Enabling Check-in

Before guests can use digital check-in, you need to enable it for each listing individually. Once enabled, you can configure the timing, personalize the appearance, write a confirmation message, and start sending check-in invitations to guests.

Where check-in lives

Digital check-in has its own page: click Check-in in the sidebar. The page has two tabs:

Check-ins -- the list of upcoming and recent bookings with their check-in status (see Check-in Status).
Settings -- where you enable check-in and configure each listing.

How to enable digital check-in

Open the Check-in page and go to the Settings tab.
Find the listing you want to configure (each listing is a card with an Enabled/Disabled badge).
Use the toggle on the card to enable check-in for that listing. This saves immediately.
Click the card to expand it and configure the settings described below.
Click Save settings.

That is all it takes. The listing now supports digital check-in, and you can start sending check-in links to guests.

TIP

Use the Preview check-in form link at the top of the expanded card to see exactly what guests will experience, with your styling and confirmation message applied.

Per-listing settings

Each listing has its own check-in configuration. This means every property can have different settings, different timing, and a different appearance.

Styling

Personalize how the check-in page looks. There is no background-image upload -- instead you pick from a small set of controls:

Primary color -- the accent color used for buttons and highlights, chosen with a color picker.
Text on primary -- the text color shown on top of the primary color (so buttons stay readable). A small live preview shows the combination.
Background -- choose one of six fixed presets from a radio picker: Minimal, Gradient blue, Gradient sunset, Gradient ocean, Gradient forest, or Dark.

These settings give each property a branded feel without needing to upload or manage images.

Confirmation message

Write the message guests see on the final screen after they finish check-in. It is per-listing and supports personalization placeholders that get filled in with the booking's real values:

{guest_name}
{checkin_date}
{checkout_date}
{checkin_time}

You can insert each placeholder with a click while editing. You can also add translations for other languages -- write the default version, then add languages and either translate them automatically or write them yourself. The guest sees the message in their own language when a translation exists, otherwise it falls back to your default.

Time gating: when the form opens and closes

Control when guests can access the check-in form:

Setting	Description	Recommended value
Opens X days before check-in	The form becomes accessible this many days before the check-in date. Before this, guests see a preview but cannot submit.	3-7 days
Closes X hours before check-in	The form is locked this many hours before the check-in time. After this, guests cannot submit.	2-4 hours

Example: If check-in is on March 15 at 3:00 PM, and you set "opens 5 days before" and "closes 3 hours before":

The form opens on March 10 at 3:00 PM.
The form closes on March 15 at 12:00 PM (noon).

Why use time gating?

Opening delay -- Prevents guests from checking in weeks in advance when you may not have finalized WiFi codes, door locks, or cleaning schedules.
Closing deadline -- Ensures you have all guest data before they arrive. If a guest misses the window, you can still send them a new link or collect information at the door.

Preview mode

When a guest accesses the check-in link outside the time window (before it opens or after it closes), they see the form in preview mode:

All form fields are visible but disabled (greyed out).
A banner message explains when the form will become available (e.g., "Check-in opens on March 10").
The guest can see what information they will need to prepare, reducing anxiety about the process.

Preview mode is automatic -- you do not need to configure it. It activates whenever the form is accessed outside the active window.

Sending check-in invitations

Once check-in is enabled, you can invite guests to complete the form.

Manually from the booking page

Open a booking from the Calendar or Bookings list.
Click the Send Check-in Invite button.
The guest receives an email with a unique link to the check-in form.

Automatically with an email automation

Go to Automated Emails and create a check-in automation.
In your email template, include the {checkin_link} template variable.
Set the trigger timing (e.g., 3 days before check-in).
When the automation triggers, the guest receives their personalized check-in link.

Example template:

Hi {guest_first_name},

Please complete your check-in for {property_name}:

{checkin_link}

We need your details before {checkin_date}. It only takes 2 minutes.

See you soon!
{host_name}

WARNING

Each check-in link is unique to a specific booking. Do not copy and share the same link with multiple guests across different bookings -- always use the link generated for each booking, or use the {checkin_link} variable which generates the correct link automatically.

The `{checkin_link}` variable

The {checkin_link} template variable generates a full URL pointing to the check-in form for the specific booking:

https://app.hejguide.com/c/{unique-token}

This variable is available in all email templates. Use it alongside the {guidebook_link} variable -- they serve different purposes:

Variable	Links to	Purpose
`{checkin_link}`	Check-in form	Collect guest information
`{guidebook_link}`	Full Guest Portal	Property info, booking, chat, products, invoice

You can include both in the same email, or use them in separate automations.