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Guesty for Pros Message Setup Guide (via Communication Workflows)

We will refer to this page to set up your guest messages on Guesty.

Table of Contents

  1. Learn about Autohost Process Flow
  2. Create a Custom Automated Autohost Communication Workflow

1. Learn about Autohost Process Flow

Autohost Process Flow

To learn more about the process flow, refer to this help center article.

2. Create Custom Automated Autohost Communication Workflow

First, let's ensure the Autohost Stargate has been automatically added as a contact, this should occur automatically during a successful integration. If this contact is missing, follow the steps below to add a new contact to your Phone Book:

  1. On Guesty, go to Phonebook.
  2. Click 'Add new'.
  3. Fill out the following:
    1. First name: Autohost
    2. Last name: Stargate
    3. Email*: your-stargate-id@stargate.autohost.ai
  4. Leave the other fields blank, and click Save.

Note:

*Access your unique Autohost Stargate ID by following this link. You will find it under the Stargate tab (see image below).Screenshot_Where to Locate Autohost Stargate ID on Autohost

Second, let's create your custom Autohost automation workflow:

  1. On Guesty, go to Automations.
  2. Click 'New workflow'.
  3. On the top right of the box, click '+ Create custom'.
  4. Select drop down: 'New reservation'
  5. Click the pencil icon next to the title 'Custom', and rename the title to "Autohost Workflow"
  6. Next, select the following workflow conditions:
    1. Properties: Select desired properties or all.
    2. Channels: Select desired channels or all.
    3. Advance notice: Any time (or you can duplicate and edit the workflow for guests who arrive close to check-in)
    4. Length-of-stay: Any duration (or you can duplicate and edit the workflow based on length of stay)
  7. Click 'Save as draft'. We'll be saving often through this workflow, to ensure we do not lose our work.

Now, let's create our messages:

  1. Find the 'Autohost Workflow' we've just created, click the ellipsison the right side, and click the 'Edit' button.
  2. Once you are back into the 'Autohost Workflow', click the '+ Add message' button below 'Booking confirmation'
  3. Next, we'll be creating the following communications:
    1. Autohost Booking Confirmation
    2. Autohost Reminder(s)
    3. Autohost Check-In Instructions

Important:

If your Guest Portal is hosted on a brand-labelled URL (custom domain), be sure to insert it in place of the generic link (https://verifyhub.org). For more information, consult your Autohost Onboarding Specialist


Autohost Booking Confirmation

  1. Complete the following Message fields:

    1. Message name:
      Autohost Booking Confirmation
      When should this message be sent?:
      At Booking Confirmation
      Add Conditions (optional):
      No additional conditions for this message.
      Who will receive it?:
      Guest
      How will it be sent?:
      Booking Channel

      Message content:
      Hi [guest_first],

    Thank you for booking a stay with us!

    Please review your reservation details below:

    [listing]
    Check-in: [checkin]
    Check-out: [checkout]
    Number of Guests: [guestscount]

    To ensure the safety of our guests, staff, properties, and community; we require all guests to complete our secure guest verification portal as noted in our listing description. Please complete the guest verification portal linked below ahead of your check-in date, to ensure your check-in instructions are sent ahead of your arrival.
    https://verifyhub.org/[confirmation_code]

    If you have questions, please contact us via email or through your booking platform.

    We look forward to hosting you!

    Thank you,
    __[host_first]

  2. Click 'Save' to save communication to workflow.

  3. Click 'Save' once back to the workflow to save the workflow draft.

Tip:

Adjacent to 'Message content', on the right side is a '+ Add Variable' which allows you to select desired custom fields.

Autohost Reminder(s)

Most guests fall into two different personality types when it comes to booking stays and planning trips, they either like to get every pre-arrival task done and checked off in advance, or they wait until the last minute to review any information regarding their upcoming stay. To ensure we meet the needs of both personality types, we recommend the following reminder message sequence:

Reminder 1 (highly recommend):1-3 hours after reservation booking
Reminder 2 (highly recommend):24 hours after reservation booking
Reminder 3 (encouraged):48 hours after reservation booking
Reminder 4 (encouraged):in sequence with any payment reminders*
Reminder 5 (highly recommend):7 days before guest arrival
Reminder 6 (highly recommend):5 days before guest arrival
Reminder 7 (highly recommend):3 days before guest arrival
Reminder 8 (highly recommend):2 days before guest arrival
Final Urgent Reminder:24 hours before guest arrival (or aligned with designated time check-in instructions are sent)

*If applicable, any reminders for final payments in subsequence with a reminder for verification would be a great communication flow.

Note: Reminder messages are utilizing conditional logic that will only apply to those guests who have not completed the guest portal, as you'll identify in the 'Add Conditions'. Once guests have completed the guest portal they will not receive any further reminder messages. Additionally, if the property manager approves or declines a guest, it will also discontinue any additional reminder messages.

Create the following Message Templates for Reminders 1-3:

  1. Click '+ Add message' below 'Autohost Booking Confirmation'

  2. Complete the following fields:

    1. Message name:
      Autohost Reminder (insert 1, 2, or 3 as appropriate, in sequential order)
      When should this message be sent?:
      insert desired Hours After Booking Confirmation
      Add Conditions (optional):
      No additional conditions.
      Who will receive it?:
      Phone book contact > Autohost Stargate
      How will it be sent?:
      Email
      Check ✅: 'Use no-reply email address'

      Email subject:
      Important message regarding your upcoming reservation [confirmation_code]
      Message content:
      Hi [guest_first],

    This is a friendly reminder that your reservation is not yet verified.

    Please take a moment to verify your reservation by completing our secure Guest Verification portal below:

    https://verifyhub.org/[confirmation_code]

    We thank you for your participation in keeping our homes and communities safe!

    Thank you,

    __[host_first]

    #AHP#guesty:platform:[confirmation_code]:ci#AHP#

  3. Click 'Save' to save the communication.

  4. On the Autohost workflow page, click 'Save' to save the workflow as draft.

Create the following Message Templates for Reminders 4-8:

  1. Click '+ Add message' below your last Reminder message.

  2. Complete the following fields:

    1. Message name:
      Autohost Reminder (insert 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 as appropriate, in sequential order)
      When should this message be sent?:
      insert desired Days Before Check In
      Add Conditions (optional):
      No additional conditions.
      Who will receive it?:
      Phone book contact > Autohost Stargate
      How will it be sent?:
      Email
      Check ✅: 'Use no-reply email address'

      Email subject:
      Important message regarding your upcoming reservation [confirmation_code]
      Message content:
      Hi [guest_first],

    Your stay is quickly approaching!

    This is a friendly reminder that your reservation is not yet verified.

    Please take a moment to verify your reservation by completing our secure Guest Verification portal below:

    https://verifyhub.org/[confirmation_code]

    As a reminder, check-in instructions will not be sent until guest verification is complete.

    We thank you for your participation in keeping our homes and communities safe!

    Thank you,
    __[host_first]

    #AHP#guesty:platform:[confirmation_code]:ci#AHP#
    Click 'Save' to save the communication.
    2. On the Autohost workflow page, click 'Save' to save the workflow as draft.

Create the following Message Template for the Final 'Urgent' Reminder Message

  1. Click '+ Add message' below your last Reminder message.

  2. Complete the following fields:

    1. Message name:
      Final 'Urgent' Autohost Reminder
      When should this message be sent?:
      insert desired Days or Hours Before Check In
      Add Conditions (optional):
      AHP_GUEST_PORTAL_COMPLETED toggled to 'No'
      Who will receive it?:
      Guest
      How will it be sent?:
      Booking Channel

      Message Content:
      Hi [guest_first],

    Your check-in instructions can not be sent as we have identified that you have not yet completed our guest verification.
    Your stay is at risk of cancellation if guest verification is not completed soon.

    Verify your booking and receive your check-in instructions by completing the Guest Verification Portal below:

    https://verifyhub.org/[confirmation_code]

    Thank you,
    __[host_first]

    #AHP#guesty:platform:[confirmation_code]:ci#AHP#

  3. Click 'Save' to save the message template.

  4. Once back to the 'Autohost Workflow' click 'Save' to save as draft.

Autohost Check-In Instructions

Create the following Message Template for the Autohost Check-in Instructions

  1. Click '+ Add message' below your last Reminder message.

  2. Complete the following fields:

    1. Message name:
      Autohost Check-In Instructions
      When should this message be sent?:
      insert desired Days or Hours Before Check In
      Add Conditions (optional):
      No additional conditions.
      Who will receive it?:
      Phonebook Contact > Autohost Stargate
      How will it be sent?:
      Email
      Select this checkbox:
      Use no-reply email address
      Email Subject:
      Your Upcoming Reservation [confirmationcode]
      Message content:
      Hi [guest_first],

    [insert check-in details]

    Thank you,
    __[host_first]

    #AHP#guesty:platform:[confirmation_code]:ci#AHP#

  3. Update 'insert check-in details' under 'Message Content' with your own check-in details.

  4. Click 'Save' to save message template.

  5. Once back in the workflow, click 'Save' to save workflow as draft.

Note: The Check-In Instructions email is being sent to 'Autohost Stargate' as Autohost has it's own messaging capabilities that allows the proper gating of communications based on their Autohost status. Any communications sent to Stargate must be sent via email. The code snippet at the bottom of the email tells Autohost what kind of communication this is, and how to to send the communication to the guest, in this case 'ci' indicates its a check-in instructions email, and 'platform' indicates that this communication will send to the guest via 'platform' or 'booking channel'. Utilizing built-in conditional logic, Autohost will hold this communication until the guest has either been 'Verified' (by Autohost) or 'Approved' (by the Property Manager) based on the 'ci' tag in the snippet.

Tip: The use of (standard and) listing custom fields allows you to have fewer individually created messages. The listing custom fields are specifically helpful in the check-in instructions message, as you can create listing specific details such as door codes, parking instructions, WiFi details, etc that will automatically pull this information based on that individual listing. To learn more about this feature contact your Guesty representative for assistance.


Congratulations! You have just created a custom automated Autohost communication workflow on Guesty!

Your workflow should look similar to this (with more reminder messages of course):

For now, we'll go ahead and keep this communication set to 'Draft' until your scheduled 'Go Live' call where we'll turn this on together.