of the auto task, but retain the task template for future scheduling, delete the auto task itself.

Follow the steps below to edit or delete a task template.

Pro users Lite users

Step by step:

  1. Sign in to your Guesty account.
  2. In the top navigation bar, click the mode selector and select Operations mode.
  3. Click Properties.
  4. Click the relevant property.

    For a multi-unit, access the main unit’s settings or click a sub-unit.

  5. In the left-side menu, click Task templates.
  6. Next to the relevant template, click Edit and make the relevant changes. Alternatively, click Trash icon.
  7. Click Save.

Create an auto task

Once the task template is created, create the auto task to set up the scheduling. You can configure to change a listing's cleaning status after an auto task has been completed.

Auto tasks can be customized for guest or owner reservations.

When defining the timing of the auto task, determine when the assignee should start the task based on the reservation’s lifecycle—such as "At check-out" or "2 hours before check-in”.

With flexible timing, the assignee can choose when to complete the task within the time window you set.

Pro users: Owners can stay at their properties by blocking dates on the calendar via Guesty's Owner's Portal. When an owner makes a change to their scheduled stay, the timing of the task is automatically updated. If an owner's stay is canceled, so will the auto task.

You can schedule auto tasks based on a guest's estimated time of arrival (ETA) or departure (ETD). If these times are not added to the reservation or collected through the check-in form, the property's default check-in or check-out times will be used instead.

To create an auto task, follow the steps below.

Pro users Lite users

Step by step:

  1. Sign in to your Guesty account.
  2. In the top navigation bar, click the mode selector and select Operations mode.
  3. Click Properties.
  4. Click the relevant listing.

    For a multi-unit, manage this feature via the main unit to apply the settings to all sub-units. Alternatively, configure the settings for a specific sub-unit. Click the main unit or the specific sub-unit.

  5. In the left-side menu, click Automation, then select Auto tasks.
  6. Click New.
  7. Enter the relevant information.
  8. Click Save.

Edit or delete an auto task

Editing a specific field in an auto task instance will detach it from the task template, so future updates to the template don’t update it. 

Deleting an auto task only impacts future reservations, leaving tasks for existing reservations unchanged.

Auto tasks scheduled based on check-in or check-out update automatically if a reservation schedule changes. However, reservation schedule changes don’t affect generated tasks if you’ve modified the task schedule.

 To delete all tasks generated by an auto task, delete the auto task at the property level. Otherwise, tasks will continue to be generated for new reservations. Also, deleting an auto task template deletes all tasks generated for future reservations. 

If you want to remove the auto task but keep its template for future use, simply delete the auto task as described below.

Pro users Lite users

Step by step:

  1. Sign in to your Guesty account.
  2. In the top navigation bar, click the mode selector and select Operations mode.
  3. Click Properties.
  4. Click the relevant listing.

    For a multi-unit, manage this feature via the main unit to apply the settings to all sub-units. Alternatively, configure the settings for a specific sub-unit. Click the main unit or the specific sub-unit.

  5. In the left-side menu, click Automation, then select Auto tasks.
  6. Next to the relevant auto-task, click Edit and make the relevant changes. Alternatively, click Trash icon.
  7. Click Save.

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