[GUIDE] Use Pro Tools to Set Calendar Custom Pricing & Trip Length - 2023 Summer Release

[Joan2709]

Guide –  How to Use Pro Tools to Set Calendar Custom Pricing & Trip Length

2023 Summer Release

Hosts have found that some previous calendar functionality for creating custom pricing and/or trip length is no longer available after the 2023 Summer Release. Currently (as of 07/05/23), the only way to override previous custom settings, or create new ones, is to use “Professional Tools”, “Rule Sets” and the “Multicalendar”. These tools may not be familiar to many Hosts.Airbnb previously restricted Professional Tools to hosts with 6 or more properties. However, ALL hosts can now use these tools; even if you have only one property. Airbnb help articles and screen shots are shown below for reference:

Turn on Professional Tools

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2499

To begin using “Pro Tools”:

1. Click Profile Picture
2. Click Account
3. Choose Professional Hosting Tools
4. Click Manage
5. Turn on Pro Tools 

Multicalendar

Your calendar will now default to the “multicalendar” (strip view). You can toggle back to the standard view calendar any time by clicking the listing name. To return to the multi-calendar, click "Calendar" at the top of the page. The color shading on date(s) indicates a custom Rule Set has been applied to those dates.

How to Create & Use Rule Sets

Rule Sets enable you to apply custom settings to specific dates on the calendar. They will override your primary settings you set for the entire calendar. For example, you may wish to restrict check-in or check-out days, or change your minimum stay length for specific dates (such as holidays or weekend stays). You may want to offer special discount pricing for specific dates. If you have “orphan dates” (a single night or nights) between bookings, you can use Rule Sets to set discounted pricing to encourage guests to book those nights. Rule Sets will only effect the dates you choose, they will not alter the rest of your calendar settings.

Rule Sets

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2061/

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2062

You’ll see this box to the right in the multicalendar view (strip view)

CAUTION - It is advisable to review Rule Sets when first applied to your calendar (and periodically after you set them). Use the guest view calendar to ensure they are being applied correctly (as you intended).

Hope you find this helpful when using Pro Tools, Rule Sets and the Multicalendar! Let us know how it works for you!

[Bhumika]

Thank you so much @Joan2709 for putting forth such a detailed guide!

Extremely grateful and appreciate all your efforts to help our members.

[Ricardo85]

@Joan2709 

Excellent article

Could you provide us with some examples of rules sets you created?

Ricardo

[Joan2709]

Hi @Ricardo85 . Two are shown above in the Community Guide for Using Pro Tools (reposted below) -  2nite minimum stay and No Checkout on Saturday:

Here are a 2 more used to discount price 

[Kevin129]

Hi @Joan2709 

Thanks for taking the time to write this! 

On the "Create a new rule-set" page that you have pasted above on the right hand side there are 3 numbered points. The 3rd point says "choose the dates and listings you want the rule-set to apply to" .  I followed the link there for "Learn about rule-sets" but I can't work out how to link a rule-set to a specific listing.  

Have you already figured out how to do this? If so, can you give me some pointers?

Best wishes, 

Kevin

[Kevin129]

Actually I think I've found a solution.... fingers crossed! 

Thanks again, 

Kevin

[Amy-and-Sean1]

I just tried out the Pro Tools calendar with a rule set for a custom trip length and though the rule set shows up on the multicalendar (with the color showing), when I toggle to the standard view calendar, the custom trip length that I just created does not show up (but other custom trip lengths that I had created -- with great difficulty,  very hard to select dates on this calendar on my desktop with a mouse -- do show up on that view).

How buggy is this calendar?

Is there an easy way to set a custom trip length for specific days as in the old system which I can no longer access?

[Joan2709]

Hi @Amy-and-Sean1 

Sorry for the late response....just saw your post. To my knowledge, the regular calendar view will not show shading when a Rule Set is applied (only the multicalendar view). In order to keep track of which dates have a Rule Set, you have to use the multicalendar. 

Looks like Airbnb has add custom trip lengths back to the regular calendar though. You probably already saw this. You don't put in dates, but select dates on the calendar. This is alot easier than creating a Rule Set and applying it. 

Regular calendar view

Right Panel

Custom Trip Lengths

[Amy-and-Sean1]

Hi Joan,

Thank you for your reply.  Here is the "feedback" I sent to Airbnb.  Curious what you think about the issues I mentioned:

"I use a computer, not an app, and never want to be forced to use a phone/app instead of a computer.

Your new calendar is extremely difficult to select dates on.  It’s a bad idea to force users to highlight dates on a calendar (instead of selecting the specific start and end date from a drop-down calendar, the same way as someone looking for a place to stay does) when the highlighting feature is so buggy.  I try to highlight a series of dates and the wrong days get highlighted.  It’s hard to change an incorrectly highlighted set of dates --  there’s apparently not a way to “clear” incorrectly highlighted dates.  In addition, when selecting a longer length of time, several weeks or months, the calendar is not shown for the desired length of time without scrolling down.  Very hard to scroll down and highlight at the same time.

Availability and Custom Trip Lengths:  Your new calendar does not allow user to edit custom trip lengths; you can only remove them.  So if I only want to change the start or end date of a custom trip length, I have to first delete the whole thing, and then start over.  This means that there is a time period while I am trying to work with your buggy calendar that the entire custom trip length is removed and a guest could potentially book dates that are not yet re-set the way that I want them.  You need to allow editing of custom trip lengths.

Pro Tools

First of all, I only learned about Pro Tools through the host community forums.  Airbnb did not bother to inform me about this possible method to manage my calendar.  When I did try to use Pro Tools, the rule-sets I set up were not showing when I toggled to the calendar view.  Are these two different views/methods not supposed to work together?  When the rule sets I set up did not show up on the calendar view, that certainly called into question whether or not they were even working.   I also found that rule-sets were not editable and apparently required deleting and starting over to change.   Super frustrating and inefficient."

[Joan2709]

Hi @Amy-and-Sean1 

Great feedback! Lets hope Airbnb listens and makes the changes. 

“Your new calendar is extremely difficult to select dates on.”

I agree. Seems Airbnb has put all their efforts into making the App easier to use, at the expense of functionality on a computer. I too don’t use the App very often.

“I try to highlight a series of dates and the wrong days get highlighted.  It’s hard to change an incorrectly highlighted set of dates --  there’s apparently not a way to “clear” incorrectly highlighted dates.”

I agree. The selection of dates is “buggy” on the computer. Another Host discovered to un-select dates he clicks on a reservation (if you have one). That will unselect the dates. Otherwise, you have to close out the page to unselect.

“…when selecting a longer length of time, several weeks or months, the calendar is not shown for the desired length of time without scrolling down.  Very hard to scroll down and highlight at the same time.”

I agree. No easy way to do this.

“You need to allow editing of custom trip lengths.”

I agree.

Just to note:

1. You can edit Rule Sets
2. Rule Set Shading is only visible on the multicalendar

Always a good idea to verify a Rule Set is working the way you intended. Search for the dates as a guest on Airbnb and see if they are functioning correctly (as intended).

[Donatella26]

@Joan2709 I am waiting a solution to this problem: I created a new set of rules, then I chose the period to apply this rule; on the calendar It seems correct, the dates are coloured with the colour I chose for the rule but...when I tried to book as a guest the rule Is not applied! Last week I had several phone conversation with a member of Assistance but until now no solution of the problem.

[Joan2709]

Hi @Donatella26 

Can you send me the specifics of the Rule Set or send me a screen shot so I can see the details of the Rule Set you are trying to apply?

[Donatella26]

@Joan2709 

 

[Joan2709]

Hi @Donatella26 

Unfortunately I don't speak Italian (I should since I have an Italian heritage 😊)

Can you re-send your screen shot of the Rule Set and translate to English? 

Can you tell me what you are trying to do with this Rule Set? 

Can you make the screen shot large size when you post it? 

Thanks!

[Donatella26]

@Joan2709 Here I am; the rule is: 20 % more in the day green and minimum stay 3 days; if you try to book you can see that the minimun stay is applied, but not the 20 % more!

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