How to Use HostDesk: A Walkthrough for New Hosts

This is a quick walkthrough of setting up HostDesk for the first time, from creating an account to your first guest opening their guide. None of it takes more than a few minutes per step.

1. Create your account

Sign up with your email, then fill in your name on the short onboarding screen — this is what shows up as the host name on your guestbooks. No credit card required to get started on the Free plan.

2. Add your first property

From the Properties tab, add a property with its name and, optionally, a listing URL (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, or your own site) — this helps the AI generator below write more relevant content.

3. Generate your guestbook with AI

Open the Guestbook tab on your new property and generate a complete guestbook in one pass — check-in instructions, house rules, WiFi, appliances, and emergency contacts, written from your property details. Every section is editable afterward, so treat the generated version as a strong first draft rather than a final copy — especially anything with a placeholder like [DOOR_CODE] or [WIFI_PASSWORD], which you'll want to fill in with your real details.

4. Add a local map (optional)

The Map tab lets you pin your own favorite spots — a coffee shop, a restaurant, a trail — with a short note on each. This tends to be one of the most-read sections after check-in instructions.

5. Preview, then publish

Use the guest preview to see exactly what a guest will see before it's live. Once it looks right, publish the property — this generates the QR code and the guest-facing link.

6. Add a booking and send the guide

Add a booking with the guest's name, email or phone, and stay dates. HostDesk can send the guide automatically the day before check-in, or you can send it manually right away from the Bookings tab.

7. Turn on the AI concierge (optional)

Once published, every guestbook includes a chat widget guests can use to ask questions — answered automatically from your own guestbook content, with anything it can't confidently answer emailed to you directly. Check the AI Insights tab periodically to see what guests are actually asking, and add anything commonly missing straight into your guestbook.

8. Add an upsell store (optional, paid plans)

If you're on a paid plan and have Stripe Connect set up, the Upsells tab lets you sell things like early check-in, welcome baskets, or local experiences directly from the guestbook, with payments going straight to your own account.

That's the full loop — property, AI-generated guestbook, booking, and a guide in the guest's hands, usually in under ten minutes for a first property.