[Automatic message] Current status of automatic message sending for major OTA reservations April 2025

The method of sending automatic messages differs depending on each OTA. Please check the main OTA sending methods and the current status of automatic messages.

Airbnb uses an API to sync messages. In addition to sending automatic messages, it can also exchange messages with guests from the AirHost PMS message list. Messages sent from AirHost PMS will be displayed on all Airbnb messages pages.

As a restriction on Airbnb's side, it is prohibited to include URLs, email addresses, phone numbers, emojis, etc. in messages that have not been confirmed, and if such items are included in messages, sending messages will result in an error. . Please be especially careful as the "automatic response message" will be sent before the reservation is confirmed. Please note that the notation Booking.com is also subject to restrictions.

As a prerequisite for centrally managing Airbnb messages using AirHost PMS, you must connect your listing to PMS in order to receive Airbnb messages in real time. Therefore, if you have made a reservation via Neppan, Temawara, Rakutsu, CSV, etc., the message will not be sent.

*The maximum size of images that can be sent is 3.5MB. If you try to send an image larger than this size, it will not be able to be sent and an error will occur.

Note 1 (June 12, 2024):

Airbnb has a system in place to check whether message content includes inappropriate phrases, such as phone numbers or website links. Since this is a new system, there may occasionally be false positives that prevent the message from being sent.

Currently, there appears to be no definitive way to avoid these false detections. However, if the error occurs repeatedly, rephrasing the message content may help to bypass the issue.

From March 15, 2022, we have migrated to the Message API provided by Booking.com. As a result, the message specifications are similar to those of Airbnb, so they will be displayed on all Booking.com message pages.

If you have made a reservation via Neppan, Temairazu, Rakutsuu, CSV, etc., the email will be sent to the virtual email address issued by Booking.com for each reservation.

[ May/2024 ]

To send a URL in messages on Booking.com, the domain of the URL must first be whitelisted on Booking.com. The relevant domain (for example, www.onestayapp.com for the AirHost pre-check-in URL ) needs to be whitelisted at the property level. You can set this in the Booking.com extranet.

*It appears you can apply the setting to all your properties using the “Apply to all properties” option.

Booking.com Setup Help :

About link settings for message function security

If you need help with the setup, please contact Booking.com's support team.

Below is the settings screen.

[Jul/2024]

Starting from June, messages exchanged with guests through Booking.com will not be sent if they contain shortened URLs.
For more details, please refer to the Booking.com Help Center or contact their Support Center.

https://partner.booking.com/en-us/help/support-contact/contact/contacting-us-support

Messaging with Expedia guests has transitioned to a Message API, similar to Airbnb and Booking.com.

This change allows for more stable message transmission and reception than before.

Note 1 (Nov 29, 2024):
Currently, Expedia reviews outgoing messages to prevent scam messages from reaching guests. As a result, messages to guests may be delayed by up to 12 hours or more.

Note 2:
For reservations made through affiliate sites such as Hotels.com (i.e., not booked directly via Expedia), the Message API is not supported.
If an email address is included in the reservation information from Expedia, messages will be sent and received via email instead of through the Message API.

Like Expedia, Agoda also uses the virtual email address issued by Agoda for each reservation to be linked to the reservation information, so once you send a message to Agoda's virtual email, Agoda will forward it to the guest. It's structured.

However, starting in June 2023, Agoda's security standards have changed and all URLs in messages are now masked. As a result of this, we are unable to send the pre-check-in URL sent via AirHost's automatic message to guests.

After confirming with Agoda representatives, they are planning to set up a whitelist of URL domains that are allowed to be sent around Q3, thereby creating a system that will allow reliable URLs to be delivered to guests. AirHost pre-check-in URLs will be added to the whitelist.

Until the whitelist implementation is complete, the only way to deliver the URL is to have Agoda provide AirHost with the guest's personal email address along with the reservation information using the method below, but security standards have changed. It seems that it is becoming difficult to support this setting due to the current situation.

[ 9/25/2023 ]

We have been contacted by the Agoda API representative and have completed the process of excluding the pre-check-in URL provided by Airhost from masking.

As shown in the example below, the pre-check-in URL is currently displayed normally, and other URLs are still masked.

[Apr/2024]

As of September 2023, the masking process for the pre-check-in URL provided by AirHost has been excluded. However, there have been reports that some listings are still being masked.

[Jul/2024]

The AirHost domain is registered in the whitelist.
The reason for the masking may be that the domain is sometimes treated as not being in the whitelist. For example, if the URL is written directly without a space after the ":", it may be regarded as a different domain, leading to masking.

[Check in URL]: https://www.onestayapp.com <- There is a space between : and h
[Check in URL]: https://www.onestayapp.com <- There is no space between : and h

While Agoda is still investigating this issue, we recommend adding a space before and after the URL
.

[ Feb/2025]

Previously, it was possible to obtain the guest's personal email address instead of a virtual email address, but due to safety and security reasons, Agoda can no longer enable the guest's email address as valid reservation information. In the system, if the guest does not wish to disclose their email address, it will automatically be skipped.

Rakuten Travel automatically sends messages from the message function on the Rakuten Travel management screen. Therefore, due to Rakuten Travel's restrictions, there is currently a limit to the number of characters that can be sent in an automatic message.

If a transmission error occurs, it is technically difficult to retry the transmission, so for properties using Rakuten Travel, please set it to 750 characters or less.

If the URL of the document is long, please take measures such as setting up a shortened URL.

Additionally, Rakuten Travel does not allow direct contact regarding package reservations. For this reason, you will not receive automatic or manual messages regarding package reservations.

The message will not be sent if you have made a reservation via Neppan, Temairazu, Rakutsu or via CSV, etc.

[Apr/2025]
Currently, auto messages are not sent for Rakuten Inbound reservations.

The email address entered by the guest will be linked to the reservation information, so the email will be sent directly to the email listed in the guest's reservation information.

The email address entered by the guest will be linked to the reservation information, so the email will be sent directly to the email listed in the guest's reservation information.

However, if you have made a reservation via Neppan, Temairazu, Rakutsu, CSV, etc., the message will not be sent.

[Apr/2024]

Starting from 4/17/2024, a two-factor authentication will be required for sending emails to guests within the Ikkyu system. As a result, the email addresses entered by guests may no longer be linked to reservation information in Airhost, and messages may not be sent to guests on Ikkyu from Airhost in the future. In such cases, please send messages to guests directly through the Ikkyu system.

Oyado uses a virtual address provided by them (e.g., @guest.vacation-stay.jp) to send messages, and these messages are forwarded to guests by Oyado. As a result, we are unable to obtain the guests' actual email addresses.

Additionally, replies from guests are sent via Oyado and are directed to the facility's email address registered with Oyado in email format.

Due to the specifications of Oyado's API, replies from guests to automatic messages will not be reflected in AirHost.

The email address entered by the guest will be linked to the reservation information, so the email will be sent directly to the email address listed in the guest's reservation information.

The email address entered by the guest when booking will be linked to the reservation information, so the email will be sent directly to the email address listed in the guest's reservation information
.

Regarding reservations from Rurubu, there is no email address provided in the reservation details, and since there is no Message API available, automatic messages cannot be sent.

[Apr/2025]
If the word "信用卡" (credit card) is included in the message, it cannot be sent or received.

[Regarding Guest Replies to Automated Messages]

Automatic messages from Airhost are sent from the virtual email address issued by Airhost for each reservation (via the Message API in the case of Airbnb and Booking.com). As a result, when a guest replies to that email, their reply will appear in AirHost's Messages for each reservation.

[About unified management of inquiries]

ONE allows you to set up virtual email in your account settings . If you set this virtual email as the contact point for each OTA, you can receive emails from guests sent to this email as a message . (Not linked to reservation)