Using scheduled messages to save time

We’ve heard from Hosts that drafting the same messages to guests over and over again can get tedious. By using our scheduled messages tool, you can avoid repeating yourself while communicating with guests.

The tool lets you set messages to be sent automatically to guests after they take certain actions, like booking a stay, checking in, or checking out. Scheduled messages work well for sharing routine info about your space.

You can write and schedule messages from your hosting inbox. You’re essentially creating templates for sending all of your guests the same helpful information about staying in your space.

You can personalize these messages by adding special tags, called shortcodes, which act as placeholders. Shortcodes gather info from a guest’s reservation (like their name and check-in date) and your listing details (such as your house rules) to fill in the blanks.

Make sure your listing details are complete and up to date, because messages with empty shortcodes won’t be sent. If you’ve already sent info to a particular guest, you can edit, skip, or send a message earlier than scheduled. You can also review the full history of what’s been sent.

Learn more about scheduling messages

You can schedule a message anytime. Here are a few suggestions for the best moments to send a scheduled message, plus some ideas for what to say.

Remember to use the Shortcodes drop-down menu to add shortcodes (shown below in bold type) as you write. Don’t type them into your message. When you’re finished writing, choose which guest action sends your message from the Scheduling drop-down menu.

Shortly after booking

An immediate thank-you note after booking can let guests know you received their request, help give a good first impression, and provide important details and tips for their upcoming stay.

Consider sending these messages shortly after the reservation is confirmed by selecting the After booking action when you create a scheduled message.

Here’s a sample message (with shortcodes) you could use:

        Dear guest first name,
        Thank you for booking with us!
        I’m excited to welcome you at listing name on check-in date.
        Please share your trip info with us so we can organize your check-in
        smoothly, which is usually check-in time or later.
        Here’s some quick info about the neighborhood:
        neighborhood
        Here’s some quick info about getting around:
        getting around
        You can find some helpful tips for visiting city in our guidebook.
        A few days before your trip, we’ll share the check-in info.

Reminder of an upcoming stay

A few days before check-in, it’s a good idea to remind guests about the details of their upcoming stay so they can start planning their arrival.

You can send these messages up to 14 days ahead using the Before check-in action. You may want to restate the details you shared in your After booking message. Other key info could include:

• You can check in any time after check-in time on check-in date.
• The listing is at address and here are the directions: directions.

Day of check-in instructions

The day of check-in is a big day! Even though you may have already shared check-in instructions, many guests find it helpful to receive key info again as they’re arriving.

You might send these messages the morning of check-in using the Before check-in action. For example, you could resend directions and check-in time to your guests. Here’s a sample message to consider: 

        We’re excited to welcome you to listing name!
        Your check-in instructions are here: check-in instructions.
        As a reminder, here are our house rules:
        house rules
        The wifi network is called wifi name, and the password is wifi 
        password.

First day of stay

The first morning of your guests’ stay is a great time for a quick hello to confirm everything is in order and offer to answer any questions they may have.

You can use the After check-in action to create a message to greet your guests. Many of the ideas from the sections above could work for these messages—or you can also get creative. You could say something like: 

        Hello, guest first name!
        We hope you’re having a wonderful time and enjoying the space
        so far. Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to make
        your stay more comfortable.

The day before checkout

The day before checkout, you could remind your guests how to check out, where to leave keys, how to handle laundry and trash, etc.

Using the Before checkout action, you could send a message like:

        Hi guest first name,
        This is just a quick reminder that checkout is tomorrow 
        (checkout date), any time before checkout time. Kindly do the
        following before you go: 

• Take trash out to the bins by the garage
• Turn off all lights and the thermostat
• Lock all doors upon your departure

      Thank you for staying with us! We hope you had a wonderful time
      at listing name. We’d be very grateful if you’d leave a review of your
      stay.

Information contained in this article may have changed since publication.