How to create a message automation?

Message automation offers the possibility to send messages automatically based on reservation events.

Automated messages can include information collected from the listing, reservation, and other details. For example, you can write: Hello [guest_name] which will then take the guest name from the reservation.

We highly advise creating one automation per topic and then using fields instead of creating one automation per listing, per topic. This will make it easier for you to manage and update automation.

All automation will be created at the moment we receive a reservation and then sent based on selected events. Before being sent, you will be able to manage automation: Cancel, edit, or send right away.

How to create an automated message?

In your Hostaway Dashboard > Messages > Automation.

• Automation name > For Internal use
• Send it by SMS > Read about the SMS feature
• CC email > To send a copy of the automation
• Subject > Will be displayed if this message is sent as an email. You can use fields
• Message > Enter your message. Remember to use fields (Read more below)
• Languages > Read more here 
• Event Trigger > Select when you want this automation to be sent
  Automation can be created for all channels or multiple channels, all listings, multiple listings selection or based on one listing or it can be channel-specific.
  • Reservation (message is sent when a new reservation comes in)
  • Arrival (message sent to the guest based on arrival day/time)
  • Departure (message sent to the guest during or after check-out)
  • Inquiry
  • Pending reservation 
  • Cancellation
  • Payment Success
  • Payment Fail 
  • A specific day of the week/specific time: allows you to choose a day of the week and a time when the messages will be sent while a reservation is ongoing
  • Message received
    • Sometimes it is interesting to trigger message automation depending on the time messages are received, for example, to create out-of-office messages or to just inform the guests that they will be answered soon.

      To bring more possibilities, we added some extra options:

      • Trigger only for the first guest message in the thread
      • Trigger on specific days and hours for a timezone
• Additional Conditions > Read more below
• Channels > You can select one or multiple channels
• Listings > You can select one of multiple listings
• Add automatically new listings > If you are adding new listings, do you want them to be added to this automation or not
• Apply listing Timezone > If you want to apply listing timezone or not
• Always trigger > If this automation is outside of the event rule (ie. guest booked for tomorrow but the event is 4 days before check-in) do you want to send it or not?

Messages style

Using fields and custom fields in messages

You can use fields and custom fields for your automated messages. The field you select from the dropdown will automatically add the value that belongs to it when an email is sent out to a guest. For example, if you write "Hello "guest_name" it will then take the name of the guest from the reservation details and replace this text with "Hello John Do":



Likewise, you can select custom fields and add them to the automation messages that you create:

You can find more information about custom fields in this article.

Note: If a custom field is empty, it will be replaced by a blank in the message. Always make sure you have entered the information for the fields you are using.

Price for Extra Person fields

We have 2 fields for Extra Person:

• {{listing_price_for_extra_person}}: Will return the value and currency that is on the listing level (Listing > Edit > Price and Fees)

• {{reservation_price_for_extra_person}}: Will return the value and currency for that reservation

Send time

The time for sending out messages can be set freely depending on the event. In this way, you can send messages minutes, hours, or days before or after the event takes place. Keep in mind that some channels generate temporary guest email addresses that might be deleted before your automation message has been sent out. You might be willing to get the personal email address from your guest as soon as possible to make sure you can reach out to them after check-out.

Example: If you have set an automated message based on 1 hour before or 1 hour after a check-in event, this is based on the check-in time listed in the reservation details. If the time was not provided by the channel, it takes the standard check-in time from the listing details.

Please note, that the amounts cannot be superior to 60 days or their equivalent in hours/minutes.

Additional Conditions for Automation

You can have more accurate automation depending on factors. For instance, if a guest books for more than 2 weeks, you may want to send different messages (with more suggestions) than if the reservation is for only 2 days.

To avoid too much complexity with the pre-generated messages system, it is not allowed to modify the conditions once the automation is created.

Send messages depending on "Listing Availability"

Using the "listing Availability" condition will automate messages to be sent only if the listing is available for a given number of days before/after the stay. You can choose the number of days, and whether the condition is for the exact number of days, equal or more to that number, or between a range.

For example, you can choose to send a special offer to extend their stay only if the listing is available at least 2 days before/after their reserved stay. This is useful to be able to upsell and make use of vacant days between reservations.

Send message automation based on the "Advance Time"

Send messages as per "Reservation Custom Fields"

This condition allows sending message automation according to the values of reservation custom fields. This allows the creation of custom messaging flows that depend on specific and fully customizable characteristics of each reservation. The options for the condition are is, is not, contains, is empty, and is not empty.

Every time a custom field is changed, we check if the automation rules still apply so that you can change those fields freely and the automation will cancel/resume accordingly. Combined with guests' ability to update custom fields through the guest portal this is a very powerful tool for customizing message automation.

Edit your automation

To edit automation go to Messages > Automations > Edit Automation

• Event triggers cannot be edited
• Once saving a modification, you will need to choose if you want to apply changes to existing scheduled messages or not
  
  
  
  

• When disabling an automation, an option will appear to allow you to delete pre-generated messages but do bear in mind that if you enable the automation afterwards (and have deleted those messages) no messages will be generated for existing reservations
  
  
  if messages are not deleted, they will stay in status "sending". Once the automation is activated again, the messages that are scheduled to be sent 6 hours or more before the automation is activated will not be sent and will be marked as failed, all the other messages will be sent as per the scheduled time.

How to Manage Automated Messages?

In Hostaway > Inbox > Manage messages, you can preview, edit, cancel, pause, and manually send automated messages.

There are two ways to manage scheduled messages/automation in Hostaway.

Manage automation from the message thread

You can manage automation from a thread using one of these buttons 

Manage automation from the Manager Automation page

If you would like a more in-depth view, every automation you set up will generate a message that you will be able to visualize and control from the Hostaway dashboard

What do the Message Statuses mean?

• Scheduled: This is a message that is scheduled to be sent according to the trigger event of its parent automation. Scheduled messages can be sent manually, paused, or canceled. You will get 3 icons
  • Sending: > icon. The message will be sent immediately
  • Pausing: || icon. Clicking on the same icon will unpause the message and this will go back to being scheduled. If its parent trigger event has passed, you can still manually send this message as above
  • Editing: Pencil icon. This action will take you to the message generated by the automation. You can edit any text or fields and also send, save, or pause the message
• Canceled: This message has been canceled manually after being scheduled. Canceled messages cannot be scheduled again and sent.
• Canceled by System: This is a message that has been canceled due to the reservation being canceled. Canceled messages cannot be scheduled again and sent.
• Paused: This is a message that has been manually paused. Paused Messages can be "Unpaused". The message will become scheduled again and you can either manually send it or wait for the automation trigger event to take effect. If the message is unpaused after the automation trigger event has passed, you can still send it manually. 
• Sent: A message that has been successfully sent.
• Failed: A message that has failed due to a system issue. E.g. the email server of the guest is not available. A failed message cannot be scheduled and sent again manually.

Note: Editing a specific automation does not change the automation. Only this specific message for this specific guest will be changed.