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Digital Guidebooks Overview

Digital Guidebooks provide a convenient way to share information with your guests about their stay, property details, local attractions, and more. These guidebooks can be easily distributed through links and accessed directly through the SendSquared platform.

Digital Guidebooks

Understanding Digital Guidebooks​

Digital Guidebooks allow you to:

  • Create customized digital welcome guides for your guests
  • Organize information into modular, reusable content blocks
  • Include property details, check-in instructions, and local recommendations
  • Share through direct links, email campaigns, or SMS messages
  • Track when and how guests access information

The modular block approach to guidebooks provides significant benefits:

  • Build a library of content blocks that can be shared across multiple guidebooks
  • Update information in one place and have it reflect in all associated guidebooks
  • Create property-specific guidebooks while maintaining consistent area information
  • Customize which blocks are visible for different properties or unit types
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To create or edit guidebooks, you must have the appropriate permissions in your account. If you cannot save guidebooks, please contact your account administrator to request guidebook editing permissions.

Accessing Guidebooks​

To access the Guidebooks interface:

  1. Navigate to the main menu
  2. Select Guidebooks from the navigation panel
  3. You'll see a list of existing guidebooks or an option to create a new one

Creating a New Guidebook​

To create a new guidebook:

  1. Click the Create New Guidebook button from the Guidebooks list page
  2. Enter a name and description for your guidebook
  3. Select a theme and customize colors
  4. Configure access settings
  5. Add pre-built content blocks to your guidebook
  6. Click Save Guidebook when finished

Guidebook Settings​

The Guidebook Details tab allows you to configure the basic settings:

  • Guidebook Name: A descriptive title for your guidebook
  • Description: Brief summary of the guidebook's purpose (supports HTML formatting)
  • Theme: Visual style template for your guidebook
  • Primary Color: Main color scheme for headings and buttons
  • Secondary Color: Complementary color for accents
  • Background Color: Base color for the guidebook background
  • Background Asset: Optional background image (accepts image upload)
  • Access Settings:
    • General Access Days Before/After: When guests can access the guidebook relative to their stay
    • Address Access Days Before/After: When guests can see specific address information
  • Display Options:
    • Collapsible Headers: Allow guests to collapse/expand content sections
    • Default Collapsed: Start with sections collapsed by default
    • Show All Images: Display all property images or just the first one
  • PDF Exportable: Allow guests to download the guidebook as a PDF
  • External Links: Add TripAdvisor, Google Local, or other relevant links

Managing Units​

The Units tab allows you to associate guidebooks with specific rental units:

  1. Navigate to the Units tab
  2. Select which units should have access to this guidebook
  3. This determines which guests will receive access to this guidebook based on their bookings

For more information on creating and managing content blocks for your guidebooks, see Guidebook Blocks.

Distributing Guidebooks​

After creating your guidebook, you can distribute it several ways:

  1. Automated Emails: Include guidebook links in pre-arrival emails
  2. SMS Campaigns: Send guidebook links via text message
  3. Direct Link Sharing: Copy the guidebook link to share manually
  4. Embedded in Guest Portal: Display within your existing guest portal

Tracking Guidebook Usage​

SendSquared provides analytics on how guests interact with your guidebooks:

  • View how many guests have accessed each guidebook
  • See which sections are most frequently viewed
  • Track when guests typically access information (days before arrival, during stay, etc.)

Advanced Features​

HTML Content Support​

Guidebook descriptions and block content now support HTML formatting, allowing you to:

  • Add formatted text with bold and italic styling
  • Create bulleted and numbered lists
  • Include links to external websites
  • Add line breaks and paragraph spacing
  • Use basic HTML tags for enhanced presentation

Interactive Display Options​

Collapsible Headers: Enable guests to expand and collapse content sections for better navigation. This is particularly useful for longer guidebooks with multiple sections.

Image Gallery Options: Choose between displaying all property images in a carousel or showing just the hero image to keep the focus on essential information.

Responsive Design: All guidebooks automatically adapt to mobile devices, tablets, and desktop screens for optimal viewing on any device.

Best Practices​

  1. Keep Information Concise: Organize information in easy-to-scan sections
  2. Update Regularly: Ensure restaurant recommendations, attractions, and other information stays current
  3. Use High-Quality Images: Include attractive photos of your property and area attractions
  4. Progressive Disclosure: Set access timing so guests receive information when it's most relevant
  5. Mobile Optimization: Preview your guidebook on mobile devices to ensure good display
  6. Collect Feedback: Ask guests which information they found most helpful
  7. HTML Formatting: Use HTML formatting sparingly - focus on readability over complex styling
  8. Collapsible Sections: Use collapsible headers for lengthy content to improve user experience