Cover Photo I have chosen is not being used as the cover photo. Why?

[Elizabeth2874]

I chose a cover photo but when I look up the listing as a traveler, a different photo is presented first. Why?

[Joelle43 · Accepted solution]

Hello @Elizabeth2874 

You are not the only person posting about this problem on the CC.  You find yourself in the new "room category" that Airbnb has promoted this month and from what I can gather, it is AI that chooses which photo to put forward for your listing which is creating quite a lot of frustration amongst hosts.

You should have a feedback button so feel free to use and any other means to give your view.  

You could try deleting the photo you don't want as your cover photo and see if that changes something and then if AI chooses one you do like, put it back on!  Trying to think of a way to fool AI but am not a techie person!!

Good luck and let us know if it works!

All the best

Joëlle

[Elizabeth2874]

@Joelle43 Thank you! I had no idea this was happening to others and why so I appreciate your advice. I deleted the picture, and it was replaced with the one I wanted. Then I added it back. All is well now. I appreciate the help.

Best, 

Liz

[Joelle43]

Hello again @Elizabeth2874 

Thank you for giving your feedback and I'm glad the technique worked so that others can use it!

All the best

Joëlle

[Jo984]

Thank you from Cape Town.  I've been on the phone with airbnb support for a week and no=one I spoke to could understand the problem or help me!!! 

[Joelle43]

Hi @Jo984 

Do you need any help or have you managed to change your cover photo back to the one you want?🤞

Funnily enough, I was on my listing yesterday checking out the cover photos that IA have chosen for the different categories that have been  a chosen for my listing and had to laugh!  So I'm in the area of a National Park (true but not the one you immediately think of when you know that I'm in Cannes, France)  and the picture that has been chosen has got to be the worst picture possible as it's the one of the 5 steps to walk up to the apartment!  Hardly the most grabbing of pictures  and can't think what the possible link that AI found to show off my apartment but there you have it😂

I would really love to know if guests searching for a town rental actually use these categories or just enter the town and that's it.  I know I wouldn't use them.

[Trude0]

Oh no… 

Just read your post about Category cover photos. I know that when you just search for a place, either Any Type or Entire Home, the cover photo I chose, is the cover photo. I thought that was it, all good, no problem!

But now I went and applied Categories to the search. Problem…

I’m in these Categories:

Tiny Homes (cover photo: my dog, in the woods)

Cabins (cover photo: a path in the nearby woods)

Countryside (same cover photo as above, the path in the woods)

Skiing (cover photo is of the guest house porch with 50 cm snow on it - they did not choose the photo of the nearby ski slope)

Lake (cover photo: a google earth photo marking my house’s location - and I have several beautiful real photos of the lake)

National Parks (right now this category seems to be missing?)

I’ve understood what to do if the cover photo is incorrect in the ”general” search (delete photo chosen by AI).

But wonder how easy it will be to manipulate the system to get the same photo (or a better photo) in the categories search? And, if I delete the google earth photo, will I then not be in Lake category anymore? 

I think I’ll delete the snow on the porch photo, and see what happens - I don’t care about the Skiing category anyway, no one would book my place to go skiing anyway. 

To be continued… 

[Joan2709]

@Trude0 @Joelle43 

Thanks so much for bringing this up as I had no idea Airbnb was using a different cover photo than what the Host chooses when the guest searches by category? This is definitely a big issue; especially since the AI is not doing a good job of it! I'll be sending feedback on this for sure. 

Maybe one of the moderators can bring this to the attention of the appropriate team at Airbnb, as this surely is not what the Host or Airbnb wants when a guest searches by category?

@Paula @Rebecca  @Bhumika  @Elisa @Quincy 

[Paula]

Hello @Joan2709, thank you so much for tagging the community managers' team.

I have raised this issue with the relevant internal team. They will contact the hosts if any further information is needed.

Thank you,

[Trude0]

I agree - surely it cannot have been the intention that randomly chosen photos would be replacing the cover photos that the hosts chose, when searching within a Category.

Especially when the AI is not very ”intelligent”, and chooses a photo of a dog in the woods to represent ”Tiny Homes”. Or a photo of a porch to sell a home as a ”Skiing” location. 

Update: 

Yesterday I deleted and updated again the photos the AI chose for Skiing (porch) and National Parks (photo showing the location of my tinyhouse vs main house).

My own choice of cover photo then replaced these photos in searches 👍, and I’m still in these Categories👍. Will give it a couple of weeks before I do the same with the remaining categories, as these I’ more eager to keep. 

[Joelle43]

Hello @Trude0 @Joan2709 @Paula  

Lovely to see you back here more regularly on the CC Trude😊

I can confirm that the National Parks category is well and truly there on Airbnb but there are so many different categories, that if you're not in full mode on your screen, you don't get to see all categories and you have to use the move across sign to see them all anyway! (sorry I'm sure there's a word for that sign but I'm not good with techy things😉)

A picture of your dog as the cover photo for your Tiny house? - he must be really cute then🐩

So as you all know, AI picked out the steps leading up to the apartment of all things, to highlight my listing for those searching for a place to stay whilst visiting the National Parks a good hour away.  Needless to say, I can't imagine anyone clicking on that picture to see further🤣 don't blame them either and the guests must think that I've completely lost the plot to pick THAT photo as my cover photo!!

So I deleted it from my Photo Tour and low and behold I have a cover photo that makes sense💪 and then proceeded to upload it again because it is an important photo to have, not just as a cover photo! However, I'm not holding my breath as I've read that some hosts have done the same thing and then hey-ho!  Artificial Intelligence intervenes again so will keep an eye out on ALL of the cover photos that have been chosen by AI more regularly.

It's never dull with Airbnb is it?  The powers that be certainly keep us on our toes😂

All the best

Joëlle

[Barbara83]

Thank you! I have been so frustrated about this... But I'm going to try to to delete and add it back...

I don't think Airbnb should let AI choose the cover photo... We should be the ones choosing...

-Barbara

[Cody329]

Hello.  I'm a new host and want to see if there is a way to turn off Airbnb a setting (assuming it's them or their AI) from changing my cover photo.  It looks correct when I login as a host, but when a search is done on a different login then it looks like AI or Airbnb change the cover photo.  Is this something we have any say or control of as a host?  Thank you in advance for any help.

[Joelle43]

Hello @Cody329 

Yes it is AI doing this but until now I've only seen it being done to hosts that are in the Room category.

Both photos are sensational I have to say but AI has considered that the fire pit picture is better than the sauna one.

If you really want the sauna one, try deleting the photo of the fire pit from the listing and then add it back in and check which one shows up!

It also has a bearing on which categories AI has put you in.  More than one is possible so have a look to see which ones have been selected.

Good luck

Joëlle

[Julia4807]

Same here! no matter what I do - the cover photo is chosen by Airbnb..