Setup Wizard — Get Started in 15 Minutes

The setup wizard is the fastest way to get Vanio running. It walks you through four short steps and configures most of your account automatically. You can pause and resume at any time — your progress is saved.

What the wizard does

The wizard takes you from an empty account to a fully connected workspace with properties imported, payments enabled, and your AI assistant ready to handle guest messages. Most hosts finish in 10–15 minutes.

Step 1 — About you

Tell us a bit about your business so we can tailor the workspace:

• Your name and company name
• How many properties you manage
• Where your properties are located
• Which property management system (PMS) you use — select from the dropdown menu, which now adapts to your theme preference for better readability
• Which booking channels you use today (Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO, your own website)
• Your priorities (what you want to focus on first)

This step takes about a minute. The information shapes what we set up for you in the next steps — for example, if you say you use Airbnb, we'll prompt you to import from Airbnb in step 2.

[Screenshot: PMS selection dropdown showing clear text in both light and dark themes]

Step 2 — Connect

This is where the heavy lifting happens. You'll connect:

• Your booking channels. Sign in to Airbnb, Booking.com, or VRBO once and we'll pull in your listings, calendars, and historical reservations. You don't need to re-enter anything. When connecting channels, you'll see the same improved dropdown interface for selecting your PMS provider.
• Your email inbox. One click to connect Gmail, or use any other provider via standard mail settings. Vanio reads incoming booking confirmations and turns them into reservations automatically.
• Stripe. Connect a new or existing Stripe account so you can collect payments, charge security deposits, and pay your team. Verification usually takes about five minutes.

You can skip any connection and add it later from Settings. Nothing here is permanent.

Step 3 — Auto-setup

Once your channels are connected, Vanio configures everything in the background:

• Imports your properties with photos, descriptions, amenities, and house rules
• Pulls in upcoming and past reservations
• Builds an initial knowledge base for each property so the AI can answer guest questions
• Sets up default messages for check-in, check-out, and reviews
• Provisions a dedicated phone number you can use for guest calls

A progress bar shows what's happening. You can leave the page open or come back later — the import keeps running.

Step 4 — Done

When auto-setup finishes, you'll see a summary of what was created and a checklist of optional next steps:

• Invite teammates
• Review and tweak property knowledge
• Turn on autopilot for guest messaging
• Add a custom domain for your direct booking site

Click Done to enter the dashboard.

Phone verification (optional)

Phone verification is no longer required during setup. You can add and verify your phone number anytime after completing the wizard by going to Settings → Profile. Adding a verified phone number enables:

• SMS notifications for urgent guest requests
• Two-factor authentication for added security
• Phone support from our team

Pausing and resuming

Close the wizard whenever you need to. The next time you sign in, a banner at the top of the dashboard shows your remaining steps. You can also reopen the wizard from Settings → Setup.

Managing multiple properties

If you manage more than one property in Vanio, each property has its own independent workspace with its own setup checklist. A few things to know:

• Each checklist is independent. The setup checklist you see always reflects only the property you're currently working in. Progress from one property will never appear in another.
• Vanio remembers where you left off. When you switch to a different property and then log back in, Vanio returns you to the property you were last working in — so you can pick up right where you left off.
• If a property becomes unavailable. In the rare case that the property you last worked in is no longer accessible to your account, Vanio will automatically bring you to your oldest active property instead.

[Screenshot: Setup checklist showing property-specific progress for the currently selected workspace]

Common questions

Do I have to connect every channel right away? No. Start with one channel — you can add the rest from Settings whenever you're ready.

What if my property import looks wrong? Edit anything from the listing detail page, or re-run the import from Settings → Channels. Edits in Vanio don't push back to your channel until you turn on two-way sync.

Can I change my answers in step 1? Yes, at any time from your account settings. The answers only affect the wizard's recommendations.

Do I need to verify my phone number during setup? No, phone verification is completely optional. You can add your phone number later from Settings → Profile if you want SMS notifications or additional security features.

Is my data shared with anyone? No. Your channel logins use the official sign-in flows for each platform — Vanio never sees or stores your passwords.

I manage multiple properties — why was my checklist showing the wrong progress? This was a bug that has been fixed. Each property's setup checklist now correctly shows only that property's own progress. If you previously noticed progress from one property appearing in another, you'll see accurate, property-specific status going forward.