Hi @Maria174,
I would suggest you turn off Instant Book for awhile until you become familiar with Airbnb. With IB, people can book your place without even talking to you and it is best to screen your guests so you feel comfortable.
There is a difference between an "inquiry" and a "request". First of all, Airbnb recommends to guests to send inquiries to all the listings they are interested in. So, if someone sends an inquiry, they may be inquiring on 10 other listings in your area and if they decide on another listing, you will not be notified. If you pre-approve and inquiry, you are basically saying that you are alright with them booking. They can then go through with booking your listing and if they decide, they will complete the checkout and your place will be confirmed.
With a reservation request, the person actually wants to book your listing. If you approve their request, the booking gets confirmed instantly as long as they have their payment details entered.
The other thing you need to know about "inquiries" and "requests" is how they relate to your response rating. For an inquiry, all you have to do is respond once and your response rating will not be affected. With a request, you MUST either approve or decline the request within 24 hours or your response rating will decline.
I highly recommend you click on the link below and check out the many Help Guides I have created as there it a wealth of information for new hosts like yourself.
Good luck and happy hosting @Maria174!
David
Superhost Ambassador ~ Host Club Community Leader ~ Community Expert ~ Experienced Co-Host