Email Best Practices

Configuring templates and message rules well helps guests get the right email at the right time in their language. This article gives practical tips and common mistakes to avoid.

Test Sends

Before relying on automation:

• Send a test email – If the app offers "Send test" or "Preview with sample data", use it. Send a test to your own email and check: subject, body, placeholders (guest name, dates, address), and formatting. Fix any typos or wrong placeholders.
• Trigger a real case – Create a test reservation (or use a real one with your email as guest) and confirm it so the confirmation rule runs. Check that the email arrives, in the right language, with correct data.
• Check each language – If you have Portuguese, English, and Spanish, send a test for each (e.g. set guest language to each and trigger the rule). Ensure no language is missing or broken.

Multi-Language Coverage

• Write all languages you need – If guests use Portuguese, English, and Spanish, add content for all three in each template. If one language is missing, the system may fall back to another (e.g. English) and the guest may get an email in the wrong language.
• Use the same placeholders – Placeholders (e.g. {{guestName}}, {{checkInDate}}) work in every language. Use them in every language version so the email is personalized in all cases.
• Set guest language – Set the guest’s preferred language on the reservation or on their profile so the system picks the right template version. See Locale Resolution.

Common Mistakes

• Wrong template in the rule – Double-check that each message rule uses the correct template (e.g. Check-in Details, not Booking Confirmation, for the "3 days before check-in" rule).
• Wrong recipient – Confirm the recipient: Guest for guest-facing emails, Cleaning team for cleaning requests, Host for your own alerts.
• Wrong offset – For "X days before check-in", set the right number (e.g. 3, not 30). Too early or too late can confuse guests or your team.
• Placeholder typos – Placeholders must match exactly (e.g. {{guestName}} not {{guestname}}). Use the placeholder picker to avoid typos.
• Missing language – If you add a new language later, go back to existing templates and add that language so all guests are covered.

Summary

Test sends, cover all languages you need, set guest language correctly, and check template, recipient, and offset in each rule. That way automated emails are reliable and helpful for guests and your team.