Master Your Airbnb Description

7 min readDec 7, 2018

Click here for the updated version of this article at OptimizeMyBnb.com

Key Points

Never add fluff or useless information for the guest
Don’t treat the FPG as a child and repeat yourself
Keep the Airbnb description as easily digestible as possible
Only present information the guest needs prior to making a reservation

According to Airbnb, only 30% of hosts make use of all available text boxes. I think this is a mistake. Don’t force yourself to add fluff, but something can be added to each of the airbnb description boxes.

Airbnb Pro Tip: If your property management software (PMS) doesn’t allow you to edit all text boxes, change providers.

Below, I am going to identify some of the more common bits of text I use when optimizing a listing. I am providing the identical text to give you ideas and help get your creative juices flowing. Don’t copy verbatim. Put your own flair into it! But, keep it snappy, catchy, and thorough.

Summary

This text is at the very top of your listing just below the title. If the guest reads anything, this is it. The goal is to get the guest excited about booking your listing so present them all the reasons, in easily digestible bits of information, why they should. Typically, I use bullet points:

Amount of square feet/meters/acres or floor level (with numbers, they draw attention)
Use these: ft² and m²
Private decks, balconies, terraces, rooftops, etc.
If it has 180° views, say so
Pools + hot tubs
Onsite, secured, gated, garaged parking for X vehicles
How long of a walk or drive to get to downtown
Fully stocked and equipped kitchen
Walk/Bike/Transit Score, from WalkScore.com
Extremely safe neighborhood

Airbnb Pro Tip: Highlight one or two review snippets throughout the listing: “An incredible house, with gorgeous views and 6-star hospitality!” Be sure to identify them with a separate bullet point:

The Space

Spillover from the summary section should go here. You want to keep the summary section as punchy and quick as possible. The point of it is to hook the guest so they click the ‘Read more about the space’ link to open the rest of the text. If you hint at something in The Summary Airbnb description then explain it here. For example, if you say there is a rooftop pool that costs money to get into, down here, specify the cost and requirements.

→ We use only green and organic cleaning materials and supplies to ensure that we are doing our bit for the environment.

→ Onsite washer + dryer

Huge luxury in some areas of the world

→ Flexible check-in/out

Guest Access

→ Entire space plus building amenities are included in this rental. Please, make yourself at home.

Guest Interaction

→ I am here for you during your stay, but our level of interaction is up to you. I’m only a phone call/message away. You will be able to self check-in upon arrival.

Other Things To Note

→ Please remember that you’re staying in a house, not a hotel. Please treat the space with respect. If any problems arise, we will do our best to take action ASAP, but there is no one living on site 24/7.

→ We use only green and organic cleaning materials and supplies.

The Neighborhood

This and the next section are at the very bottom of the listing, even below reviews and host profile. The guest needs to click another link ‘Read more about the neighborhood’ to even see the ‘Getting around section’. Avoid listing a million activities the guest can do, instead highlight a single must do and, if it’s really special and will add to the guest experience, add it as one of your Airbnb neighborhood photos.

→ Check out Airbnb’s guide to my neighborhood: airbnb.com/locations

Here is the Airbnb Neighborhoods section. Alternatively, use Airbnb Guidebooks.

→ Here are my local recommendations: airbnb.com/rooms/[Airbnb Listing ID]/guidebook

Getting Around

This is the lowest portion in the listing with visible text.

→ I highly recommend using ride-sharing services:
For $20 in Uber credit, use my code — [your code here]
For $20 in Lyft credit, use my code — [your code here]

→ Turo is the Airbnb of car rentals. For $25 off, use code [your code here]

Airbnb Pro Tip: Add a call-to-action here. If the guest has read down this far, they must be interested, but we know Airbnb encourages them to reach out to many hosts: “I want you! Tell me what I can do to host you on your trip.” Or, ask the guest to add your listing to their wishlist by clicking the heart in the upper-right corner.

House Rules

The guest must click ‘Read all rules’ to see this bit of text, but they must agree to whatever you put here before confirming a reservation. Only add rules the guest needs to know prior to making a reservation here. If none, as is often the case, then I add any one of or all three of the below suggestions:

If you open it, close it; if you borrow it, return it; if you turn it on, turn it off; if you break it, fix it; if you use it, take care of it; if you make a mess, clean it up; if you move it, put it back
All guests must have traveler insurance on their own for the duration of their stay.
Local guests please contact me prior to booking

The next three sections are only shown to the guest of a confirmed reservation…

Instant Book Confirmation Message

Thank you for choosing my listing :D Please let me know at what time you plan to arrive on your date of check-in.

Directions

Do not add your address here. It’s already listed just above this section. You can copy your Lyft/Uber/Turo credits and suggest the guest use them for a discounted airport ride. You may also suggest www.EasyCar.com for car rentals as this search engine works globally.

House Manual

Any additional house rules the guest does not need to know before booking can go here. But, ideally, you will have a digital guidebook.

Airbnb Photo Captions

Another blog post will be written to get into specifics about the airbnb descriptions you can add to your photos. But, I will touch on a few items. First, even though you know what you’re looking at, the guest does not. This is especially important when you have more than one photo of more than one bedroom or bathroom. Simply label them Bedroom #1 or Bathroom #3. Second, the photo should either explain any nuances of the photo and where it is in relation to the house (“back door leads to private balcony”) or to place the guest in the photo (“Imagine yourself relaxing on your covered patio enjoying a glass of wine with your buddies”).

Airbnb Host Profile

I already wrote a blog post on how to properly complete your Airbnb profile. However, the profile text deserves its own special attention. According to a study of Airbnb host profiles and trustworthiness in relation to host choice, Superhosts have a mean word count of 73 and address numerous topics. I’ve also written a blog post on how to improve your Airbnb host profile based on this research. Essentially, try to be similar to your guest. People like people who are similar to them. Additionallhy, if you have extra services to sell or you’re a local expert on your area and are willing to help you guest fill out their iteinerary, say so!

Below, you’ll see my profile. You can tell it’s clearly tailored as a guest. If you didn’t know, I sleep 365 days per year in an Airbnb so this is my priority (to make hosts like me even before my reservation).