Smoobu can automatically block up to 5 days before or after every booking, so you always have time to clean and prepare between guests. You choose how many days per property, and Smoobu keeps those days closed on your own booking page and on all your connected channels.
Before you start
You need this before you set buffer days:
- You set this per property, so decide how much turnaround time each one needs.
- This is the same buffer setting described when you set up a property. It lives on the property's edit page, not in the Pricing calendar. See for the full property setup.
Steps
- Open Configuration > Properties.
- Click Edit on the property you want.
- Set Block days before booking: the number of days to keep closed before each booking arrives.
- Set Block days after booking: the number of days to keep closed after each booking departs. Each field lets you choose from 1 to 5 days.
- Click Save.
- Repeat for each property that needs a buffer.
Check it worked
Open the Calendar from the left sidebar. Once a booking lands on the property, the days you set appear as automatic blocked days around it, and they stay closed on every connected channel.
Common problems
The buffer days appear a little after the booking, not instantly
The block is created when Smoobu imports the booking, not the moment a guest books on a channel. On channels that update less often, there can be a short gap between the booking arriving and the buffer days being blocked. This is normal.
Two bookings still landed back to back
The buffer is added after a booking is imported, so it does not prevent a second booking that arrives on another channel during that short import gap. The buffer is a turnaround block, not a real-time overbooking guard. To be as safe as possible, set a blocker both before and after each booking: a booking that comes in directly after another then cannot land, even during the import gap.
The buffer days are missing around a card or PayPal booking
Buffer days are sometimes missing around a booking paid by credit card or PayPal through your Booking Engine. See Buffer days missing after a card or PayPal booking.
Related articles
Still stuck?
If these steps didn't fix it, contact the Smoobu team: open the Help menu to open a ticket or book a call slot, or use the chat bubble in the bottom-right corner. To get the fastest answer, please include:
- Your Smoobu User ID (in the profile-icon menu, top right).
- The property name or ID, if it's about one property.
- The Booking ID, if it's about one booking (Bookings, then View more).
- The channel name, if it's about channel sync (Booking.com, Airbnb, Vrbo, and so on).
- A short step-by-step: what you did, what you expected, and what happened.
- Screenshots or a short screen recording of the problem.
- Your browser and operating system, if something looks wrong on screen.
Comments
5 comments
Hello,
I would like to block only one day between bookings on 4 of my properties.
If I block one day before and one day after, will that mean I end up with 2 days blocked for back to back bookings?
If I block only one day after each booking, will I potentially get a booking that checks out on the same day that the other arrives?
Kind regards,
colette
Hi Colette,
Thank you for your comment, please note this Resource/Help centre cannot provide 1-to-1 support in the comments section.
In the future we recommend you to please open a ticket from your Smoobu session "Help" for quick assistance from the Smoobu team
Kind regards,
Caitriona from Smoobu
Colette's question was not a 1-to-1 support question. Would have been interesting for all of us to hear about the logic behind these settings. I think that was what she was asking about..
Hi there
If you wish to prevent arrivals on the same date of a booking departure we would suggest having a block for both before and after a booking.
With back to back bookings, it will not add 2 days of a block, just one as per your settings.
If you would like further clarity on same please reach out to us by opening a ticket.
Kind regards
Caitriona from Smoobu
Hi, I do not want to block any days between blockings. How can I make the days before and after the booking available. I would like back to back bookings with only a few hours to get the room ready. Please advise, Guy
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