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I am trying to setup a new listing and have so many questions. Lol. I currently have a private room that I started 7 years ago, it was a breeze to set it up.
Fast forward to now and I am really struggling. I started it a couple of days ago and cannot for the life of me figure out how to go back into it and edit ANYTHING. Can’t get to pictures, calendar, house rules, checkin times - any of the important things. I can only change the description which is limited to 500 words total. My draft was 2500 and I exited and saved at that point because I had to rethink the whole description.
The only options I am given at this point are to “go live” and “publish.” Additionally, I was shown a screen that says IB is enabled, 1 year calendar is in place and a couple of other things I can’t recall right now that I did not want!
I do literally everything on an iPhone, I do not have a desktop. For those of you that have recently setup a new listing, are the options easier to work with on a desktop because I can probably go to the library and work on it there. I can absolutely see how so many new hosts complain about getting problem bookings when they first go live. It seems designed to fail for new hosts! I am absolutely flummoxed.
Although it wasn’t like that when I started hosting back in 2016, from reading other posts from new hosts, and seeing new listings that have no text other than the 500 word max description, it seems that for some unfathomable reason, Airbnb does not allow new listings to be complete in their descriptions (no The Space, Other Things to Note, etc., sections provided). I think you have to publish first, then immediately snooze and go back in and complete the listing.
It seems a totally bizarre way to set up a new listing, and I can’t imagine why Airbnb thought this was a good idea, unless they are just trying to force new hosts to list and immediately get IBs, with a flexible policy, etc.
Whether it’s different on desktop I don’t know. I have never used the app but I know the platform has features on desktop that may be missing from the app.
Rather than going to the library, is there some particular reason you don’t want to get a laptop so you can easily access and use the desktop version at home?
Thanks. I thought I had seen something to that effect but my amazement is that none of those things were even offered as options during the setup process. The only thing I recall being given to select was if I had cameras or weapons.
How can it be expected that new hosts are going to know all these details? It’s absolute stupidity. I wasn’t even allowed to select the type of listing - entire place vs shared room. That was a rhetorical question, it’s just that the volume of WTF moments with Airbnb continues to amaze me.
Well, honestly I’m retired I haven’t needed a laptop for 10 years. I see absolutely no reason to buy one just to setup an Airbnb listing, it would just be one more thing collecting dust.
I didn’t mean to get a laptop just to set up the listing, but to use in general when dealing with your Airbnb listings. I don’t hear of glitches nearly as often on the desktop version as on the app, and from hosts who use both, apparently there are features available on the desktop that aren’t on the app.
Of the over 400 stays I’ve hosted, I’ve only had two issues, one pricing glitch they fixed, and one antagonistic guest that no computer would have helped. 99% of the time the app is fine. I have no use for a computer.
Also, I am outside from sunrise to sunset, working in my yard, sitting on the beach, reading, biking, etc. I don’t want a computer. Lol
For a once-in-a-blue-moon situation, do you have a nearby library where you can use a computer for 30 minutes, log on to Airbnb, and fix whatever you need to fix.
In desktop mode when you are previewing your listing at the top the screen you can toggle in and out of host mode (editable) and guest mode (what a prospective guest would see). Don’t know if this is the case on the phone app
We do have a library on the island and as I said that is one of my options to go there and see if there’s a difference.
I can do the toggle between host and traveling on my existing Airbnb and have zero issues editing anything regarding that one. It’s just the actual setup of a new one has no edit functions that I can find.
I was just kind of hoping there was someone else on here who had set one up recently who knew if it was a smart phone vs desktop issue. There also used to be an option where you could copy an existing listing, rename and make your changes. It seems they’re just taking more control away from hosts and causing a lot of phone calls to customer service that could easily have been avoided.
And the best part, you can’t even delete it till you publish it. I thought I’d just start over but their respond is basically “I don’t freakin think so!”
I set up my first listing about 2 months ago and I found it incredibly frustrating. I refused to believe that I couldn’t edit the calendar and start writing house rules and such before I published so I reached out to ABB customer service two separate times. They confirmed that this is, in fact, the case. I’m still baffled by this craziness.
So I wrote out my different descriptions (About This Space, House Rules, Getting Around, etc) in a separate document. Then when I hit Publish, I made sure I had time to copy/paste it all to the correct place.
I did most everything on my desktop with the help of my phone to google distances in maps. I know there are a few things that I was not able to do/edit on my phone but I don’t remember what they are now. I’ll look through my notes and post back if I find exactly what they were.
I would definitely go to the library and use a desktop - I didn’t find the interface itself that hard to navigate or glitchy but the lack of editing before publishing was maddening.
I think the first thing I did when I published was go to the calendar settings and turn off all the dates. Then I manually added 4-6 weeks and adjusted the price. Next, I turned on Instant Book and chose the option where the first 3 guests are seasoned ABB travelers. I was really nervous about who would book as I’ve never done anything like this before. I then adjusted my length of stay to a max of 5 nights (I think I had a min of 2 at first but then realized I could handle 1 nighters).
I won’t keep going on and on but I feel your pain. I’m happy to share my experience if you have specific questions. Hang in there and good luck!
Thank you. This is exactly what I was looking for! When I set up my first listing in 2016 it was so easy and I edited and revised for several days prior to publishing. That one is still active and easy to edit, which I do often. You could edit everything before clicking the “publish” option. It is truly maddening. You would think they would want you to iron out issues PRIOR to making them issues and needing to get customer service involved. Thank you, again.
I think the guest option really limits how many people see your listing so I took it off after the first two guests booked.
So far, all of my bookings but one has been instant. The one sent a message request since it was close to the cutoff time for booking and I really appreciated that.
I would go to the library - it’s so much easier to do something like this with a full screen and keyboard @DozerPug
When I set up a new listing last year, I published the listing then snoozed it so I could make changes that you can only make once the listing was published (such a stupid system) .
