A trigger is the event that makes a Journey send. Picking the right one decides whether a guest gets their check-in instructions the evening before or three days too late, so it is worth knowing what is available before you build the campaign.
Reservation triggers
These fire when something changes in the reservation record itself.
After reservation was made
After the reservation was cancelled
After the guest did not show up
After the reservation was transferred
After reservation was updated
After reservation or space type was updated
After reservation or charge space type was updated
Time triggers
These are tied to milestones in the stay.
Before the estimated check-in time
After the estimated check-in time
Before the estimated check-out time
After the estimated check-out time
Space triggers
These relate to the status of a room or space.
After space was cleaned up
After space is out of service
After space is out of order
Guest action triggers
After guest checked in
After guest checked out
After guest pre-checked in online
These are not the same as the estimated check-in and check-out time triggers above. The estimated triggers fire on the scheduled time whether or not the guest actually arrived. These fire on the real event.
External triggers
After external trigger (API)
Administrative triggers
These are tied to processes rather than to stay dates.
After consent was granted
After double opt-in was requested
After double opt-in was confirmed
After invoice was created
After invoice was cancelled
After DR form was submitted
The three consent triggers depend on how the consent itself is configured. After consent was granted fires on a single opt-in, where the consent goes straight to granted. The two double opt-in triggers fire only when Require Confirmation is switched on for that consent, which holds the guest at pending until they confirm. See Consent management essentials.
Start from a preset
The Trigger step opens on a dropdown set to Custom. Before you build a trigger by hand, it is worth opening that dropdown: it holds 21 ready-made combinations of trigger and timing, and one of them is often exactly what you want.
The presets cover the common moments, including:
Directly after making the reservation
14 Days before date of arrival at 10:00
2 Days before date of arrival at 10:00
The day of date of arrival at 10:00
After date of arrival at 19:00
The date of departure at 09:30
The date of departure at 20:30
3 days after estimated checkout at 12:30
Directly after estimated check in time
Directly after being checked in to the hotel
Directly after estimated check out time
Directly after being checked out from the hotel
Directly after reservation was cancelled
Directly after reservation was updated
Directly after reservation or space type was updated
Guest didn't show up
Room was cleaned up
Room is out of service
Directly after double optin was requested
Directly after double optin was confirmed
Directly after consent was granted
Choosing a preset fills in both the trigger and its timing, which you can then adjust. Leave the dropdown on Custom to set both yourself.
How to set a trigger
Go to Campaigns, then Journey.
Create or open a campaign.
In the Trigger section, choose the trigger type.
Set the timing. Zero means it fires as soon as the event happens. Otherwise choose the number of days, hours, or minutes. Note: On a trigger counted before an event, a third dropdown appears for the trigger mode, which decides what happens to a guest who books too late for that moment. See Trigger modes.
A trigger set to zero is shown on the Journey board as "Directly after", so a campaign using After reservation was made with no delay reads "Directly after reservation was made". The wording changes with the timing; the trigger is the same one.
Setting a time of day
You can pin a trigger to a specific time rather than firing it the moment the event happens. If that time has already passed on the day the event occurs, the message sends immediately instead of waiting.
With a trigger set to 13:00 on the day the reservation is made: a guest booking at 09:00 receives the message the same day at 13:00. A guest booking at 15:23 receives it the next day at 15:23.
What this does not do
Some triggers depend on your PMS integration and are not available for every property.
API-based triggers need developer configuration before they can be used.
These triggers exist on Journey campaigns only. A Broadcast fires on a moment in time rather than on something a guest did, so none of them is available there.
What to do next
Trigger modes, for what happens when a guest books too late for the trigger moment.
Getting help
Open Talk to Us in the left menu of the platform, or email support@bookboost.io.