How to create the perfect Airbnb welcome guide
A great welcome guide reduces guest questions by 80%. Here's how to build one that works.
What guests actually need
Most hosts write guides for themselves — not for guests. The mistake is including everything you know about the apartment instead of answering the three questions guests ask every single time:
- How do I get in? (code, key box, floor, parking)
- What's the Wi-Fi password?
- What time do I need to leave?
Start with those. Everything else is a bonus.
The structure that works
A good guide has six sections, in this order:
- Welcome note — one paragraph, warm and personal
- Check-in — step by step, as if explaining to someone who's never been there
- Wi-Fi — network name and password, copy-pasteable
- House rules — short list, no legalese
- Local tips — 3–5 places you actually go to, not TripAdvisor's top 10
- Help & emergencies — your number, local doctor, nearest pharmacy
Why guests don't read paper guides
Paper guides are static. Guests scan QR codes. They open links on their phone. If your guide isn't on their phone, it doesn't exist.
Digital guides also auto-translate. A German guest who speaks no French doesn't need to struggle — they open the guide, it's already in German.
The one thing most hosts miss
Local recommendations written by someone who actually lives there are worth more than any travel site. Name the restaurant you took your parents to last summer. Mention the bakery that opens at 6am. That's what guests screenshot and share.
Ready to build yours? Create your guide in 30 seconds →