How to update add photos instructions is not accurate. Help

Steven-and-Ann0
Level 3
White Plains, NY

How to update add photos instructions is not accurate. Help

As a web designer, I'm pickie about helping those viewing a website. I love Airbnb, but must say how surprised I am at how unintuitive your website is and how difficult some things are to even just find. If it's hard for a web designer, it's harder for a non designer. 

 

Airbnb... if you read these, please update your directions for photos: Finding where to do it, adding photos, size requirements, replacing existing photos and in particular... how to add a cover picture that is rectangular versus having your system crop a square image and increase it's size only yields an image that is cut off at the top or bottom and very blurry. A lose/lose for everyone.

 

Also, the directions are out of date because you've changed your host layout and wording. The instructions to change photos on your site are:

 

Go to Your Listing on airbnb.com.

  1. Under the listing you want to edit, click Manage Listing and Calendar.
  2. Click Photos on the left.
  3. Click Add Photo and choose the photos you want to upload.

The first issue is that "Manage Listing and Calendar" no longer exists. When you go to your listing the closest to this wording is "Calendar and More" - clicking this takes you to only a calendar. The un-savvy may not know that the menu bars in the upper left if clicked will create a drop down menu. Even if you do, there is nothing there that relates to photos. That leaves: Listing, or Basics or Description, any of which could feature a photo section, but none sadly do. 

 

Where do you update your photos to an existing posted listing? Why is it so hidden? PLEASE FIX THIS?

 

Next, my cover photo is way too blurry because your system takes my cover shot and simply increases it's size. And increases is a lot so that it will always end up a blurred result.

 

You desperately need a separate upload area just for our cover photo with instructions on the pixel width and height and resolution which being that these pix are for a web browser, photos on browsers can't be over 72 dpi (dots per inch). Technically you can upload a higher resolution, but browsers and computers only can display either 72 dpi (Macs) or 75 dpi (Windows). But all designers will default to creating photos for the web at 72. The diff between 72 and 75 isn't particularly discernable to our eyes.

 

OK... so is there a way to upload a cover photo that is the height and width that a typical browser will display? By the way, not only does your system increase these photo sizes, but since the photos for the rest of our listing are square, your system also crops the main square image, to a rectangular one and thus indescriminently cutting out visual info we may want the public to see at the top or bottom of the now rectangular image. 

 

If we could create a rectangular photo for the cover image, then we could have it exactly the way we want when WE CROP it not a computer that can't see the results.

 

If you do these things, you will make your site way more navigable and intuitive and faster to layout and update.

 

Thank you for listening and more for making these needed admin changes. 

 

Thank you,

Steven ***.

PS I'll be happy to help if you call or email me. I've been a senior designer since 1997 and would love to help out.

 

 

27 Replies 27
Annette33
Level 10
Prescott, AZ

@Steven-and-Ann0, this is the host forum here, it is not monitored by Airbnb, we are just here helping each other.

If you want to get Airbnb's attention, perhaps post your concerns/suggestions in Host Voices, where some Airbnb personel reads the submissions. Yes, we all have our little frustrations with how to solve some issues, also technical issues with the listing. The more you get familiar with the site, you might find some solutions on your own. Good luck!

PS : just looked at your pictures: maybe do some with a wide angle lens, overall make sure you have top quality pictures in good lighting. Knowing now how Airbnb crops the cover picture, like Facebook, maybe pick as your cover foto one that shows a whole lot more, so you can be okay with the cropping . I experimented with all of that as well, you'll get the hang ot it after a little while 🙂

As we all go by the same limitations re picture postings, I doubt Airbnb will pay attention to your detailed suggestions, and you're better off just adjusting to it.

Would seem Airbnb are more into experimentation and trying out new algorithms than the site being intuitive.  It appears to be designed to be data driven rather than user-friendly.  Even the search function is a disaster you have to use "Airbnb-Speak", if you don't speak the lingo you can only hope that a host will guide you!

 

Gerry-And-Rashid0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Unfortunately the platform has grown organically and clearly never had a strategy or any form of change governance. Things are moved at random, updates made, reversed out and pages left hanging. It's very amateur for a global company. We would be fired and hung drawn and quartered by our customers if we did anything so messy. And as for compatability with different browsers, etc...don't get me started.

Hi All,

 

thanks for everyone's input. I wasn't able to respond faster an apologize for that. Over the years I've seen many sites I ended up revising that started without a plan, just grew it and then needed a facelift to do it "right." I think your comments that Airbnb might be in the grew it as it grew seems accurate. We're loving being new hosts and hope I learn the site or they eventually make it a bit more intuitive and user friendly. 

 

Ive been experimenting with different sized pictures to see if I can figure their algorithm and then photoshop for it. I'll get it!

 

thanks everyone!

Why I choose add photo function,it doesnt work. I cannot add any photo through the add up function.

 

How to solve it? Thanks

Julian67
Level 2
Honolulu, HI

Lots of good info about Airbnb's lack of interest in this subject, but still no answer on HOW TO EDIT MY PHOTOS.

Help please....

Did you ever get an answer. I have upgraded my aprtment a great deal and I want to switch out the photos. the directions don't work.

did you get help?

 

Never got any specific help from Airbnb, but they seem to have changed the website to enable access to photos finally. I am now also able to edit/add photos on the phone app as well.

You need to click on your specific property. On the website, look for photos in the menu on the left side of the screen. In the app, cllck on the large photo at the top of that particular listing and it takes you to the photo section where you can edit.

Both now allow you to add/delete/edit the photos.

Hope this helps.

I don't see any edit capability on either the iPhone app or the Web site.  On the iPhone app, it's possible to click 'edit' at the top right, but it just allows deleting photos.  Only thing to do on the web app is to delete and then add a new photo.

 

My problem is that my uploaded photos are getting cropped, and I can't figure out how to get the original image to show either on the listing headline or when viewing photos.  I've tried all kinds of resolutions and aspect ratios, and can't get it to show up properly.  

 

Perhaps the app is being 'too smart' and looking at the photo info, and I'm stuck on an old edit because it doesn't upload the new version?  No clue.

Thats what I want too, but can't see any answers.  Did you get any?

 

 

Andrew-J-0
Level 2
Rosarito, Mexico

I'm 'trying' to change my cover photo.  I know this should be very simple but I cant figure out 'how'?  Can someone help me, please?

Everyone is correct that the Airbnb picture upload is more than difficult....it is impossible.

On top of it all....lots of people are commenting on things other than helping find a way to post good pictures, so I am throwing my hat into the ring and am going to try to help.

I was able to finally find a Band-Aid fix by taking the photo I wanted to use as a cover picture into Photoshop and I made it what I needed for it to work. Do the following.

 

Go into Photoshop and click on file, then click on open to select your picture. Next, click on image and on the drop down menu, choose resize. Click on image size and you will see a box with pixel dimensions at the top and document size at the bottom. First make sure the three little boxes at the bottom are all checked. (under Resample Image select - bicubic)  Now in the bottom section make sure your resolution is set at 300 pixels/inch. Next, make sure width and height are set to inches. Subtract 3” from both the width and height. Next, click OK. You will see your picture become smaller.

Next, click on image again. Click on resize again. This time, click on canvas size. Now add 4” to both boxes, making sure the end drop-down box says inches.

Click OK and you will see that you now have a white box around your picture, which is now in the center. Now click on file and then save as and your original picture name will be in the file name box.

Make sure you put your cursor at the end of the file name and add a capital A. This will insure that you save the altered picture and will not change the original picture at all. It will appear in your storage spot right next to the original and you will be able to distinguish that it is the altered picture by the capital A at the end.

Now go to Airbnb and upload your altered picture and see if it doesn’t look the way you want it to. Save these instructions for future reference because it is hard to remember if you are not Tech Savvy.....Good luck.       

I was able to finally find a Band-Aid fix by taking the photo I wanted to use as a cover picture into Photoshop and I made it what I needed for it to work. Do the following.

 

Go into Photoshop and click on file, then click on open to select your picture. Next, click on image and on the drop down menu, choose resize. Click on image size and you will see a box with pixel dimensions at the top and document size at the bottom. First make sure the three little boxes at the bottom are all checked. (under Resample Image select - bicubic)  Now in the bottom section make sure your resolution is set at 300pixels/inch. Next, make sure width and height are set to inches. Subtract 3” from both the width and height. Next, click OK. You will see your picture become smaller.

Next, click on image again. Click on resize again. This time, click on canvas size. Now add 4” to both boxes, making sure the end drop-down box says inches.

Click OK and you will see that you now have a white box around your picture, which is now in the center. Now click on file and then save as and your original picture name will be in the file name box.

Make sure you put your cursor at the end of the file name and add a capital A. This will insure that you save the altered picture and will not change the original picture at all. It will appear in your storage spot right next to the original and you will be able to distinguish that it is the altered picture by the capital A at the end.

Now go to Airbnb and upload your altered picture and see if it doesn’t look the way you want it to. Save these instructions for future reference because it is hard to remember if you are not Tech Savvy.....Good luck.

This is great for those who have Photoshop.  For those of us who don't...how do we simply get a decent cover photo?  AirBNB wants 1024 x 683 size...and then they blow it out of proportion.  It's no wonder I am getting no bookings...my cover photos is so bad because of this...the original photo is great.