Guest Portal
The Guest Portal is the guest-facing side of hejGuide. When a guest receives a guidebook link, they don't just see static pages -- they get access to a full-featured portal where they can view their booking details, message you directly, browse and order products and services, download their invoice, and complete their digital check-in.
The portal lives within your guidebook at guide.hejguide.com/{guidebook-slug}/ and is accessible on any device -- phone, tablet, or desktop -- with no app download required.
What guests can do
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Booking Details | View check-in/checkout dates, property address, host contact information, and a journey-phase status label for the stay. |
| Messages | Send and receive messages with you in real time, including photo attachments. |
| Products & Services | Browse and order extras like early check-in, late checkout, airport transfers, welcome baskets, and more. |
| Invoice | View a detailed breakdown of all charges, taxes, payments, and the outstanding balance. |
| Check-in | Complete the digital check-in form with guest details, ID, arrival time, and signature. |
| Guidebook | Read all guidebook pages -- property info, house rules, local recommendations, maps, and emergency contacts. |
How the portal is structured
The Guest Portal is integrated into your guidebook. When a guest opens their guidebook link, they see the regular guidebook navigation (pages, Local Guide, emergency info) plus additional portal sections that are personalized to their booking:
- Booking -- Visible in the navigation when the guest has an active booking linked to the guidebook.
- Chat -- A messaging interface for direct communication with the host.
- Products -- A browsable catalog of extras they can add to their stay.
- Invoice -- A financial summary of their booking.
These portal sections only appear when the guest is authenticated (logged in). Anonymous visitors who open the guidebook link without a booking context see only the public guidebook content.
How guests access the portal
Guests access the portal through a personalized link that is included in your automated emails or sent manually. There are two authentication methods:
Magic link (automatic)
The most common method. When you send a guidebook link via Automated Emails using the {guidebook_link} template variable, the link includes a secure token that automatically logs the guest in. The guest simply taps the link and lands directly in the portal -- no password, no login form.
Date-based login (manual)
If a guest loses their magic link or accesses the guidebook URL directly, they can log in manually using:
- Check-in date
- Last name
hejGuide matches these against bookings for that listing (the last-name match is fuzzy and ignores prefixes like "van" or "de"). Once authenticated, they get the same full portal experience.
For full details on authentication, see Portal Access.
Portal session
Once a guest is logged in, a session cookie (hejguide-guest-session) keeps them authenticated, so they can close the browser and return later without logging in again.
A guest's magic-link access has a sliding 30-day window: every time the guest opens their personalized link, the expiry is pushed forward another 30 days. As long as they keep using it -- before, during, and after their stay -- the link stays alive, giving them time to download their invoice, review messages, and check saved information.
Language support
The Guest Portal automatically detects the guest's preferred language using their browser settings. If you have provided translations for your guidebook pages and Local Guide content, the entire portal displays in the guest's language.
Guests can also manually switch languages at any time using the language selector in the portal.
Mobile experience
The portal is fully responsive:
- On phones -- The interface adapts to a single-column layout with a bottom navigation bar for quick access to Booking, Chat, Products, and Invoice. Touch-friendly buttons and swipe gestures make it easy to navigate.
- On tablets -- A comfortable reading layout with sidebar navigation visible alongside the content.
- On desktops -- The full layout with sidebar navigation and large content area.
hejGuide also offers a native mobile app for guests (powered by Capacitor). Guests who install the app get push notifications for new messages, a home screen icon, and a more app-like experience. The app uses the same portal underneath -- all content and features are identical.
Dark mode
Guests can toggle dark mode within the portal. This switches to a dark color scheme with light text on a dark background -- ideal for reading at night or in low-light conditions. The preference is saved in their browser and persists across visits.
Related
- Portal Access -- How guests log in and authentication methods
- Booking View -- What guests see about their booking
- Guest Messaging -- Real-time chat between guest and host
- Products & Ordering -- How guests browse and order extras
- Invoice View -- The guest-facing invoice breakdown
- Digital Check-in -- The check-in form within the portal
- Publishing Your Guidebook -- Make the guidebook (and portal) accessible to guests
- Automated Emails -- Send portal links automatically