Automations (One-time Services)

Overview

Automations are reusable rules that automatically create operational Tasks (like cleaning, inspection, or maintenance) when reservation events occur — for example, before check-in or after check-out.

They ensure that recurring operational work happens consistently without manual scheduling.

Automations are not Tasks themselves — they are templates that generate Tasks at the right time for each reservation.

Core Concepts

Concept	Description
Property	The property the automation applies to. Each automation belongs to one specific property.
Service (One-time / On-Demand)	The type of work the automation triggers — e.g., cleaning, deep clean, inspection. The created Tasks are billed under this service.
Event	The reservation event that triggers the automation — usually check-in or check-out.
Time Offset	How far before or after the event the Task is scheduled. (e.g., 120 minutes before check-in = cleaning before arrival).
Department / Subdepartment	Determines which internal team or contractor the Task will be assigned to.
Priority / Title / Description	Define how the Task will be labeled and sorted in the Tasks list.
Tags / Attachments	Predefined tags or reference files automatically copied to generated Tasks.

How Automations Are Created

Automations are defined and managed by the Operations team in the Tasks module.

Creating an Automation

When creating an automation:

1. Select the Property and Service (one-time) it applies to.

2. Choose the Event trigger (e.g., checkIn or checkOut).

3. Set the Time Offset — how long before or after the event the Task should be due.

4. Configure details like Department, Priority, Title, Description, Tags, and Attachments.

5. Activate the automation once it’s ready.

Each automation belongs to one property and one service and will automatically apply to all new reservations for that property.

How Tasks Are Generated

When a reservation event matches an automation:

1. The system identifies all active automations for that property matching the event type.

2. For each automation, it:

   • Calculates the Task due date/time (based on event time ± offset).

   • Creates a new Task using the automation’s defined title, description, department, priority, tags, and attachments.

   • Links the Task to:

     • The Property

     • The Reservation

     • The Service

     • The Automation (automationId)

3. The Task’s initial payment status is set to PENDING until it’s priced and billed.

The resulting Tasks appear in the same operational dashboards as manually created ones.

Billing and Payment Flow

Tasks created by Automations are billable one-time services.

1. Each automation-generated Task starts with paymentStatus = PENDING.

2. Once the Task is completed, Operations:

   • Sets or confirms the price (if variable).

   • Sends a Payment Request to the landlord via Chat (a Pay box message).

3. The landlord reviews and pays via Chat or the Payments Page.

4. After successful payment:

   • The Task is marked as PAID.

   • A Purchase record is created for accounting.

   • A confirmation email is sent to the landlord.

Failed payments set the Task to FAILED, and the landlord receives a payment failure email.

What Automations Don’t Do

• They don’t message guests or landlords directly — they only create internal operational Tasks.

• They are separate from message automations, which handle OTA/email/chat communications.

• They don’t auto-charge owners immediately — payment still flows through the Task billing process once priced.

What Operations Should Know

• If an automation is active for a property, Tasks will appear automatically around check-in or check-out.

• If a reservation time changes, those Tasks update automatically.

• If a reservation cancels, the Tasks are removed.

• Billing happens after completion, once pricing is confirmed and payment is processed.

• You can pause or deactivate automations at any time if you need to stop automatic generation.

Automations save time and ensure consistent service delivery with minimal manual effort.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Likely Cause / Fix
No Tasks created	Check if automation is active, belongs to the right property, and the event matches.
Task created too early/late	Verify the time offset minutes setting.
Duplicate Tasks	Check for overlapping automations with the same event and service; deactivate redundant ones.
Billing failed	Task shows FAILED; landlord notified. Update card or price, then retry payment.

End-to-End Summary

1. Operations defines an Automation for a Property + One-time Service, choosing event, offset, department, and details.

2. When a reservation event triggers (create / modify / cancel), the automation creates or updates Tasks.

3. Tasks are priced and billed as one-time services.

4. Landlords receive payment requests in Chat and complete payment there.

5. Payment success marks the Task as PAID and closes the billing cycle.