Auto Actions

An Auto Action runs one or more actions on a booking when its trigger conditions are met, either automatically or when you start it manually. Use Auto Actions to send emails, messages or SMS, change booking or invoice information, and run webhooks, at a time relative to the booking, check-in or check-out. You manage them in Settings > Guest Management > Auto Actions.

Table of Contents

1. How Auto Actions work
2. Create and manage Auto Actions
3. Trigger settings
4. Actions
5. Same-day and near-term bookings
6. Multiple properties
7. Smart logic template variables
8. Performance and testing
9. Troubleshooting
10. Examples by use case

How Auto Actions work

Each Auto Action has one or more trigger conditions and one or more actions. Triggers can be based on property, time or booking conditions. An Auto Action can:

• send pre-drafted emails, messages or SMS
• change booking information
• change invoice information
• run webhooks
• trigger HTTP POST notifications

You can chain Auto Actions to automate whole workflows.

Use Template Variables so one Auto Action works for several or all properties and rooms, with the property-specific details filled in. You then only need to update one Auto Action instead of editing a copy per property. If the message or purpose needs to differ between properties, use group keywords in the trigger to include or exclude properties.

Note: Auto Actions aren't real-time. They're processed in batches, so allow for this when you set your triggers.

Create and manage Auto Actions

Steps:

1. Go to Settings > Guest Management > Auto Actions.
2. Click Add New Action.
3. Start with an empty Auto Action, or choose a template and customise it.
4. Choose how the Auto Action is triggered (see the table below), set the trigger and actions, and click Save.

The Auto Actions appear on the Mail & Actions tab of each booking, where you can also trigger emails, messages and booking changes manually.

Set up outgoing email

To send emails with Auto Actions, connect your own email address first.

Prerequisites: your email address is set up in Settings > Account > Outgoing Email. Follow the instructions there to connect your email account to Beds24.

• Confirmation emails are sent to the guest automatically. You can customise them in Settings > Guest Management > Confirmation Messages.
• If you use your own mail server for outgoing emails and messages, booking and invoice actions are applied before the email is sent.

Auto Actions and sub-accounts

Auto Actions apply per account.

• In the account where the Auto Action was created (master account or sub-account), it's available according to the Property setting on the Trigger tab: a specific property or group of properties, all properties owned by the account, or all properties visible in the account (owned and made available to it).
• In another account (master account or sub-account), it's only available for properties that belong to the first account and have been made available in the other account.

To copy an Auto Action to another account, use the clone function: click the user icon at the top right, then Account Management (in the old control panel: Sub Account at the top right). The clone is an independent Auto Action that you can change in the other account.

Tip: To use one Auto Action across several accounts and properties, create it in the master account, set Property to All visible in account, and make sure the master account has access to the properties.

Trigger settings

The Trigger tab sets the conditions a booking must meet before the Auto Action starts.

Actions

Each tab of the Auto Action adds a type of action. You can combine several actions in one Auto Action.

Messages and emails

Create or change a prepared email or message template on the Message tab. Templates can contain Template Variables for booking-specific information, for example the guest's name or the arrival date.

• For messages sent through the Message API, enter the text in the plain text box. For emails, enter the text in the HTML box.
• To send emails automatically, set up your outgoing email address in Settings > Account > Outgoing Email.
• To send an email manually, open the booking and go to the Mail & Actions tab. The email opens in a window, where you can send it as it is or edit it first.

Some systems limit this kind of email to about 2,000 characters. If the email doesn't open, try shortening the text.

Email attachments: you can attach an invoice or a booking template as a PDF. Other files can't be attached. Instead, add a link to a file you upload to your website.

Note: Channels may block PDF attachments sent to the alias email addresses they create, so the guest doesn't receive them. Ask your channel about their policy.

HTML and templates: make sure your HTML code is correct and clean, otherwise it might trigger the Beds24 firewall. HTML created by third-party services is often convoluted and can contain critical content. Template tools such as Stripo and Designed with BEE have been tested to work well in Beds24.

SMS

You can send SMS messages automatically. A fee per SMS applies when this function is activated.

• SMS can only be used for information about a current booking. For legal reasons, you can't use SMS for marketing, including discounts or vouchers.
• SMS are sent in the language of the account, not the language of the booking. To control the language, see the example Send SMS in a certain language.

Booking

Use the Booking tab to change something in the booking. Execution sets whether the action runs One time only (default) or Allow Repeats within the trigger period.

Note: Emails are always sent once only, whatever the Execution setting.

Booking Info

Add or remove booking info codes automatically. Info codes are useful for reporting and for including or excluding bookings in other Auto Actions, so you can run Auto Actions in sequence.

For example, an Auto Action that adds a pending payment for a security deposit authorisation should only trigger when the booking info code is STRIPEPAYMENT or CARDTOSTRIPE, which both confirm that the guest's credit card is in the booking.

Invoice

• Assign an invoice number automatically.
• Add or update invoice items or pending payments automatically. Pending payments can use the payment rules from Settings > Payments > Payment Rules.
• Invoice changes are applied before the email is sent.

API and Webhook

Create Auto Actions that send HTTP POST notifications (API) or trigger a webhook when the trigger conditions are met.

Same-day and near-term bookings

If you send the guest several messages at different times before arrival, consider sending one combined message for same-day and near-term bookings. Use Between Booking and Check in on the Trigger tab to control which bookings each Auto Action triggers on.

Same-day bookings: create one Auto Action for same-day bookings with these Trigger tab settings:

In your other Auto Actions, set Between Booking and Check in to 1 and 999, so they don't trigger on same-day bookings.

Near-term bookings: if you send a confirmation message at booking and check-in instructions 2 days before arrival, one Auto Action can cover bookings made 0–2 days before arrival:

On the Message tab, combine the text of your standard confirmation message and your check-in instructions. In your other Auto Actions, set Between Booking and Check in to 3 and 999, so they don't trigger on near-term bookings.

Multiple properties

With several properties, use template variables for the property-specific information in messages to guests, housekeeping or owners. One Auto Action can then send the booking dates, property details and contact details for all or selected properties, instead of one Auto Action per property.

• The property setup is available through property template variables, for example [PROPERTYNAME] (property name) and [PROPERTYADDRESS] (property address) from Settings > Properties > Description.
• Settings > Properties > Description > Property Templates holds extra property templates with your own text per property. You can use them in Auto Actions, booking templates, invoices and reports.
• Each room or unit has its own room template variables.

See the full lists of property, room and other variables in Template Variables.

Different door code per property: enter the building access code in Settings > Properties > Description > Property Templates > Property Template 1 of each property. In the Auto Action text, use [PROPERTYTEMPLATE1] instead of the code, for example: "Please use this code to access the main building door: [PROPERTYTEMPLATE1]". You don't need a separate Auto Action per property.

Different housekeeping team per property: enter the team's email address in Property Template 5 of each property. In the Auto Action, set Send Message to Internal Only and Internal Email Address to [PROPERTYTEMPLATE5]. The booking details are then sent to the right team for each booking. If you have different teams per room, use a room template instead.

Send to a group of properties: property groups let you include or exclude a group of properties in messages and emails, and view a group in the calendar and reports.

1. Go to Settings > Booking Engine > Multi Booking Page > Property Settings > Group Keywords.
2. Enter a group name as a single word, for example 4BEDS for all 4-bedroom properties. A property can be in several groups: separate the keywords with commas, for example 4BEDS, OceanView, Dublin.
3. On the Trigger tab of the Auto Action, enter the keyword in Send Only To Property Groups or Exclude Property Groups.

Note: The group filter doesn't apply when the Auto Action triggers on a single property.

Smart logic template variables

Use smart logic template variables to trigger Auto Actions only under specific conditions, for example on a certain day of the week. %u is the ISO-8601 day of the week, from 1 (Monday) to 7 (Sunday).

For all IF variables and operators, see Template variable logic and calculations.

Performance and testing

An Auto Action tests up to 1,000 bookings per cycle. If more bookings match the trigger, the next 1,000 are tested in the next cycle, and so on. For the fastest processing, design the trigger to test fewer than 1,000 bookings: keep the time window as short as possible and use the most specific trigger condition. For example, a trigger that tests all bookings from booking time for one year tests many more bookings, and runs slower, than one that tests only the 7 days before check-in.

• Test tab: a button shows how many and which bookings the Auto Action tests. The list can include bookings that won't trigger it. To check a specific booking, enter the booking number: the test shows whether the Auto Action would trigger, with diagnostic information.
• In the booking: open the Mail & Actions tab, find the Auto Action ID and check the Status column.

One Auto Action can do several things at once: send an email or API message, send an SMS, update booking settings, add or delete a booking info code, trigger a webhook, add a pending payment, add, update or delete a charge or payment item, and assign an invoice number. You don't need a separate Auto Action for each action if they can all apply at the same time.

Note: You can't set an exact time for an Auto Action to trigger. A trigger time of Immediate + 14 hours, for example, doesn't trigger at 2 pm local time. It's the earliest time the booking is checked against the other conditions and added to the batch for processing.

Troubleshooting

Examples by use case

Ready-made setups for these and many other tasks are in Auto Action examples.

Related Articles

• Auto Action examples
• Template Variables
• Template variable logic and calculations
• How to use Messaging