Summer 2022 release: Airbnb algorithm removes YOUR category - check your listings as a guest ASAP!

[Susan1188]

All hosts should immediately go on the platform as a guest.
Open up another browser session to eliminate your cookies, or better go on someone else's profile or create a dummy guest profile.

Try to do a search like the typical guest in your area.  

You will be shocked to see that most likely, the artificial intelligence has obliterated the legitimate category of your listing; and is proposing cheaper properties 30 miles away;  That your category no longer exists in your area; If you have worked hard to place yourself high in the search engine results, you will be dismayed to see that your property is now buried and hidden because the artificial intelligence is now applying completely different criteria compared to last week.

A confusing array of "categories" is added to the search page and hard for the guest to ignore.  The  classic search still exists but the other features are so distracting it would be hard for guests to do the same type of search as before.

If you are legitimately and truly "beachfront", it is highly possible you might excluded from the "beachfront" category.  With no way to remedy this besides the vague advice of "improve your photos, description, price and service".

You will be shocked at the complexity and feel of the search engine, the bafflingly high number of irrelevant categories, the lack of relevant categories.

These "categories" are assigned by the algorithm on a minute by minute and person by person basis, so not verifiable and constantly changing.

The Airbnb release: 

1. Airbnb now assigns a "category" to your listing by artificial intelligence
2. Does not allow you to see which category has been assigned to you
3. Does not allow you to take action or introduce a complaint to correct the category assigned to you
4. Flagrantly disregards your true category - amazing view, beachfront, etc to propose other properties based on the algorithm 
5. Apparently changes the categories around based on the time of day, the profile of the person inquiring, the dates ..
6. Hides the number of reviews - so someone with 1 five star review will appear higher than a superhost with 500 reviews and average of 4,9
7. Hides your property name only to put generic "apartment" or "home"
8. Seems to prioritize price over all else including geographical location, so someone searching for a specific area will be proposed properties  20km away
9. Seems to prioritize price over experience, superhost status or number of reviews
   
   
   If you care about your listing, if you rely on bookings for your livelihood, please view your area as a guest now, search for your own place,  and publish your results on this thread:
   
   
   
   https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Airbnb-Updates/Airbnb-2022-Summer-Release-What-you-need-to-know/...
   
   

[Will-And-Mona0]

I have a lakefront property in an area that is pretty much all Lakefront rentals. When you click the lake front tab no property within 50 miles shows up. So tech support says this is just for outstanding property. But when a renter clicks that Tab and thinks they will see all lakefront properties, and they don’t see any, of course they will think there are none available. They don’t know that it is only a select few properties. So they will decide they can’t rent or move to another platform to search for a lakefront property. Airbnb is forcing me to move to those other platforms so renters will see my lakefront property. The algorithm is a failure. My own property has amazing views and a 4.9 rating with a superhost. But it and dozens more disappear from the search when you do the obvious thing and select lakefront. I’m now searching for other platforms and classifieds to put my lakefront property in so that renters will actually see it

[Gillian166]

@Will-And-Mona0  i'm not convinced guests will actually search using categories, because i think chesky has failed to understand the majority of humans. the categories thing is ok, just that. the change to the dates thing (weekend, week, month and no anytime option) is the bigger issue. i think they've punted on the AI and i work in a field (elsewhere) where AI is working just fine, so its' sad to see it failing here. 

[Emilie]

@Gillian166 We've shared yours and others comments on the "anytime" search option with the product team, thanks for raising it. 🙂

[Gillian166]

@Emilie  wonderful! thanks.:) 

[Susan1188]

@Wil-and-Mona0 

"Just for outstanding property" - what? not true!  Try it yourself as a guest.  You will get a pot-pourri mix that seems based on price, of brand new listings with 1 or less reviews, advertising 50 euros a night, to the detriment of experienced several-hundred-review superhosts with proven features (stated in description, reviews, photos).

Like you "airbnb is forcing me to move to these other platforms".  It's a big hassle to me, to turn on my booking listing again but I'm doing it next week.

[Mark-and-Gabriela0]

Please let’s unite all host against Categories 

[Mark-and-Gabriela0]

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Airbnb-Updates/Airbnb-2022-Summer-Release-What-you-need-to-know/...

[Colette203]

I just followed the Susan's advice and searched for my listings in private mode.

FFS Airbnb.

Not only is the home page completely littered with useless buttons and extraneous info, my catchy listing name is gone and we're a plain old bungalow.  The "other properties in Salmon Arm" that have supposedly been booked recently are from hundreds of kms away. It's like they are trying to send potential guests to a different part of the province! 

FIX THIS NOW!

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Colette203 

How frustrating!

[Jenny]

Hi @Colette203 

You might already be aware of this, but Airbnb have confirmed the return of listing titles.

There's going to be more updates to come in July as well.

Jenny

[Patrick568]

I have to agree with most of the observations here. We have a desert home in the Coachella valley near palm springs. I searched the specific parameters of my listing 15 pages and nothing. I zoomed in on the map to the specific area where my property sits. 9 pages of suggestions, none were my property. Its like it doesn't exist on Airbnb anymore. This makes sense since our bookings after April completely tanked. These changes are not good.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Patrick568 

The new search is not working for us either. What is keeping us fairly booked is word of mouth and repeat guests. I've done some searching as a traveler and it did not give me what I wanted. I am a specific shopper, not recreational, and the far away locations recommended to me are not useful. I'm still learning how to dodge the quirks of this system and find what I am looking for to book. Some hotel owners are no doubt benefitting from this, they tell me they are fully booked. 

[Nikola4]

They should at least bring back number of reviews next to the grade. It puts so much down hosts with lots of reviews (we have 400 reviews with 4,97 grade), as some new host with a couple of reviews looks so better.  Completely unfair from airbnb!