Auto Actions

This page is about the menu SETTINGS -> GUEST MANAGEMENT -> AUTO ACTIONS

An Auto Action is an action which can be programmed to occur at a time relative to the booking being made, check in date or check out date.

The action can be a pre-canned email sent to the guest or a fixed email address or a change to booking information. Click on "Edit" to modify an existing auto action or on "Create New Action" to set up a new auto action:

The auto actions will appear on the MAIL tab of each booking where the email can be sent manually. If you are using your own mail server for outgoing mail the Booking and Invoice actions will also be applied before sending the mail.

1 Trigger

Sets the criteria which have to be fulfilled to start the Auto Action.

"Booking Source" = "Direct" applies the Auto Actions only to bookings from your own web site, manually added bookings and bookings imported though the API (not the channel manager). If you want to apply and Auto Action only to manually added bookings add your username in the "Referrer" field.

"Trigger Time" defines when the action is allowed to start. Once it has started it is allowed to go for the "Trigger Window" period. When the "Trigger Window" period has elapsed the auto action stops.

Both "Trigger Time" and "Trigger Window" are relative to a "Trigger Event" i.e. check-in, check-out, time of booking.

2 Email

Go to Email to create or modify a prepared Email template. Templates can contain Template Variables to include information specific to the booking in the Email, for example the guests name or the arrival date.

• To send Emails automatically you need to set up your outgoing Email address in SETTINGS -> ACCOUNT -> OUTGOING EMAIL.

• To send Emails manually open a booking and go to the MAIL tab. Manual Emails will open in your normal email program on your computer. You may send it as is or edit it before sending.

Some systems have a limit of about 2000 characters for this form of email generation. If the email will not open try reducing the amount of text.

If Auto Action Emails are send automatically they are send through your Email server. You should see this on your server. Whether you see it in your Sent box or not depends on your Email program.

If Auto Action Emails are sent manually via a link in the "Email Templates" list in the booking Beds24 will first try to send through your Email server. You should see this on your server. Whether you see it in your Sent box or not depends on your Email program.

If this does not work it will pop and send through your desktop. In this case you will see it in your Sent box.

3 SMS

You can automatically send SMS messages. Please note that a fee per SMS message applies if this function is activated.

4 Booking

Go to Booking to set up an auto action which modifies something in the booking.

Click on Invoice to automatically add invoice items.

Invoice changes are applied before the mail is sent.

5 Examples

Example 1 - Automatically change the status of all "Request" bookings to "Cancelled" after three days:

Trigger tab

• Trigger Event = After Booking
• Time Offset = 3 days
• Booking Status = Request

Booking tab:

• Execution = One time only
• Booking Status = Cancelled

Example 2 - Automatically change the status of all bookings which have been imported from Ical to "Request" :

Trigger tab:

• Trigger Event = After Booking
• Time Offset = Immediate
• Booking Source = Ical Import (1, 2, 3)

Booking tab:

• Execution = One time only
• Booking Status = Request

Booking changes are applied before the mail is sent.

Example 3 - Automatically set a flag for a booking coming from a certain channel :

Trigger tab:

• Trigger Event = After Booking
• Time Offset = Immediate
• Booking Source = Booking.com (for example)

Booking tab:

• Execution = One time only
• Flag Text = The text you want to display
• Flag Colour - choose the flag colour

Booking changes are applied before the mail is sent so that the flag template variable can be reflected in the email.

Example 4 - Automatically send an Email to the guest when the status of a booking changes to "Cancelled" :

Trigger tab:

• Trigger Event = Check-in
• Trigger Time = -365
• Trigger Window = 365
• Booking Source = All (for example)

Email tab:

• Trigger Action = Auto
• Send Email = Guest and cc: Email address

Note: If you are using deposit collection make sure you set SETTINGS->PROPERTIES->DEPOSIT COLLECTION "Non Payment Booking Status" = Request.

Example 5 - Automatically add a fee to all bookings from a channel:

Trigger tab:

• Trigger Event = After Booking
• Time Offset = Immediate
• Booking Source = Expedia (for example)

Invoice tab:

• Type = Amount
• Description = Cleaning fee (for example)
• Amount = 50 (for example - the amount of your cleaning fee)
• per = Room
• Period = one time
• VAT = 19% (for example - enter the VAT amount if applicable)

The fee will be added the next time the auto actions run.

Example 6 - Apply a flag when a payment was made:

Trigger tab:

• Trigger Event = After Booking
• Time Offset = Immediate
• Time Window = 365
• Booking Source = All
• Booking Status = All but not cancelled
• Invoice Balance = Any Payment made

Booking tab:

• Execution = One time only
• Flag Text = The text you want to display
• Flag Colour - choose the flag colour

Example 7 - Apply a flag when a booking is cancelled:

Trigger tab

• Trigger Event = Check-in
• Trigger Time = 365 days
• Trigger Window = 365 days
• Booking Status = Cancelled

Booking tab:

• Execution = One time only
• Booking Status = No Change
• Flag text = (enter the text you require)
• Flag Colour = Set as required

Example 8 - Send an email or SMS to Guest when booking made more than 10 days in advance:

Trigger tab:

• Trigger Event = Check-in
• Trigger Time = -365 days
• Trigger Window = 355 days
• Booking Status = All not cancelled

Booking tab:

• Execution = One time only
• Booking Status = No Change

Email tab: or SMS tab:

• Update details as appropriate

Example 9 - Send an email with a key code for a specific unit one day before check-in:

Trigger tab:

• Trigger Event = Check-in
• Trigger Time = -1 day
• Trigger Window = 1 day
• Booking Status = All not cancelled
• Unit = Select the number of the unit you want to send this message to. Note that the number represents the index of the unit not its name.

Booking tab:

• Execution = One time only
• Booking Status = No Change

Email tab:

• Enter you text. If you are using the "Additional Information" function SETTINGS->PROPERTIES->ROOMS->SET UP "Unit Names" you can use template variables

Example: Your room is [UNITNAME]. Check-in from: [UNITNAME:1] . The key code is: [UNITNAME:2]

The template variables will only work if you have entered text in SETTINGS->PROPERTIES->ROOMS->SET UP "Unit Names". The context help for this setting will explain how to do this.

Example 10 - Send an email to guests from Channels:

Trigger tab:

• Trigger Event = After Booking
• Time Offset = Immediate
• Trigger Window = 1 day
• Booking Source = Channel Manager

Booking tab:

• Execution = One time only
• Booking Status = No Change

Email tab:

• Send Email = Guest and CC: Email Address
• Enter you text. If you are using the "Additional Information" function SETTINGS->PROPERTIES->ROOMS->SET UP "Unit Names" you can use template variables

Example: Your room is [UNITNAME]. Check-in from: [UNITNAME:1] . The key code is: [UNITNAME:2]

The template variables will only work if you have entered text in SETTINGS->PROPERTIES->ROOMS->SET UP "Unit Names". The context help for this setting will explain how to do this.

6 Troubleshooting

If Auto Actions do not send:
In the "Test" tab of the Auto Action you can check why an Auto Action was not executed. Common causes are: 
*Is your outgoing Email address working? Go to SETTINGS->ACCOUNT->OUTGOING EMAIL and click on "Send Test Email".
*Is your Auto Action set to send automatically?
*Is the guests Email address valid ("Mails" tab of the booking)?
*Is the booking set to allow automatic Emails ("Mails" tab of the booking)?
*Do all trigger events apply to the booking?

Auto Action is not editable

To have write access to an auto action an account needs to have write access to all properties to which the auto action applies. This might not be the case if you use sub accounts and the Auto Action is set to trigger for "All Properties". 

You don't have permission to access control2.php on this server error message, when the save button is clicked
It is most likely something in your content triggering the firewall.
Try adding the content bit by bit until you find the item causing the problem.
Often it is a script or HTML item that appears to the firewall as a possible hacking attack.
It can also be something that looks innocent like a combination of numbers and words like "and" or "or" that hackers often use in sql injection attacks.
Once you find the item causing the problem, try rewording it.