Algorithm Overriding My Cover Photos — Hurting Visibility & Bookings

[Gisselle31]

Hi everyone,

I’m a longtime Superhost, and I’ve been dealing with an issue that’s actively hurting my business — Airbnb’s system is overriding the featured cover photos I manually selected for my listings.

Instead of displaying the photos I chose, Airbnb’s algorithm is forcing the same living room image as the cover for all of my listings. This is a huge problem — guests think they’ve already seen the listing and skip it, even though they’re completely different rooms.

I’ve contacted support multiple times and even submitted my preferred cover images again, but was told it could take 6–8 weeks for the change to reflect in search. Meanwhile, I’m losing $150+/day in potential revenue because the listings aren’t converting like they used to.

This isn’t just a cosmetic issue — it’s affecting visibility, clicks, and bookings. I’m hoping Airbnb will treat this with the urgency it deserves.

Has anyone else experienced this? And if so, how did you get it resolved?

Attaching screenshots showing what I selected vs. what Airbnb displays.

[Gisselle31]

foto of livingroom instead of desired queen bed fotofoto of livingroom instead of desired twin beds fotofoto of livingroom instead of desired king bed foto

[Gisselle31]

Update:
After weeks of persistent follow-up across multiple channels, I’m relieved to report that the issue with my listing photos has finally been resolved. My host-selected images are now properly displaying again. Thank you to everyone here who offered support and encouragement.

That said, this entire experience highlights a much larger problem:
Airbnb’s AI should not be overriding our featured photos without our consent. As hosts, we know what converts and we deserve full control over how our listings are presented.

For those who may face similar issues, here’s a quick outline of what I had to do to finally get results:

 Timeline of Events & Steps Taken:

* Initial Problem: My featured photo selections were being overridden by Airbnb’s algorithm, with no option to fix them manually.

* Filed an in-app support case via the Airbnb platform.

* Repeated follow-ups, but the issue remained unresolved for days.

* Tried escalating internally via chat and support agents — still no real resolution.

* Posted here in the Airbnb Community Center to raise awareness and gather feedback. This helped validate that others were experiencing the same thing.

* Escalated externally on X (Twitter):

Public post tagging @Airbnb, @AirbnbHelp, and @bchesky
👉 https://x.com/Gmanzzo/status/1943135657851048176?t=hX0Ypj31OfUREPFjFK1V2Q&s=19

* Private messages with Airbnb Help via x

* Clarified that this issue needed to bypass the teams that had already stalled the process

*** Final Resolution: After sustained pressure and visibility, my selected photos were restored.

I’m relieved it’s been resolved, but I hope Airbnb seriously reconsiders how its photo algorithm works; especially when it overrides host intent and affects revenue. We need tools, not automation that undermines us.

Let’s keep advocating for transparency and control.

#HostVoices #AirbnbCommunity #PhotoControlMatters #AirbnbHost

[Helen3]

That sounds very complicated when you can go into your photos and alter them yourself @Gisselle31 

[Gisselle31]

Hi Helen, yes that used to be the case but no longer. The system will literally not allow you to update your cover photo any longer. I've been doing this for 11 years with Airbnb never once had a problem before, but now it's become a problem. And for this reason I had to go through this whole nightmare process.

[Gisselle31]

***Follow-Up: Not a Real Fix  

Still No Control Over Photos

While I’m grateful that Airbnb manually restored my chosen photos, I’ve now learned that this is not a true resolution. According to Airbnb Support, the override was a one-time exception and there is currently:

❌ No option to opt out of the photo-selection AI

❌ No way to permanently retain host-selected images

❌ No ability to update featured photos without risking the algorithm taking over again

This means that while my photos are currently displaying correctly, if I ever want to update them in the future — even for seasonal changes or new décor — I’m at risk of going through this nightmare process all over again.

That is not sustainable for me or for any serious host.

I’ve asked Airbnb to escalate this to the appropriate product team and to log this as formal feedback. But I encourage other hosts to speak up as well. We need:

✅ A permanent host override for AI-selected photos

✅ A toggle to opt out of automatic photo replacements

✅ Transparency when photo changes are made by the system

Hosts invest real time, strategy, and money into our listings. We should not be sidelined by a black-box algorithm making aesthetic choices that can directly affect our visibility and income.

If you’ve experienced this too, please comment or upvote. The more attention this gets, the more likely Airbnb is to fix the core issue — not just patch it.

#HostControlMatters #AirbnbCommunity #ListingAutonomy #StopPhotoOverride