--- title: "Create Custom Automated Messages" description: "Automate your guest communication with Zeevou's powerful messaging system. This guide shows you how to create booking-based and event-based messages to save time and enhance the guest experience." url: https://support.zeevou.com/en-gb/articles/73-create-custom-automated-messages collection: "Centralise & Automate Messaging" updated: 2026-11-04 language: en-gb --- # Create Custom Automated Messages Automate your guest communication with Zeevou's powerful messaging system. This guide shows you how to create booking-based and event-based messages to save time and enhance the guest experience. Watch this tutorial video on how to create a single Automated Message to send out to guests through Email, SMS, or API: Automate your hospitality business today! Welcome to the future of communication! Our Automated Messages feature allows you to easily set up messages to be sent out to guests through Email, SMS, or API. Save time, increase customer satisfaction, and improve your business processes with just a few clicks. Reach out to your guests quickly, efficiently, and personalize your messages. Try it now! 🔥 If you have to email out the same information every time a guest books, a lot of your time will be wasted. Moreover, most of the time you have to follow up a guest by an SMS to make sure they've seen the information. And that's not all. You need to send the guest a number of information such as access codes, which are sensitive information and should not be released before all the necessary boxes are ticked. That is why if you sign up with Zeevou, you'll be provided with a set of default templates for various points of the booking process and after it. You can customise these templates based on your brand's logo and contact information, and have a beautiful HTML design. Also, these templates are editable. Besides, since Zeevou has integration with [CliskSend](https://www.clicksend.com/eu/), hosts can [automate SMS](https://zeevou.com/integrations/clicksend/) to their guests and staff. ### **Managing Message Limits** - If you are on **Host Core**, you are limited to **one active automated message** at a time. To activate additional automated messages, select **Unlock Growth Plan** inside the message toggle banner to upgrade to a higher plan or purchase the **Message Automation** module in your account. - **If you have the Message Automation module:** You can create and activate multiple automated messages without limit. ### **Using Restricted Template Variables** Using Certain variables in your message templates requires specific add-on modules to function. - **Direct Booking Pro Module:** Required if your template includes any of the following variables: - **Booking Review link** - **Google Listing URL** - **Tripadvisor URL** - **Online Check-in Module:** Required if your template includes any of the following variables: - **Booking Arrival Time Link** - **Booking Online Check-in Link** - **Booking Payment Link** - **Terms and Conditions Link** When you activate a template containing a restricted variable, the **Unlock banner** displays the required module. To unlock it, select **Unlock Module** in the pop-up to open the Upgrade Flow and purchase the related module. (Depending on the selected variable, you will be redirected to upgarde to **Direct Booking Pro** or purchase **Online Check-in**.) Once the required module is enabled, the banner will **no longer be displayed**, and you can activate your automated message ### How Automated Messages Work You can efficiently create and manage automated messages in Zeevou, ensuring effective communication with your guests. This automation ensures that guests receive timely and relevant information without the need for manual intervention. This system not only saves time and reduces errors but also enhances the overall guest experience by providing timely, accurate, and consistent information. Automated Messages can be Booking-Based (purple) or Event-Based (green). **Booking-Based (Purple) Messages** are triggered by specific actions or stages within the booking process. For example, when a booking is confirmed, modified, or cancelled. **Event-Based (Green) Messages** are triggered by specific events that occur, either related to the booking such as check-in/check-out, instructions or any other custom event that you define within the system. ### **Steps to Create an Automated Message** Note that there are two messages that are set by default in Zeevou: **Online Check-in Steps** and **Check-in Instructions**. You can edit and activate them. **Step 1: Access Automated Messages** 1. Click the **gear** icon in the top right corner. 2. Select **Automated Messages**. 3. Click **New Automated Message** +. **Step 2: Name Your Message** 1. Enter a name for your message. 2. Click **Add**. **Step 3: Set Time Criteria for the Message** 1. **When** - Choose **Based on Booking’s Timeline** for Booking-Based messages. - Choose **Right after all conditions have been met** for Event-Based messages. - Set a specific time frame by clicking **Set a Time Frame** and define **Start Time** and **End Time** (Optional). 2. **Conditions** - Click **Add a Condition +** to choose relevant categories (Booking, Property, Guest). - Configure each condition and add multiple conditions as needed. - Click **Add**. 3. **Messages** - Choose how the message will be sent (Email, SMS, API). - Specify the receiver of the message. For example, you can set the unit’s **Owner** as a recipient in the To, CC, or BCC fields - Use **Variables** for specific details (Booking, Guest, Listings, Brand). Note that when communicating with guests: Use **@Arrival Date and @Departure Date** for overall stay information spanning multiple related bookings Use **@Segment Start Date and @Segment End Date** when you need to reference specific dates for individual bookings within a guest's stay. - Add message templates in other languages if needed by clicking the **plus** icon near the **English** language. - Write your message and preview it. - Optionally, **Switch to HTML** format for Header and Footer. - Send a test email by clicking the **tick** sign to see the result - To add an attachment or more messages, click **Add Attachments** or **Add another Message**. **Step 4: Save and Activate** 1. Click **Save & Close** in the top right corner. 2. Apply the message to pre-existing bookings by ticking the box in the pop-up (Optional). 3. Choose to **Activate** the message or **Save as Inactive**. Note that messages are properly filtered based on Property, Unit Type, Unit, and Channel status. Only relevant messages will appear when creating a booking and in the booking’s Messages tab under Conditional Automated Messages. ### **Additional Features** **Managing Messages** - **Favourites**: Add messages to Favourites by clicking on the **star** icon. - **Cloning**: Clone messages using the icon next to the star icon. - **Deleting**: Delete unused messages. Archived messages will not appear in the Automated Messages list. **Customising Settings** 1. **Search**: Use the Search icon in the top right corner to find messages by Subject or Automated name. 2. **Settings**: You can adjust the following message settings by clicking the gear icon inthe top right corner. - **Message Language**: Set your guest’s country and language. - **Reply to Email Address**: Set the sender name and reply-to email address for different brands. - **Email Signature**: Create an email signature for your brand. - **OTA Autoresponder**: Set Autoresponder details per brand, for Pre-booking Enquiries or Guest Messages. ![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/ghelparticle/AnHbFS029kTZvRDrVWlqAPEBhdeyNrYrKHk9ryFptnOlMjBCqOWo0R1TVxUMl0EGuDBk1Tsoute.webp) **Filtering Messages** - Use the **filtering** icon in the top right corner to select variables and filter messages. - Click **Show Results** to view filtered messages. Use **Clear Filters** to reset and start a new filter. ## Booking Timeline You can schedule your message by selecting the **"Based on Booking's Timeline"** option. Then, choose how many days before or after a specific event (e.g. Booking Creation Date) the message should be sent. For example, selecting "1 Day After Booking Creation Date" means the message will be sent one day after the booking is created. Alternatively, you can choose **"Right after all conditions have been met"** if you want the message to be triggered as soon as the criteria you set are fulfilled. If you’d like to restrict the conditions to only sending out after a specific time (or within a certain time frame each day), follow these steps: 1\. Click **Edit** on the right of the “When” section. ![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/gattachments/qTgj2XYHm789mWDbqUVQvpbF6X6sIgI5BQs0kiev9MqgSn6aChPomC1D26yQW56lZxsi2FtI409.png) 2. Click **Set a Time Frame** ![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/gattachments/ww9meWya4pyJzlhFFjUehxe6tyxxo8NyYS20AfiMHUZPbhcxTNpSsHzEZfObcN4HJGISulzWsKW.png) 3. Specify the desired time frame. ![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/gattachments/aAwIhYh7jEllStyPvu2rAa7MW6C6uPpTeA7MkqJf8m0pXkAdRBg18msyLDAKEUdBHKMTc346jM3.png) 4. Click **Set** 5. Click **Save Changes** ![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/gattachments/Vw0AGm73ozlna4DC1u6fJUgZYxGaOZGMnSTRmEt9AOaBTEvRnI73hLJxuTP2UC9zdVHYaD21s2r.png) ## Condition Based There are three major categories in Automated Messages Conditions: Under the **Booking** tab, you’ll see a list of available filters. These include: - Arrival Date - Payment Collection Type - Departure Date - Channel - Booking Date - Booking Status - Payment - Purpose - Security Deposit - No. of Nights - Security Deposit Charged - Unallocated - Risk-Free - No. of Adult Guests - Review Rating - Booking Includes Children - Creation Source - Has Been Extended - Booking Warning - Is an Extension - Online Check-in Link - Split Booking (First Part) - Booking Tag - Split Booking (Second Part) - Days of the Week - Lead Time - Terms & Conditions - Check-in Ready - Booking Finalisation Status - Security Deposit Collection Has Failed Under the **Property** tab, you’ll see a list of filters, including: - Area - City - Property - Unit Type - Unit - Check-in Type - Property Country - Listing Type - Unit Type Category Under the **Guest** tab, you’ll find options such as: - Signable - Guest Level - Guest Tag - Opted-in - Date of Birth - Corporation Level - Corporation Tag - Corporation Country - Guest Country **Select Filters**: - Click the checkboxes next to the options relevant to your analysis. Under Booking, for instance, to filter by the guest's **Arrival Date** or **Payment**, click the checkbox beside those options. For example, under the **Booking** tab, you can select **Booking Date** and set the exact condition from the dropdown menu, which allows you to trigger an automated message based on the booking creation date: - **On** – Triggers the message if the booking was created on the selected date. - **Before** – Triggers it for bookings created before the selected date. - **After** – Triggers it for bookings created after the selected date. - **Or Less Before** – Triggers it for bookings made a certain number of days or less before a set date. Under the **Property** tab, for example, choose **City** to filter by specific city locations or select **Unit Type** to refine data by the type of units (e.g., apartments, houses). **Multi-Selection**: - You can select multiple options across the categories to create a more refined filter. For example, select both **Booking Status** and **Channel** to analyze confirmed bookings based on their source. - Under the **Property** tab, you can combine **Property Country** and **Listing Type** to view specific property listings within a particular. **Use the Search Bar**: - If the list of options is long, use the search bar in the top right corner to find specific filters quickly. Type in a keyword like "Channel" or "Payment" to locate the desired option. **Confirm Your Selections**: - After selecting the relevant filters, click the **Add** button at the bottom-right corner of the interface to apply your selections. **Cancel if Needed**: - If you need to reset or change your selections, click the **Cancel** button to exit without applying any changes. ## Message Recipients When composing a message, use the **To** field to select the primary recipient(s).As you type in the **To** field, a dropdown displays matching **Contacts** and **Variables**, allowing you to quickly select the appropriate recipient for your message.  #### **Variables** Use dynamic variables to automatically send the message to the relevant recipient associated with the booking. - **{{ Lead Guest }}** – Send the message to the booking's lead guest. - **{{ Corporation }}** – Send the message to the corporation linked to the booking. - **{{ Person Booking }}** – Send the message to the person who made the booking. - **{{ Entity Invoiced }}** – Send the message to the Owner linked to the booking's MPR . - **{{ Owner }}** – Send the message to the property owner. - **{{ Host }}** – Send the primary contact email configured for the booking's Brand. . #### **Contacts** Select a saved contact to send the message to a specific email address. - Search for a contact by typing their name or email address. - Select the desired contact from the list to add them as a recipient. Selected recipients appear as tags in the **To** field. You can add multiple recipients, remove any recipient by clicking the **×** icon, or use the **CC** and **BCC** buttons to include additional recipients. ![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/gattachments/B8RraaZVQmCpVeSUKkQY5qZGQnCwfVWrrrYNIQCFALcYzhhr4daFFoZLdZvcPGWccotWPShUwdF.png) ## Using Variables Variables in automated messages are dynamic placeholders (like @CompanyName, @ArrivalDate, or @SegmentStartDate) that automatically pull specific details—such as guest names, booking dates, property information, or your brand name—from your Zeevou setup into outgoing emails, SMS, or API messages. For example, using @CompanyName in a message will insert your actual brand name. This helps personalise and automate your guest communications without manual editing for each booking or listing. You can find each variable for its related group in the following table:

Booking

Guest

Branding

Listing/Property

Access Code

Guest Address

Bank Account Info

Additional Information

Accommodation Price

Guest City

Brand City

Building

Arrival Date

Guest Country

Brand Country

Building Address

Arrival Time

Guest Email Address

Brand First Line of Address

Building City

Average Price

Guest First Line of Address

Brand Name

Building Country

Booking Arrival Time Link

Guest First Name

Brand Name

Building County/State

Booking Date

Guest Last Name

Brand Postcode

Building Entrance Code

Booking Link

Guest Map

Brand Primary Address

Building First Line of Address

Booking No.

Guest Mobile No.

Brand Second Line of Address

Building Map

Booking Online Check-in Link

Guest Postcode

Brand State

Building Postal Code

Booking Payment Link

Guest Review

Company's Registration Number

Building Second Line of Address

Booking Purpose

Guest Second Line of Address

Email Signature

Check-in Guide

Booking Reference

Guest State

Facebook

Check-in Highlighted Points

Booking Review link

Guest Tel No.

Instagram

Check-in Instructions

Cancellation Reason

Person Booking Email Address

Lines Open

Check-in Method Instructions

Cancelled By

Person Booking First Name

LinkedIn

Check-out Instructions

Captured Deposit

Person Booking Last Name

Logo

Check-out Method Instructions

Captured Deposit Amount

Logo

Code Entry Code

Captured Deposit Reason

Pinterest

Direction

Channel

Primary Email

Earliest Free Check-in Time

Channel Add-ons

Primary Phone

Earliest Free Check-out Time

Channel Taxes

Registered Company Name

Earliest Possible Check-in Time

Channel Total

Secondary Phone

Earliest Possible Check-out Time

Check-in & Check-out Methods

Slogan

Extra Information

Departure Date

Twitter

Floor

Departure Time

Web Address

Floor Entrance Code

Discounts

WhatsApp

Google Listing URL

Entity Invoiced

YouTube

Guest KeyNest Key

Group Booking Status

Zeevou Subdomain

House Manual

Guidebook URL

Housekeeper KeyNest Key

Key Safe Code

Key Pickup Address

Key Status

Key Pickup City

No. of Adults

Key Pickup Country

No. of Children

Key Pickup First Line of Address

No. of Guests

Key Pickup Location Name

No. of Nights

Key Pickup Map

Payment Collection Type

Key Pickup Minutes Drive

Payment Status

Key Pickup Minutes Walk

Refunds

Key Pickup Opening Times

Security Deposit Amount

Key Pickup Postcode

Security Deposit Link

Key Pickup Second Line of Address

Security Deposit Status

Key Pickup State

Segment End Date

Key Pickup Type of Place

Segment End Time

Key Safe Label

Segment No. of Nights

Key Safe On-Site Location

Segment Start Date

Key Safe Type

Segment Start Time

Key Safe Type Check-in Instruction

Subtotal

Key Safe Type Check-out Instruction

Taxes

KeyNest Map

Terms & Conditions Link

KeyNest Store Location

Terms & Conditions Status

KeyNest Store Name

Total Allocated

Latest Free Check-in Time

Total Due

Latest Free Check-out Time

Total Price

Latest Possible Check-in Time

Total Sale

Latest Possible Check-out Time

Maximum Capacity

Booking Code

No. of Parking Spots

Other Access Instructions

Other Amenity Instruction

Parking Entrance Code

Parking Extra Instruction

Parking Spot Number

Parking Type

Property Address

Property Amenities

Property City

Property Country

Property Currency

Property Entrance Code

Property First Line of Address

Property Internal Name

Property Map

Property Marketing Address

Property Marketing Headline

Property Postcode

Property Second Line of Address

Property State

Rate Plan Headline

Rate Plan Internal Name

Staff Key Safe Code

TripAdvisor URL

Unit Name

Unit Type

Unit Type Amenities

Unit Type Headline

Unit Type Internal Name

Upsells & Penalties Total

Wi-Fi Name

Wi-Fi Password

Wifi Extra Instruction

## Including an Attachment You can attach manuals, check-in guides, or invoices to the automatic emails. To do so, open your desired **Automated Message** and go to **Messages** card. Click the pencil and then on **Add Attachment.** Then**,** select your desired file from the dropdown menu or click the plus sign for **Custom File**. ![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/ghelparticle/6cRi9vD8ULT50SqkeR8KgTqnA7g6nzrOAjPbBjjdWpuRoYVt31lrafJN166NupZbj8SdawJ17OQ.webp) Note that you should upload the **House Manual** or the **Instructions** in the listing under the **Instructions** Tab (for multi-units, under each unit). ![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/ghelparticle/JFDoVOeV7tmurLupLiE8xGpFjzy25XUWBN6wzh7JltLpxstf2uQ4Q4gnivNqWmPOG0364oNgWlr.webp) ## Plain Text Version Sometimes the devices of the recipients do not support HTML versions. In such cases, if you have activated the Plain Text Version of the template, the plain text will replace the HTML version automatically. In **Inbox->Templates**, there is an option called **Customise Plain Text Version**. By ticking this option, system automatically provides a plain text version for the HTML content. This option lets you fire a plain text version of the HTML template to the recipient. You can customise the provided plain text or totally replace it with your preferred content. Please note that this option is available only for **HTML** **Types**. ## Multi-lingual Templates The bilingual templates feature enables hosts to send automated messages tailored to the guest’s nationality, enhancing communication and guest experience. Hosts can configure default messages, originally in English, to include multiple languages. ### **Require Guest Nationality** 1. Log into your [Zeevou account](https://app.zeevou.com). 2. Click the **gear** icon in the top right corner and select **Confirmation Process**. 3. Click **Guest Info** and find **Lead Guest Info** in the tab. 4. Turn on the toggle for **Nationality** and set it as **Mandatory**. ### **Set Desired Country and Language** 1. Click the **gear** icon in the top right corner and select **Automated Messages**. 2. On the **Automated Messages** dashboard, click on the **gear** icon and select **Message Language**. 3. In the open drawer, select your desired **Country** and **Language**.Note that you can click **Add** to have more countries and languages. - Note: For plans other than Free, you can define the country and language **for each brand separately.** 4. Finally, click **Save.** ### **Set Desired Languages for Automated Messages** 1. Click the **gear** icon in the top right corner and select **Automated Messages**. 2. Choose one **Message** to add content in different languages. 3. Scroll down to the **Message** card and click the **pencil** icon. 4. Click the **plus** icon near the English language. 5. In the open window, select your desired language. 6. Click **Add**. ## Preview an Automated Message with Real Data In the Automated Message editor, select a test booking from the dropdown in the **Preview** panel to see how the message will appear with real booking data. To do so, follow these steps: 1. To open a larger preview in a pop-up window, click the **double arrow icon** in the upper-right corner of the preview box. 2. To send a test message with actual variables, click the **checkmark icon** inside the preview panel. Insert your email address and click **Send**. 3. For live bookings, go to the booking’s **Messages** tab, find the message under **Scheduled Automated Messages**, and click **Preview** to view it with actual guest and booking details. ![](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/ghelparticle/AtYIe7kSgsf5hPaHzOz6xSO7bUE55uj55Ky3gCRtu8Y2Lrc7CfgkQUqQJ7M57NOIz8tJOWjEOc1.png)