Unified Inbox — All Guest Channels in One Place

What it does

The unified inbox consolidates all guest communications — Airbnb messages, SMS texts, emails, WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram — into a single timeline per reservation. Reply from one place, regardless of how guests reach out. Conversations automatically flow between your team and Vanio AI to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

Getting started

1. Connect your channels — Go to Settings → Messaging Apps to connect WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram
2. View conversations — All messages appear in your unified inbox, tagged by source channel
3. Access from reservation cards — Click the Chat button on any reservation card to open that guest's conversation directly
4. Reply anywhere — Use the channel selector to respond via any connected channel
5. Configure auto-handoff — Go to Settings → AI to customize when conversations return to Vanio AI after team inactivity
6. Use snooze to focus — Click the snooze button on any conversation to temporarily hide it from your active inbox

How it works

Vanio automatically detects which messaging apps each guest uses and routes their messages to your unified inbox. When you reply, the system sends your message through whichever channel the guest messaged you on last — or you can manually switch to any channel they're available on.

All messages from guests are now properly displayed in your inbox, including messages from co-travelers and additional guests on the same booking. Previously, some of these messages might have been filtered out as system notifications, but now you'll see every guest communication in your main message timeline.

SMS photo attachments

When a guest sends you a photo by text message, that image now appears directly in your dashboard conversation — right alongside any text messages in the same thread.

This works for all common scenarios:

• Photo with a caption — The image and the guest's text appear together in the conversation
• Photo only (no caption) — The image still appears, even if the guest sent no accompanying text
• Multiple photos in one message — All photos are displayed; none are dropped

Previously, photo-only texts and messages containing multiple photos were silently missed and never appeared in your inbox. If you noticed gaps where a guest said they sent you a photo but you couldn't see it, this is now fixed — new photo messages will come through correctly going forward.

[Screenshot: Conversation thread showing an inbound guest SMS with a photo attachment displayed inline]

Airbnb support threads

When Airbnb's support team contacts you about a reservation, those messages now appear in your inbox with full context — including the guest's name, the listing involved, and a direct link to the reservation. You no longer need to cross-reference confirmation codes or search for the booking separately.

This context shows up automatically. When a support message arrives, Vanio identifies the reservation it relates to and attaches it to the thread. You'll see the guest's name and listing right in the message, and you can click through to the reservation from directly within the conversation.

Previously unlinked support messages: If you had Airbnb support threads in your inbox that showed no guest or reservation information, those have been updated automatically. Over 100 existing support threads that were missing reservation context have been reconnected, so you can now see the full details for those older conversations too.

Quick access from reservation cards

Every reservation card includes a Chat button that opens that guest's conversation directly in the unified inbox. The button only appears when there's an active reservation to message — ensuring you always have a valid conversation to open.

Automatic conversation flow

When Vanio AI handles a conversation and you reply to a guest, the conversation automatically assigns to you. After a period of inactivity (default: 1 hour), it automatically returns to Vanio AI so nothing gets missed. You can customize this timeout or disable it entirely in Settings → AI.

Snooze and automatic unsnoozing

Snooze conversations to temporarily remove them from your active inbox until a time you choose. When you snooze a conversation, it disappears from your main inbox view and reappears automatically at your selected reminder time.

Important: If a guest sends a new message to a snoozed conversation, the snooze is automatically cancelled and the conversation immediately returns to your active inbox. This ensures you never miss important new activity, even when conversations are temporarily hidden.

Supported Channels

• Airbnb — Messages synced via API, including support threads with full reservation context
• Booking.com — Messages synced via API
• VRBO — Messages synced via integration
• SMS — Direct text messages, including photo attachments sent via MMS
• Email — Guest emails routed to your inbox
• WhatsApp — Guest WhatsApp messages
• Telegram — Messages from your Telegram bot
• Viber — Messages from your Viber bot
• Facebook Messenger — Messages to your Facebook pages
• Instagram — Direct messages to your Instagram business accounts
• Website Chat — Direct messages from your booking website (displayed with a globe icon for easy identification)
• Voice calls — Call transcripts logged in timeline

Key features

• Complete guest visibility — See messages from primary bookers, co-travelers, and additional guests all in one timeline
• SMS photo attachments — Guest photos sent by text message now appear inline in your conversation, including photo-only texts and multi-photo messages
• Airbnb support thread context — Support messages from Airbnb now show the guest name, listing, and a link to the related reservation directly in your inbox
• One-click access — Chat buttons on reservation cards open conversations directly
• Clear channel identification — Each message shows its source channel with distinct icons (website messages display with a globe icon)
• Cross-channel presence detection — See exactly which apps each guest uses
• Smart routing — Replies automatically go to the guest's last-used channel
• Message deduplication — Multiple channels from the same guest appear in one timeline
• AI consistency — Same AI quality and context across all channels
• Channel switching — Override smart routing to reply via any available channel
• Seamless handoffs — Conversations automatically flow between team members and AI based on activity
• No missed messages — Built-in safety nets ensure conversations return to AI when your team goes quiet
• Smart snooze management — Snoozed conversations automatically resurface when guests send new messages

How It Looks

Each reservation has a timeline. Messages from all channels appear chronologically, tagged with source. Website messages display with a globe icon to distinguish them from internal notes. Full conversation history without leaving the dashboard.

For Airbnb support threads, you'll see the guest's name, the listing name, and a link to the reservation displayed at the top of the conversation — the same way a standard guest message thread shows reservation context.

When a guest texts you a photo, it appears inline in the conversation thread — no need to open a separate viewer or leave your inbox. If a guest sends several photos at once, each one is displayed in sequence.

When you reply, the message goes through the same channel the guest used — or switch manually using the channel selector.

AI Across All Channels

The AI handles messages identically regardless of channel. Same reservation context, knowledge base, and skills on every channel. Consistent response quality everywhere.

Deduplication

Some guests message through multiple channels. The system groups all messages under the same reservation timeline by matching guest contact info and shows presence indicators for all their available channels.

Replying

Reply from the dashboard timeline. The system defaults to the channel the guest last used, but you can switch to any channel where they're reachable. The AI can draft responses or send autonomously based on your settings.

Channel Selection

When composing a message, you can switch between all connected channels using the channel selector dropdown. Your selected channel stays active while you type your message — even on conversations assigned to teammates.

[Screenshot: Channel selector dropdown showing Email, SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Instagram, Website Chat, and Internal options]

Snoozing Conversations

Use the snooze feature to temporarily hide conversations from your active inbox:

1. Click the snooze button — Found in each conversation's action menu
2. Select a time — Choose when you want the conversation to reappear (later today, tomorrow, next week, or custom)
3. Conversation disappears — It's removed from your active inbox until the reminder time
4. Automatic return — The conversation reappears at your chosen time, or immediately if the guest sends a new message

Snoozed conversations never stay hidden when guests need your attention. Any new message from a guest automatically cancels the snooze and brings the conversation back to your active inbox.

[Screenshot: Snooze dropdown menu with time options like "Later today", "Tomorrow morning", "Next week", and "Custom"]

Managing Conversation Flow

Conversations seamlessly move between your team and Vanio AI:

• When AI is handling — Vanio AI responds automatically based on your settings
• When you reply — The conversation automatically assigns to you
• After inactivity — If you don't send another message within the timeout period (default: 1 hour), the conversation returns to Vanio AI
• Customizable timing — Adjust the inactivity timeout from 1 minute to 24 hours, or disable auto-reassignment entirely

This ensures guests always get timely responses, even when your team gets busy or forgets to follow up on a conversation.

Configuring Auto-Reassignment

Go to Settings → AI → Auto-assign to Vanio AI to customize this behavior:

1. Enable/disable — Turn automatic reassignment on or off
2. Set timing — Choose how long to wait after your last message (1-1440 minutes)
3. Test the flow — Reply to a guest conversation and watch it automatically return to AI after your chosen timeout

[Screenshot: AI Settings page showing auto-reassign toggle and timeout configuration]

Tips

• Connect all messaging apps your guests use for complete coverage
• Use the Chat button on reservation cards for quick access to guest conversations
• Let smart routing handle channel selection automatically for faster responses
• Use presence detection to see which channels each guest prefers
• The AI works best with complete conversation history across all channels
• Voice call transcripts keep a record of verbal agreements
• Check your inbox regularly — messages from co-travelers and additional guests now appear alongside primary booking contact messages
• When you receive an Airbnb support message, click the reservation link in the thread to jump straight to the booking — no need to search separately
• Set your auto-reassignment timeout based on your team's response patterns — shorter for high-volume periods, longer for busy operations
• Enable auto-reassignment as a safety net even if you're usually quick to respond
• Use snooze to focus on urgent conversations first — less urgent ones will automatically reappear when you choose
• Don't worry about missing messages in snoozed conversations — they automatically resurface when guests reply
• Look for the globe icon to identify messages from your website chat — they're different from internal notes
• If a guest tells you they texted you a photo, check your inbox — photo messages now appear inline and should come through automatically

Common Questions

Q: Can I reply via WhatsApp even if the guest originally messaged through Instagram? A: Yes, if the guest is available on WhatsApp, use the channel selector to switch when composing your reply.

Q: How does Vanio know which messaging apps each guest uses? A: The system automatically detects guest presence across channels when they message you, showing availability indicators in the conversation timeline.

Q: Will I see messages from co-travelers and additional guests on the booking? A: Yes, all guest messages now appear in your inbox timeline, including those from co-travelers and additional guests. You won't miss any important communications from anyone staying at your property.

Q: What's the difference between website messages and internal notes? A: Website messages from your direct-booking portal display with a globe icon, while internal notes show with a different icon. This makes it easy to distinguish guest communications from team notes.

Q: The Chat button isn't showing on a reservation card. Why? A: The Chat button only appears when there's an active reservation to message. If there's no valid reservation associated with the listing, the button remains hidden to avoid opening empty conversations.

Q: What happens if I'm viewing a conversation assigned to a teammate? A: You can still compose messages and switch channels normally. The channel selector works the same way regardless of who the conversation is assigned to.

Q: Does the channel selection reset when I switch conversations? A: The system defaults to each guest's last-used channel, but remembers your manual selection while composing a message.

Q: What happens if I start replying to a conversation but get interrupted? A: If you don't send a follow-up message within your configured timeout period, the conversation automatically returns to Vanio AI so the guest doesn't wait indefinitely for a response.

Q: Can I disable the automatic reassignment to AI? A: Yes, you can turn off auto-reassignment entirely in Settings → AI if you prefer to manually manage all conversation handoffs.

Q: How do I know when a conversation has returned to Vanio AI? A: The conversation assignment will change from your name back to "Vanio AI" in your inbox, and you'll see the AI resume handling new messages from that guest.

Q: What happens if a guest messages me while their conversation is snoozed? A: The snooze is automatically cancelled and the conversation immediately returns to your active inbox. This ensures you never miss new messages, even when conversations are temporarily hidden.

Q: Can I snooze a conversation that's assigned to a teammate? A: Yes, snooze works on any conversation regardless of assignment. The conversation will reappear for whoever it's assigned to at the reminder time, or immediately if the guest sends a new message.

Q: I have old Airbnb support threads that show no guest or reservation information. Will those be fixed? A: Yes. Existing support threads that were previously missing reservation context have been updated automatically. You should now see the guest name, listing, and a link to the related reservation in those older conversations. If a support thread is still missing context, it means the original message didn't contain enough information to identify the reservation — but the thread is still visible in your inbox and nothing has been removed.

Q: How do Airbnb support messages appear differently from regular guest messages? A: Airbnb support threads are labeled as support messages in your inbox. They now include the same reservation context you'd see on a guest thread — guest name, listing name, and a link to the booking — so you have everything you need to act on the support request without leaving your inbox.

Q: A guest says they texted me a photo but I couldn't see it before. Will I see their future photos now? A: Yes. Guest photos sent by text message now appear in your conversation, including photos sent without any caption text and multiple photos sent in a single message. This was previously broken and is now fixed — any new photo messages from guests will show up correctly in your inbox.

Q: If a guest sends several photos at once in a text message, will I see all of them? A: Yes, all photos from a single message are displayed together in the conversation thread. Previously, only the first photo in a multi-photo text would appear at best; now every photo comes through.