Overview
When you activate Chekin, an automated email called Online check-in is created for you and sent to every guest with an email address as soon as their booking lands. It includes the link to the online check-in.
For guests who book through Booking.com or Airbnb without sharing an email, you can send the same Chekin link (and a Chekin remote access code, if you use that feature) through the OTA message inbox by adding a Chekin variable to a message template.
If you have connected WhatsApp Business, you can also send the check-in link to your guests on WhatsApp.
Before you start
Chekin must be activated in your Marketplace.
For remote access codes, you need remote locks, a premium feature you add to your Amenitiz plan.
To send the link on WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business must be connected to Amenitiz. See How to set up WhatsApp Business and connect it to Amenitiz.
The Chekin variables
Two variables are available in your Amenitiz message templates:
{{chekin_signup_form_url}}— the guest's online check-in link.{{chekin_remote_access_url}}— the guest's remote access code link (needs remote locks).
📌 Note — The default Online check-in automated email already uses a per-room version of the check-in link variable. The two variables above are for additional message templates you create yourself.
Step-by-step
Go to
Settings → Templates.Click
New Template.Choose the template type:
OTA Messaging (Booking.com and Airbnb)— sent through the OTA inbox when the guest's email is shared.OTA Messaging if the guest email is not provided (Booking.com and Airbnb)— sent through the OTA inbox when the guest's email is not shared.
Write your message and insert the variable where you want the link to appear:
For the check-in link:
{{chekin_signup_form_url}}For the remote access code:
{{chekin_remote_access_url}}
Set the sending schedule (when the message goes out before or after arrival).
Select the rooms or listings the template applies to.
Click
Save.
💡 Tip — For the OTA inbox to deliver your messages, your Booking.com and Airbnb integrations must be active and the guest must have a usable channel inbox thread. Check your channel manager status if messages do not appear to send.
Send the check-in link on WhatsApp
Amenitiz provides a ready-made WhatsApp message, Online check-in link, approved by Meta. It sends each guest their online check-in link, one message per room. You cannot change its wording.
Go to
Settings → Templates.If
Online check-in linkis already in your list, open it. If not, clickNew Template.Under
Select delivery method, chooseWhatsApp.In
Select a template, chooseOnline check-in link.Set the sending schedule. By default, the message goes out 2 days before arrival at 10:00.
Select the rooms the template applies to.
Turn on
Activate this template.Click
Save.
📌 Note — The guest receives the message only if their client profile has a phone number and they have agreed to be contacted by phone.
💡 Tip — If you send the message as soon as the booking is made, it goes out once Chekin has created the guest's check-in link, usually within a few minutes. If Chekin never creates the link, no message is sent, so your guest never receives an empty link.
Check whether a guest completed the form
Open the Chekin Portal from your Amenitiz sidebar, go to the Bookings tab, and look at the guest's status. Completed means the form was filled and the data was sent to the authorities.
FAQs
Will the template be sent for bookings that are already close to check-in?
Will the template be sent for bookings that are already close to check-in?
Automated messages apply only to future reservations. If a booking is close to or after the scheduled trigger, the system will still attempt to send the message, but there may be a delay.
Do I still need to send the check-in link manually if the automated email is on?
Do I still need to send the check-in link manually if the automated email is on?
For guests with an email address, no — the Online check-in automated email handles it. Use OTA message templates only for guests who book through Booking.com or Airbnb without sharing an email.
The Chekin variable is not being replaced in the message — what is wrong?
The Chekin variable is not being replaced in the message — what is wrong?
Check the variable is spelled exactly: {{chekin_signup_form_url}} or {{chekin_remote_access_url}}, with double curly braces and no extra characters. Also confirm Chekin is activated in your Marketplace.
Can I use this for OTAs other than Booking.com and Airbnb?
Can I use this for OTAs other than Booking.com and Airbnb?
No. The OTA Messaging template type covers Booking.com and Airbnb only. For other OTAs, the guest receives the Chekin link through the standard automated email if their booking has an email address.
The remote access variable is empty — why?
The remote access variable is empty — why?
The variable only works if remote locks is added to your Amenitiz plan. Without it, the variable returns nothing. To add remote locks, contact our team from the chat in your Amenitiz account.
How do I add new rooms to an existing template?
How do I add new rooms to an existing template?
Open the template in Settings → Templates, add the new rooms or listings to the applicable accommodations, and save.
Why didn't my guest receive the check-in link on WhatsApp?
Why didn't my guest receive the check-in link on WhatsApp?
Check that:
the Online check-in link template is active and the guest's room is selected in it
WhatsApp Business is still connected to Amenitiz
the guest's client profile has a phone number, and the guest has agreed to be contacted by phone
If the template sends as soon as the booking is made, the message goes out only once Chekin has created the check-in link.
Do the WhatsApp check-in messages cost anything?
Do the WhatsApp check-in messages cost anything?
Each message counts as a WhatsApp message sent, one per room. Meta charges for WhatsApp messages, not Amenitiz. See Who pays for WhatsApp messages? in How to set up WhatsApp Business and connect it to Amenitiz.