Onboarding Guide

Step 1: Create Your Profile

After signing up, you'll provide some basic information:

1. First name (required) and last name
2. Company name (optional) — For property management companies
3. Your role (optional) — Property Owner, Property Manager, Co-Host, Agency, or Other
4. Number of properties (required) — 1, 2-4, 5-10, 11-20, or 20+
5. Channel manager — Which platform you use (Airbnb only, Guesty, OwnerRez, Lodgify, Hostfully, Uplisting, Odoo, or Other)

This information is saved to your account and synced to our CRM so we can provide relevant support. This step can't be skipped — first name and property count are required.

Step 2: How Do Guests Book?

Pick one:

• I list on Airbnb / VRBO / OTAs only
• I have my own booking website
• I have both

Not sure? Click I'm not sure — take me to the dashboard.

OTAs only

1. Paste your Airbnb listing URL. Hostmatic runs a free listing audit (about 30 seconds) — scanning your listing, checking position in search, reviewing photos, and generating quick wins.
2. Review your audit results.
3. Paste your Airbnb iCal URL in Connect Your Airbnb Calendar (Calendar → Availability → Export Calendar in Airbnb) to sync bookings.

VRBO or Booking.com links can't be audited yet. Connect those calendars from Integrations.

My own booking website

1. Enter your website URL — Hostmatic scans your site automatically. The scan can take a minute or two.
2. Review scan results — The scanner checks for:
   • Google Analytics (GA4) installation
   • Google Tag Manager
   • Booking-event tracking
   • Booking system detection (Guesty, OwnerRez, Lodgify, etc.) — you can correct the detected system from a dropdown
   • Contact form, search widget and booking widget
3. Connect Google Analytics — Takes you to Integrations to connect GA4 with your Google account
4. Set Up Event Tracking — Opens the Event Mapper when we don't recognise your booking system

Tip: If the scanner detects your booking system, it gives you a one-line snippet to add to your site. OwnerRez users just paste their GA4 Measurement ID into OwnerRez — no install needed.

Both

You audit your Airbnb listing first, then click Now your website to scan your booking site.

Link Tracking

From the analytics step you can click Skip and start with link tracking instead. Choose a method:

1. Calendar Sync:

   • Export your calendar URL from Airbnb (Calendar → Availability → Export Calendar)
   • Paste the iCal URL on the Integrations page
   • VRBO and Booking.com calendar sync is coming soon

2. Link Shortener:

   • Enter your Listing URL (required)
   • Optionally set a custom alias, campaign name and notes
   • Your first tracked link is created with a QR code

Event Mapper (Advanced)

Open it with Set Up Event Tracking on your website scan results, or from Funnel Analysis.

1. Choose your tracking method — one is recommended based on your scan:

   • URL-Based Tracking — Track conversions when visitors reach specific pages (e.g., a confirmation page)
   • Element-Based Tracking — Track conversions when visitors interact with specific buttons or forms

2. Configure events:

   • Review the events suggested for your detected platform and the URL patterns found on your site
   • Enable or disable specific events, or use Enable All
   • Add custom events with URL patterns (including regex match) or CSS selectors

3. Generate tracking code:

   • Analytics Configuration (Optional) — GA4 Measurement ID, GTM Container ID and currency
   • Copy the code from the Direct Code (gtag.js) or Google Tag Manager tab and add it to your website

Step 3: Verify Your Email

If you signed up with email, verify your address from the link we send. Until you do, a Verify your email notice sits in the notifications bell with a Resend email button. You can't sign back in with an unverified email; the login screen lets you resend the link for 7 days, after which the account is removed.

Step 4: Explore Your Dashboard

Once setup is complete (or skipped), you'll land on your dashboard with a six-step guided walkthrough:

• Welcome
• Navigation Menu — How to move between sections
• Your Dashboard — Where to find your at-a-glance numbers. The stat tiles adapt to what you've connected, so your dashboard won't look identical to anyone else's.
• Tools — AI-powered tools for content and analysis. Includes the Airbnb tools (Image Analyzer, Local Rank, Listing Audit, Price Watch, Guest Favorite Gap), the Social Post Creator, WiFi Pages, and the Link Shortener.
• Connect Your Data — Where to connect additional services
• Reports — Where to find detailed analytics (map)

The walkthrough starts after onboarding and doesn't come back once you finish or skip it.

What Happens After Onboarding

• Your profile data is saved and synced to our systems
• Connected data sources begin syncing immediately
• Your dashboard starts populating with real data (GA4 data may take a few minutes on first sync)
• AI-powered insights begin generating once enough data is available

Need Help?

If you get stuck during onboarding, you can:

• Skip most steps and return to them later from the Integrations page
• Contact support through the in-app chat widget