How to write the perfect Airbnb welcome guide (with examples)
A welcome guide that actually gets read can lift your reviews and cut your messages by half. Here's how to write one that works.
Most Airbnb welcome guides are forgotten Word docs no guest opens. Yet a good welcome guide is one of the cheapest ways to lift your review score, reduce messages and turn first-time guests into return bookings. Here's the structure we recommend after analysing thousands of guides built on guideMe.
Start with the essentials, not the story
Your guests opened the link because they need information — Wi-Fi, check-in code, parking. Lead with that. Save the neighbourhood history for later sections, or you'll lose them in the first scroll.
A great pattern: Wi-Fi → Check-in / lockbox → House rules → Local recommendations.
Write like you'd text a friend
Drop the corporate tone. Short sentences, friendly voice, contractions. Guests are on holiday — your guide should feel like a chat with a local who has their back.
Translate it (seriously, do it)
If even 10% of your guests come from abroad, an English-only guide is a problem. Tools like guideMe auto-translate into 10+ languages so each guest reads natively. The lift in review scores is immediate.
Add photos for things that confuse
The trash room. The boiler reset button. The stove ignition. A photo with one sentence beats a paragraph of description every time.
Recommend like a local
Skip the obvious tourist landmarks. Share your bakery, your favourite walk, the coffee shop where you actually go. Guests rave about this in reviews — and Google rewards it.
A great welcome guide pays you back every single booking — fewer messages, better reviews, more repeat stays. Build yours in 5 minutes with guideMe and watch your inbox quiet down.