How to Create a Digital Guest Guide for Your Rental

Guests do not need more messages. They need one place to find the answer when they need it.

A digital guest guide gathers arrival details, Wi-Fi, house instructions, and local tips in one link. The best version is not the longest one. It is organised around the moments when a guest reaches for their phone.

Start with the questions guests ask most

Open your recent guest messages and look for repeats. Most first guides start with the same set:

• Where do I park?
• How do I get in?
• What is the Wi-Fi password?
• How does the heating, air conditioning, or hot tub work?
• What should I do at checkout?

Answer those first. It is more useful than writing a broad description of the property. If you already have a binder or PDF, use it as source material rather than starting from a blank page. Our PDF house manual alternative explains what to move first.

Organise the guide around the guest journey

Use sections that match what a guest is trying to do.

Before arrival

Cover the address, directions, parking, arrival time, and the entry process. Mention anything that might surprise a guest, such as a narrow lane, a shared entrance, or a gate that needs a code.

The first hour

Place Wi-Fi, heating or cooling, lights, and an urgent contact method here. Keep each instruction short. If an appliance has an unusual step, include a labelled photo or a video.

During the stay

Add kitchen, laundry, rubbish, outdoor-space, and house-rule information. Split dense subjects into their own sections so guests can scan them on a phone.

Explore nearby

Give a small, honest local list. A nearby supermarket, your preferred coffee stop, a family-friendly option, and a bad-weather plan are more helpful than a generic city guide.

Checkout

List the time, keys, rubbish, towels, and any property-specific close-down steps. Guests appreciate knowing exactly what matters.

Write instructions that work in the moment

Use the exact location and action: “The thermostat is on the wall beside the dining table. Press the sun icon, then use the arrows.” That is easier to follow than “Adjust the heating as needed.”

Photos are useful for lockboxes, bin locations, appliance controls, and parking. Do not put private information, such as live access codes, in a guide that could be publicly shared.

Choose a format guests will open

A printable book can still be useful in the property, but it cannot help someone who is outside the front door. A web-based guide works best when it opens in a phone browser, requires no guest account, and has one stable link.

With myHouseGuide, you can turn existing notes, PDFs, or photos into editable guide content, then share the finished guide by link or QR code. See how a digital guest guide works or create your own from the host dashboard.

Share it twice

Send the link in the pre-arrival message, when it is most useful for directions and entry. Then leave a QR code in the property, near the entrance or kitchen, for the details guests need later.

Maintain one guide rather than competing versions. When something changes, update it instead of sending another attachment.

Review it after the next stay

Use each guest question to improve the guide. Add the answer where guests would look for it, and remove instructions they skip. After a few stays, you will have a guide that guests can use more easily and you can maintain with less work.

For the essential sections and copy-ready wording, use our Airbnb welcome book template. If guests will access the guide on-site, pair it with a QR code house manual.

Hero photo by Max Vakhtbovych on Pexels.