How to get more Airbnb reviews

To get more Airbnb reviews, review your guest first, then ask every guest personally on checkout day, ideally with a short voice note, send them the direct review link, and remind them once or twice before Airbnb's 14-day review window closes. A great stay and a well-timed, personal ask do most of the work.

Most guests who don't review aren't unhappy. They forget. They leave, get busy, and by the time they think of it the form has closed. Getting more reviews is mostly about making it personal, making it easy, and asking at the right moment.

Why reviews matter so much

Reviews are one of the first things guests read after the photos and the price. A listing with a handful of reviews looks risky next to one with dozens, even when the homes are just as good. More reviews also mean more feedback: the small things guests mention (a weak shower, a hard-to-find gate) are the cheapest fixes you will ever make.

Step 1: Make the stay review-worthy

The easiest review to get is one the guest already wants to write. Look after the things guests rate. Airbnb asks guests for an overall rating and ratings on cleanliness, accuracy, check-in, communication, location and value.

• Check-in. Send directions, the door or key details and the Wi-Fi before arrival, in one message the guest can find again.
• Cleanliness. Check the places cleaners miss: under beds, the fridge, the shower drain.
• Accuracy. The home should match the photos and description. If the pool is shared or the road is busy, say so in the listing.
• Communication. Reply quickly, especially on the first day.

A short message a few hours after arrival catches problems while you can still fix them:

Hi Priya, hope you've settled in well! Is everything working as it should? If anything is missing, just tell me and I'll sort it out.

Step 2: Review your guest first

Write your review of the guest as soon as they've left, before you ask for theirs. Airbnb's reviews are two-way: guests are told when their host has reviewed them, and they can only read what you wrote once they've written their own review or the 14 days are over. That gives them a natural reason to open the review form.

Keep it warm, specific and short:

Rahul and his family were wonderful guests. They communicated clearly, followed the house rules and left the home neat and tidy. We'd be happy to host them again any time.

Then, when you message the guest, you can mention it:

Hi Rahul, we've just left you a review on Airbnb. It was a pleasure hosting you!

Step 3: Ask how the stay was, then ask for the review

Start with a question, not a request. A few hours after checkout, ask how it went:

Hi Rahul, thank you for staying with us! How was everything? Anything we could do better next time?

When they reply, thank them and ask for the review. If they mention a problem, thank them, tell them what you'll do about it, and still ask for an honest review. If they don't reply within a few hours, send the review ask anyway. Every guest gets asked.

So glad you enjoyed it! If you have a minute, an honest review on Airbnb would mean a lot to us and helps other guests decide. Here's the link: {review link}

Step 4: Send a voice note

A short voice note from you on WhatsApp stands out from every automated email the guest gets. It sounds like a person, because it is one. Keep it to 20 or 30 seconds:

"Hi Rahul, it's Anita from the villa. Thank you so much for staying with us, it was lovely having your family. If you get a minute, I'd really appreciate an honest review on Airbnb. I've sent you the link. Safe travels home!"

Record it once in your own voice, say the guest's name, and send it with the link in the same chat. Speak the way you would at the door.

Step 5: Make it one tap

Every extra step loses a few guests. Instead of "please review us on Airbnb", send the direct review link, or clear directions: open the Airbnb app, go to Trips and find the stay.

Send it where the guest actually reads messages. If you're in touch with the guest on WhatsApp after the booking, send the link there.

Step 6: Follow up where they left off

Guests have 14 days after checkout to write their review. A couple of friendly reminders inside that window is fair, and each one works better if it follows on from your last conversation rather than repeating the same line.

1. Checkout day: "How was your stay?", then the review ask, with the link (and the voice note).
2. A few days later: a short reminder that picks up from what they said.
3. Before the window closes: one last, gentle note.

Hi Rahul, glad to hear the kids loved the pool! Just a gentle reminder in case it slipped your mind: here's the review link. Thank you!

If they opened the link but didn't finish: a light nudge often does it.

Hi Rahul, looks like the review might not have gone through. Here's the link again in case it's easier: {review link}

For longer stays or guests you got to know: a quick, friendly call is often the nicest reminder of all. Ask how the trip home was, thank them, and mention the review at the end.

Stop as soon as the guest has reviewed, and thank them.

Step 7: Make it personal

Two things lift every message: the guest's name and one real detail from their stay ("glad the kids loved the pool", "hope the early flight went fine"). And timing: the best moment is checkout day, a few hours after they leave, when the stay is fresh and they're settled on the way home.

Ask in the language the guest writes to you in, if you can.

Step 8: Reply to the reviews you get

Thank guests for good reviews with a sentence that is specific to them. Reply to critical ones calmly and briefly, with what you changed (see How to reply to a bad Airbnb review). Future guests read your replies, and a host who replies well earns more trust.

Message templates you can copy

Day-one check:

Hi {name}, welcome! Hope the journey was easy. Is everything okay with the home? Anything you need, just message me here.

Checkout: how was it?

Hi {name}, thank you for staying with us! How was everything? Anything we could do better?

The review ask:

Thank you, {name}! If you have a minute, an honest review on Airbnb would really help us. Here's the link: {review link}

Voice note script (20 to 30 seconds):

"Hi {name}, it's {your name} from {home}. Thank you for staying with us. If you get a minute, I'd really appreciate an honest review on Airbnb. I've sent you the link. Safe travels!"

Reminder that picks up where you left off:

Hi {name}, {something they said or did}! Just a gentle reminder in case it slipped your mind: here's the review link. Thank you!

Last note before day 14:

Hi {name}, a last quick note: the Airbnb review form closes in a couple of days. If you get a moment, we'd love to hear how it went.

How Prohostings helps

Doing all of this by hand for every guest is where most hosts slip. Prohostings drafts your review of the guest, sends the day-one check, the checkout message, your voice note and the reminders on WhatsApp in your voice, nudges guests who opened the link but didn't finish, tells you when a call would help, and stops when the guest reviews or the window closes. You can see how many reviews you're missing with the free review report.

Sources

• Airbnb Help Centre: reviews (the 14-day window and when reviews are published)