Every host eventually hits the same wall at 11pm: a guest just messaged asking about check-in, and you’re typing out the same directions you’ve typed forty times before, half-asleep, hoping you don’t forget the gate code again. An airbnb guest message template fixes exactly this — not by making your messages feel robotic, but by making sure the important details show up correctly every single time, so the only thing you’re actually writing fresh is the part that needs a human touch.
Below are templates for every stage of a guest’s stay, plus the details on when to send each one and where templates start hurting more than they help.
The Short Version
A good guest messaging system uses templates for repetitive logistical information — check-in instructions, WiFi details, house rules — while keeping anything personal, apologetic, or judgment-based (handling a complaint, answering an unusual question) written fresh each time. The templates below cover booking confirmation through post-checkout, written to be copied, filled in with your own details in brackets, and adjusted to sound like you rather than a call center script.
Booking Confirmation Message
Send this within minutes of a booking coming in — fast responses here directly affect your response-rate metric, which matters for Superhost qualification.
Hi [Guest Name], thanks so much for booking! I’m excited to host you from [check-in date] to [check-out date]. I’ll send full check-in details a couple days before your arrival, but in the meantime, feel free to reach out with any questions about the area or the space. Looking forward to having you!
Pre-Arrival Message (2-3 Days Before Check-In)
This is where most of your logistical detail lives — the goal is answering every question before it’s asked.
Hi [Guest Name], your check-in is coming up on [date]! Here’s everything you’ll need: check-in time is [time], and the address is [address]. [Door code / key location / lockbox instructions]. WiFi network is [name] and the password is [password]. Parking is [instructions]. If anything comes up before or during your stay, just message me here — I usually respond within [timeframe]. Safe travels!
Check-In Day Message
A short nudge on the actual day reduces the volume of “did you get my instructions” messages later.
Hi [Guest Name], just confirming everything’s ready for your check-in today at [time]! You should have received full instructions a couple days ago — let me know if you need me to resend anything. Enjoy your stay!
Mid-Stay Check-In (For Stays 3+ Nights)
This one message does more for your overall rating than almost anything else on this list, because it catches small issues before they turn into a bad review.
Hi [Guest Name], hope you’re settling in well! Just checking in to see if everything’s going smoothly, or if there’s anything you need. Happy to help with local recommendations too if you’re looking for a good spot to eat or explore.
Checkout Instructions
Send this the evening before checkout, not the morning of — guests need time to plan around it.
Hi [Guest Name], hope you had a wonderful stay! Checkout is at [time] tomorrow. Before you head out: [specific checkout tasks — trash, dishes, locking up, key return]. No need to strip the beds, just gather any towels in the bathroom. Thanks so much for staying with us!
Post-Checkout / Review Request
Timing matters here — send within a few hours of checkout while the stay is fresh, not days later.
Hi [Guest Name], thanks again for staying with us! I hope you had a great time. If you did, I’d really appreciate an honest review when you have a moment — it genuinely helps small hosts like me. Hope to host you again sometime!
Handling a Late Check-In Request
Hi [Guest Name], no problem at all — [X time] works fine for check-in. I’ll make sure everything’s ready for you then. Let me know if your plans shift again, and safe travels!
What Templates Should Never Cover
Templates work because they handle the predictable 80% of guest communication. The other 20% — a genuine complaint, a maintenance issue, a guest who’s clearly frustrated — needs a real response, not a filled-in blank. Sending a templated-sounding reply to someone reporting a broken air conditioner reads as dismissive even if the words are technically responsive, and it’s a common way hosts accidentally turn a fixable situation into a bad review. If you’re using automated messaging software to trigger these templates on a schedule, build in a manual review step for anything flagged as a complaint or question outside the standard flow.
Customizing Templates Without Losing the Efficiency
The biggest mistake hosts make with templates is treating them as finished products instead of starting points. Swap in details specific to your actual property — a real landmark near your building instead of generic directions, an actual restaurant recommendation instead of “check out local spots.” This takes an extra two minutes per template the first time you set it up, and it’s the difference between a message that feels personal and one that reads like it was copied from a blog post. If you’re managing this across a co-hosted property or multiple listings, keep a shared document with property-specific variables so everyone sending messages uses the same accurate details.
Where These Fit Into Your Broader Guest Communication Setup
Message templates work best alongside — not instead of — a solid house rules document and welcome book. Templates handle the timed, message-based touchpoints; the welcome book handles the reference material a guest can return to without messaging you at all. Hosts who rely purely on message templates and skip the welcome book tend to field more repetitive questions mid-stay than hosts who use both together.
A Note on Tone
Every template above is written in a warm but efficient tone deliberately — not overly formal, not overly casual. Match this to your own actual hosting personality rather than copying it word-for-word; a guest can usually tell when a message doesn’t match how a host actually talks in person, and consistency between your listing description and your messages builds a small but real layer of trust.
Templates for Common Edge Cases
Beyond the standard stay flow, a few situations come up often enough to be worth having ready-made language for, even if you tweak the wording each time:
Early check-in request (space isn’t ready):
Hi [Guest Name], I’d love to make early check-in work, but the unit’s still being turned over from the previous guest. I can have it ready by [time] instead — would that work, or would you like to drop bags off earlier and explore the area until then?
Guest asks about local recommendations:
Happy to help! For food, [restaurant recommendation] is a local favorite close by. If you’re looking to explore, [activity/landmark] is worth checking out and about [distance/time] from the property.
Addressing a minor issue reported mid-stay:
Thanks so much for letting me know — I’m sorry about that. I’ll get [specific fix] sorted as quickly as possible. In the meantime, [temporary workaround if applicable]. Really appreciate your patience.
Notice that last one is intentionally not a rigid template — it’s a structure to fill in with the actual issue and actual fix, because a guest reporting a real problem can tell the difference between a template and a response written for their specific situation.
FAQ
Should I use Airbnb’s built-in saved replies or my own templates?
Airbnb’s saved-reply feature is useful for storing these templates directly in the app, but the content is entirely up to you — there’s no requirement to use Airbnb’s suggested wording, and customizing your own tends to feel less generic to guests.
Do templated messages hurt my response rate metric?
No — Airbnb’s response rate tracks whether and how quickly you reply, not whether the reply is templated or freshly written. A fast templated response is better for your metrics than a slow personalized one.
How many templates does a typical host actually need?
Most hosts land on 5-7 core templates covering the stages above, plus one or two for common situations specific to their property (parking instructions, building access, pet policies) — more than that tends to become harder to maintain than it’s worth.
Building Your Own Template Library Over Time
The templates here cover the common flow, but the most useful template library is the one you build from your own repeated questions. Keep a running note for the first month or two of hosting a new listing — every time a guest asks something you didn’t already have covered, that’s a candidate for a new saved reply. Most experienced hosts end up with a small, property-specific set that looks nothing like a generic template pack, because it’s shaped entirely by the actual questions their specific listing generates. A downtown apartment with tricky parking will accumulate different templates than a rural cabin with a wood stove — and that specificity is exactly what makes a template library genuinely useful instead of just a time-saver.
Bottom Line
The right guest messaging templates save real time without making your hosting feel impersonal, as long as you customize the specifics to your actual property and reserve genuine, non-templated responses for anything outside routine logistics. Start with the templates above, adjust the tone to sound like you, and build in a couple of property-specific ones over your first few bookings as you notice which questions come up repeatedly.
For Airbnb’s own guidance on messaging guests and saved replies, see Airbnb’s Messaging Guests help page.