For anyone who cannot find their own listings

[Monika64]

It's very frustrating for hosts (especially new hosts) to not be able to find their own listing when searcing for it.

Normally tech people and community hosts just search for the listing and assure the host that it is there, write it up to a tech glitch or something similar.

I just finally figured out yesterday why I cannot find my listings.

Ask yourself 2 questions:

1. When you search for your listing, are you logged in?

My guess is that you are NOT logged in (otherwise your property would come up very first) so you pretty much just "anyone" searching your area.

2. Do you have the Instant Book option set up for your listing WITH the "highly recommended by other hosts" option?'

If you DO, when you searched without signing up to Airbnb (meaning you could be anyone just running a quick search) and use the IB filter (since you think you have IB set up anyway) the Airbnb system CANNOT verify you as a good guest so it WILL NOT show you your listing.

Hope this makes sense. Basically, anyone NOT signed in or signed in but have NO recommendation from other hosts (like a brand new Airbnb guest) would NOT see your listing if they use IB filter.

When other hosts or tech experts are checking on your listing, I'm positive that they are always signed in. They will be able to find your listing as Airbnb can evaluate them.

When I worked on this problem yesterday with another host I had to specifically ask him to sign out so you'd see what I was talking about.

Kind of difficult to explain but if you try the steps you'll see what I'm refering to.

I really wish someone would have figure this out and would have saved me hours of searching and trying to figure out why my listing isn't showing up.

[Victoria203]

Hi Monica and Claire,

I am also a host and not a new one at that, and I can still not find my listing!

Still confused... 

[Oliver40]

Hi even when I'm in ingognito search the exact loaction on dates that are available I cannot find my listing. Can you explain that?

[Monika64]

@Oliver40 Your guests have to request booking, I'm guessing you might have Instant book on that requires recomendations from other hosts. When you search ingognito the Airbnb system cannot recognize you as a recomended guest. When you search do you filter your searchig with Instant Book setting? If you do the system cannot see you as "good guest" and will not show you any listing that only instant book good guests.

It's kinda long to explain, just run a search without IB filter, you'll see what I'm talking about.

[Clare0]

Hi @Oliver40  I found both of your listings very easily with these guest preferences: 

Fantastic Contemporary Villa

Patja D'Aro

May 5 to May 7

8 Guests

Entire Home

Villa, Large Salt Water Pool

May 5 to May 7

Sant Feliu D Guizols

6 guests 

Entire Home

I'm sure if you also enter these guest preferences you will find your listings!

Clare

[Roxanne33]

Hi,

What I’m finding is that my property won’t show up if I search for say five guests when my property can accomodate up to 7.  I would prefer four our five guests but they wouldn’t see my listing as it’s not showing up.  Why is this and how can I ensure smaller but still perfectly suitable groups can still see my listing.

roxanne

[Clare0]

@Roxanne33 I did a search for your listing for 4 guests and it did show in results.  Here's my search where I used additional filters for pool, hot tub and free parking. 

Hope this helps!

[Annette33]

wow, great detective work, @Monika64 , I appreciate your diligence and will remember this! So in essence, one could come to the conclusion that turning on IB is actually counter productive in certain scenarios, such as what you described.

In line with what you are observing, I noticed last week, when my listing was on IB (now off again), when  I had added the extra requirement of "need government ID", that then my listing wasn't displayed with the little lightening rod to mark it as instant book. I thought it strange, but didn't pursue it any further. It would probably lead to the same scenario you are describing! Now I turned it off again because I am getting a lot of requests and inquiries from people who have not read  details about my listing or house rules, and I want to be able to decline them before  it is a booking. 

[Monika64]

Thank you @Annette33! Yes, it took me a while to figure this out and what is most irritating is that most poeple insists on not seeing the listing or the lighting bolt is just a glitch, techinal issue, change search engine, change device, etc. I've heard it all 😞

Unfortunatelly, I don't think I can survive in our area without having the IB turned on (as I said, mostly last minute bookings). Also, I really need the viewing traffic. I'll try it out now for a bit, just turned off recomendation requirements a few minutes ago. I posted a crazy amount of information on my listing with CAPS all the way, I'm hoping no inconvinient booking would fall in. If ever anyone breaks my House Rule I'll just have to contact Airbnb to cancel it if the guest isn't willing to.

What is your experience with just plain IB? I know having "tumb up" from other host isn't a 100% guarantee but it was still reassuring to have it before. I've been only hosting for 2 months.

[Annette33]

amazing, @Monika64, that you have only been hosting for two months - you seem to know all the ropes already! I think we have similar ideas and approaches to hosting, in that we both are people to look at something in depth and examine it carefully, so we learn fast and are on safe footing - so yes, it still amazes me how some people on Airbnb cannot solve very simple problems or don't pay attention to details.
There has been a lot of uproar when IB was first introduced, now people are getting used to it, but it sure doesn't help that Airbnb constantly changes their platform and mostly we are left to our own devices to figure it out.
Clearly, Airbnb is pushing IB over the old booking style - but I have not observed a marked difference in bookings either way. I turned on IB in the winter (less bookings), to possibly get more bookings, now turned it off again. Having it off somehow gives me a feeling of "more control", though I realize that that is probably an illusion: checking other reviews on the guest really doesn't tell us much, as reviews are mostly glossy and nice-nice. I have seen it often enough that hosts complain about a guest here in the forum, yet give that guest a very nice review. also, not seeing the last name yet, one cannot google that person to find out more.
But through exchanging a few messages back and forth, one gets a fairly good idea of what kind of person one is dealing with - and I have declined a few that either didn't answer my straightforward questions who the second guest is, were too vague about arrival times, or acted desperate, that my place was their last resort after 3 cancellations , well, that's not my kinda guest.....so the messaging before accepting is helpful - which you don't get with IB!
I have noticed that hosts now also rate guests on 3 factors, communication, cleanliness, observance of house rules , in the questionnaire after a stay, not published openly, but incorporated by Airbnb - so on guests who have rcently had a stay or stays, this shows up with their booking request, and I just had a request from someone who got a low mark in following the house rules, so I doubted she would obey my house rule of not using the couch as extra bed, so the rating was very helpful and I declined her. But this is a brand new feature on Airbnb and guests who have not had a recent stay don't have that yet.
But I have also noticed that lately during the messaging process, you still have to (pre)-approve or decline, the 24 hour clock is ticking or your response rate drops.... so that is another push by Airbnb to just do IB, plus they say you can cancel penalty free in IB should guests disobey your house rules. seems simpler than the long harangue with that issue in regular booking.
So in essence, there seem to be pros and cons on both sides. as I don't even want more than 2 bookings a month, I am not dependent on getting as many as possible, so even if IB would get me more, I just don't need it during the high season - but everybody's needs are different in that regard.
Good luck and happy hosting to you!

[Monika64]

@Annette33 thank you so very much for all the info, it is very helpful!!! Lot to think about 🙂

[Lisa776]

I've tried to find an answer among all the different threads, but I haven't been able to. I can find my listing if I search for staying "anytime" but then when I select particular dates (e.g. the exact dates we have available on our hosting calendar) my listing disappears. This is pretty alarming, since I know that's how potential guests will be searching. I've tried it logged in, logged out, turned off IB mode, and adjusted the filters to see if that changes anything. Hopefully it looks different for everyone but me! You'd be doing me a huge favor to check it out and see if it works for you! Thank you!!

[Kevin2191]

I can only find my listing when i am logged in, as soon as i log out it disappears ???