Have I Disrupted Airbnb’s Pricing Algorithm by Changing My Base Price Too Often?

[Kedar14]

Hi fellow hosts,

I’m reaching out to get some insights or advice based on something I’ve noticed over the last few months.

For the past 2–3 months, I was getting a decent number of inquiries and bookings. However, around late May or early June, I increased my base price by about 20%. After that change, I saw a sudden drop in both inquiries and bookings.

In June, I decided to lower my prices again, and bookings started to come in. But in July, when I raised the prices back up (even with applied discounts to match similar listings), the inquiries and bookings dropped again.

I’m wondering:

• Could frequent changes to my base price be negatively affecting my listing’s visibility in Airbnb’s algorithm?

• Is the pricing algorithm sensitive to abrupt changes, or does it penalize listings that adjust prices too often?

• Even though I’m applying discounts to bring my pricing in line with comparable listings, could the algorithm still view my base price as too high?

• Do temporary price increases cause a longer-term drop in ranking or visibility?

• How long does it typically take for a listing to recover from a pricing or visibility drop?

• Would it be better to maintain a stable price over time rather than adjusting it frequently, even if it means being slightly underpriced for a while?

I’d really appreciate any thoughts or experiences from other hosts who’ve dealt with similar issues. Thanks in advance!

[Marie8425]

@Kedar14 

A good measurement is look at your Insights numbers.  Are your page 1 display numbers gong up or down?  How about wishlist adds for your listing?  Using Airbnb Custom Discounts is good also, because Airbnb gives Insights for each ad Views and Conversions.  It will also on your Insights Pages you can see Views compared to your similar market.  This is good because you and Airbnb AI idea of your competitors might not be the same and your display is determined by their AI Analysis.

I think many of us play with pricing and I haven't heard any negative impacts.

[Nandini11]

Hie @Kedar14 

From what many hosts (myself included) have experienced and observed, here are some insights that might help:

1. Yes, frequent and abrupt price changes can affect visibility. Airbnb’s algorithm seems to favor listings with consistency—that means stable pricing, calendar availability, and guest engagement. When you keep tweaking prices too often, especially with sharp increases or decreases, the algorithm may deprioritize your listing temporarily.

2. Base price vs. final price: Even if your discounted rate matches other listings, Airbnb’s algorithm and guests both see the base price first. If it’s notably higher—even with discounts applied—it can still deter clicks, which in turn lowers visibility.

3. Abrupt price hikes can lead to fewer clicks and saves, which may hurt your ranking for a period. And unfortunately, the algorithm doesn’t seem to quickly forgive these drops. It can take a couple of weeks to a month of steady performance to regain your spot, depending on competition in your area.

4. Stability wins over time. Slightly underpricing for a few weeks while building demand, securing bookings, and maintaining a high response rate and guest satisfaction often pays off more than trying to constantly “optimize” every few days.

Suggestions:

• Try setting a competitive but consistent base price for a 2–3 week period.

• Layer on weekly or monthly discounts to encourage longer stays.

• Use custom pricing only for key dates (e.g., holidays, weekends).

• Track your search views and saves in the performance tab—these are good leading indicators of how Airbnb is ranking you.

This is a long game. Sometimes the algorithm just needs a little time and consistency to re-boost your visibility.

[Kedar14]

Thanks @Nandini11,

It is very helpful and detailed suggestion from your side.It means a lot.

[Shelley159]

Hi @Kedar14 

Simply search for your listing in private mode for nearby dates that you have available. When you find your listing, lower the price a bit and redo the search. You'll see how it moves up. Also tweak other variables taken into account by the ranking algorithm (free cancellation, instant book, etc.) and see how it moves.

[Kedar14]

Thanks @Shelley159.It is very helpful. I will try these steps.

[Shelley159]

👍 @Kedar14 perhaps I should add:

don't click your own listing while in private mode, otherwise it moves to the top anyway.