| Purpose | Use this article to understand the Cloudbeds Channel Manager Distribution page, what each tab is for, and where to go to manage your channel connections, availability, currency, and distribution settings. |
| Best for | Property and account owners, property managers/GMs, and property admins. |
| Use this when | You want to understand how the Distribution page is organized, find the right tab for a specific distribution task, or confirm where to manage your connected channels, inventory blocks, allotment, currency, or channel-wide settings. |
| Requirements | A Cloudbeds PMS account that includes Channel Distribution and a user role with the Distribution privilege. Channel Distribution must also be activated when the property is ready to begin channel setup. See Distribution access and requirements if the option or full set of tabs is unavailable. |
| Expected result | You understand what each tab on the Distribution page does and know which article to follow for your next step. |
| Limitations | The Distribution option or full set of tabs may be unavailable because of role privileges, onboarding readiness, activation status, or package availability. |
Introduction
The Cloudbeds Channel Manager connects your property's inventory, including room types, rates, and availability, to the OTAs and booking platforms where you want to sell. The Distribution page in Cloudbeds PMS is where you manage everything related to those connections: which channels are active, how inventory is distributed across them, and how channel-wide settings are configured.
When Channel Distribution is fully enabled for your property, the Distribution page provides six tabs. Each tab serves a distinct purpose, and most have a dedicated article with step-by-step instructions for the tasks you can complete there.
If you don't see all six tabs when you open the Distribution page, Channel Distribution is not fully available for your property or user role. See Distribution access and requirements to identify the next step.
Table of contents
- Who this affects and how
- Distribution access and requirements
- Accessing the Distribution page
- Distribution tabs overview
Who this affects and how
| Role | What to know |
|---|---|
| Property admin | Confirm user privileges before connecting channels or changing distribution settings. Use the tabs overview to find the correct area and detailed instructions. |
| Owner or manager/GM | Confirm that the property is operationally ready and that its package includes Channel Distribution before requesting activation. Enabling distribution before room types, rates, and availability are ready can increase the risk of synchronization problems and overbookings. |
Distribution access and requirements
What you see in Cloudbeds PMS depends on your user privileges and whether Channel Distribution is included, ready, and fully activated for the property. Use the table below to identify the appropriate next step.
| What you see | What it may mean | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution is missing from the Account Menu | Your role may not have the Distribution privilege. If the privilege is already enabled, Channel Distribution may still require activation, may not be ready during onboarding, or may not be included in the property's package. | Ask a property owner or admin to review your role privileges. If the privilege is already enabled, follow the activation guidance below. |
| Distribution opens, but only the Introduction tab appears | Channel Distribution is not yet fully activated for the property. | If the property is onboarding, ask your Onboarding Coach to confirm when the account will be ready. If onboarding is complete, follow Confirm the activation path below. |
| All six tabs appear | Channel Distribution is fully available for the property and your role. | Continue to the Distribution tabs overview. |
If Distribution appears in the Account Menu but the page shows only the Introduction tab, Channel Distribution is not yet fully activated for the property:
Confirm the activation path
- If the property is still onboarding: Work with your Onboarding Coach. Channel Distribution should be activated only when the property's room types, rates, and availability are ready. Activating it too early can cause incorrect information to be sent to channels and increase the risk of overbookings.
- If onboarding is complete: Contact Cloudbeds Support. Depending on the account, Support may be able to activate Channel Distribution. If the property's package does not include it, the team will direct you to discuss the available options with Sales.
Before contacting Support, gather the property name or ID, a screenshot of what you see, whether onboarding is complete, and the access checks or changes already attempted.
Prepare room types before connecting channels
Your room types must be configured correctly before connecting channels. Room mapping links your room types in Cloudbeds PMS to the corresponding room types in each channel's extranet. Incorrect mapping can cause overbookings and lost reservations. Review the Room mapping guidelines before connecting your first channel.
Not all users have permission to view or edit every setting on the Distribution page. Access depends on your role privileges. To review or adjust role access, go to Account > Settings > Users. See Role privileges for more information.
Accessing the Distribution page
To open the Distribution page, open the Account Menu and select Distribution.
Once Channel Distribution is enabled for your property, you'll see six tabs across the top of the page: Channels, Discover, Closeouts, Allotment, Currency, and Settings.
Distribution tabs overview
After opening the Distribution page, use the tabs to manage different parts of your channel distribution setup. Expand each section below to learn what each tab is used for and where to find the next article for detailed steps.
Channels tab
From the Account Menu, select Distribution, and then open the Channels tab. This tab is where you manage the channels you've already connected to and add new ones. It shows all channels that are connected or in the process of being mapped.
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View and manage your connected channels. The channel list shows every channel you've connected to or started mapping. Each channel entry displays its current connection status and the available actions for that channel.
Connection statuses mean the following:
- Ready for mapping / Complete mapping means you can proceed with or update the channel mapping.
- Approval pending means the channel requires approval before mapping can continue. Wait for the status to change to Ready for mapping.
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Manage means the mapping is complete. Click to update channel mapping settings at any time.
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Add a new channel. Click Add Channel to go to the Discover tab, where you can browse and filter all available channels.
Before connecting a new channel, check the Supported distribution channels in Cloudbeds PMS directory to confirm the channel is supported and understand how the connection starts.
Then follow the Connect a distribution channel to Cloudbeds PMS guide for step-by-step instructions. If the channel supports it, you may also be able to create or connect a listing using Cloudbeds Express Connect.
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Review and resolve connection errors. If a channel has a connection error, it will appear in the error indicator on the Channels tab. Click to view all current errors. Connection errors should be resolved as soon as possible, as they can affect the rates, availability, and reservation data being synced to the OTA. Refer to the troubleshooting article for the specific channel to understand how to proceed.
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Access the setup guide for a channel. Each channel entry includes a link to its dedicated connection guide in the Help Center. Use this if you need step-by-step guidance on how to map a specific channel.
- Disable a channel. Click Disable on a channel entry to stop the connection on the Cloudbeds side.
Disabling a channel in Cloudbeds PMS stops the connection on the Cloudbeds side only. Rates and availability previously sent to the channel will still appear on the OTA's platform. To fully stop selling on that channel, you must also disable or pause your listing directly in the channel's own extranet.
The numbered markers show where to review the distribution status, add a channel, open connection errors, access a setup guide, or disable a connection:
Clicking the top error banner to review the information and refer to the troubleshooting article:
Discover tab
From the Account Menu, select Distribution, and then open the Discover tab. This tab is where you find and research the channels available to connect with Cloudbeds PMS. Use it before starting a new channel connection to confirm a channel is available and to understand its connection type.
Filtering available channels. Use the search and filter options to narrow the channel list by:
- Channel name: Type the name of the channel you're looking for.
- Property type: Filter by property category, such as hotel, hostel, bed and breakfast, vacation rental, resort, or campground, among others.
- Region: Filter by the target audience region of the channel.
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Channel type: Filter by connection type or channel feature, such as:
- Beta: A Beta channel is a connection that has gone live very recently. The team is monitoring the connection closely during this time and will move the channel out of Beta once it has been operating without issue for several weeks since the initial release.
- Booking Engine: A Booking Engine is an online platform integrated with a hotel's website that allows guests to directly reserve rooms and services, providing real-time availability, rate, and inventory management, and a personalized booking experience.
- Express Connect: An Express Connect channel allows you to create your property listing directly from Cloudbeds.
- Featured: A Featured channel can ensure your property's maximum visibility and unlock booking opportunities by connecting to these channels.
- iCal: An iCal channel syncs to your OTA using calendar files. It is less robust than normal API channels.
- Metasearch: A Metasearch engine is an online information retrieval tool that uses data from a web search engine (such as Google) to produce its own results for a specific service.
- New: A New channel has recently gone live and has completed its initial Beta phase. New channels should be thoroughly tested and stable.
If you're looking for a channel that uses an iCal connection rather than a standard API connection, see Calendar-based channels and iCal connections in Cloudbeds PMS before proceeding. iCal connections work differently from API connections and have important limitations to understand before connecting.
The numbered markers identify the channel-name search and the Property Type, Regions, and Channel Type filters:
Reading channel results. Once the channel list is filtered, each channel card shows:
- The channel's connection type and status, for example, whether it's a featured channel, in beta, or ready for mapping.
- A short description of the channel. Click the description to open the channel setup page and begin the connection process.
Channel cards display descriptions and labels such as Featured, Enabled, or Has Errors:
Closeouts tab
From the Account Menu, select Distribution, and then open the Closeouts tab. This tab is where you stop selling inventory on specific channels for a defined date range, without affecting availability for direct bookings through your Cloudbeds Booking Engine or walk-ins.
Use closeouts when you want to pause sales on one or more OTAs for a specific period, for example, during a private event, a temporary closure, or a high-demand period when you prefer to take only direct bookings.
For instructions on creating, editing, and removing closeouts, see Closeouts - Set channel specific inventory blocks.
The Closeouts tab shows existing closeouts and the Add Closeout option:
Allotment tab
From the Account Menu, select Distribution, and then open the Allotment tab. This tab is where you control how much inventory Cloudbeds PMS sends to your connected channels and how far in advance it's available to book.
Use allotment settings when you want to limit the number of rooms sold through OTAs, for example, to reserve capacity for direct bookings, or when you need to extend or reduce how far out your channel availability is visible.
For instructions on configuring your allotment window and allotment type, see Allotment - Set different availability to your channels.
The Allotment tab shows the availability window and allotment type options:
Currency tab
From the Account Menu, select Distribution, and then open the Currency tab. This tab is where you manage which currency is used for each of your connected channels. If most of your channels use the same currency, you can set a default and apply it across channels. If individual channels operate in a different currency than your property's base currency, you can specify a currency for each channel separately.
For instructions on managing distribution currencies, see Distribution Currency - Everything you need to know.
The Currency tab shows the default and per-channel currency selections:
Settings tab
From the Account Menu, select Distribution, and then open the Settings tab. This tab centralizes channel-wide distribution settings that apply across your connected channels. It currently includes three settings.
- Activate Channel Distribution. This toggle shows whether Channel Distribution is currently enabled for your property. When it is on, your property is actively connected to your channels through the Cloudbeds Channel Manager.
If you need to disable Channel Distribution for your property, contact Cloudbeds Support. The toggle itself reflects your current distribution status and is not used to turn Channel Distribution off independently. Before contacting Support, gather the property name or ID, a screenshot of what you see, whether onboarding is complete, and the access checks or changes already attempted.
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Channel Revenue Allocation. When enabled, this setting applies rate plan-level logic to channel reservations when your Cloudbeds rate plans are mapped to channel rate plans. It allows Cloudbeds PMS to show a clear room versus add-on revenue breakdown, including taxes and fees, on the Reservation Folio for supported channel reservations. It also allows Cloudbeds PMS to enforce rate plan availability limits on OTAs by automatically closing a mapped channel rate plan when its limit is reached.
For full configuration instructions, see Channel Revenue Allocation and Meal Plan Reporting Guidelines.
- Display channel-derived rate plans for rate mapping. When enabled, rate plans derived from the channel extranet appear in the Rate Mapping dropdown during channel setup. For more information on how derived rate plans work, see Rate Plans and Packages - Everything You Need to Know.
The numbered markers identify Active channel distribution, Channel Revenue Allocation, and Display channel-derived rate plans for rate mapping:
Related articles
Use the learning path below to move from understanding the Distribution module to choosing and connecting a channel. Afterward, use the task-based resources to manage your active connections.
Recommended learning path
Follow these articles in order if you are learning how to use Distribution or preparing to connect your first channel.
- Channel distribution - Distribution page overview: You are here. Use this article to understand access requirements, the six tabs, and where each type of distribution task begins.
- Supported distribution channels in Cloudbeds PMS - Find the channel you want to use, confirm that Cloudbeds PMS supports it, and identify its connection type, setup method, and dedicated guide or contact.
- Connect a distribution channel to Cloudbeds PMS - Complete the general connection workflow, including channel preparation, enabling Cloudbeds as the channel manager, and room and rate mapping.
Prepare your property and mapping
- Room mapping guidelines - Understand the one-to-one room type mapping recommendation between Cloudbeds PMS and channel extranets. Incorrect mapping can cause overbookings or lost reservations.
Choose the correct connection method
- Cloudbeds Express Connect for distribution channels - Learn how to create or link an eligible channel listing directly from the Distribution page, for channels that support this workflow.
- Calendar-based channels and iCal connections in Cloudbeds PMS - Understand how iCal connections work, what they can and cannot sync, and which guide to follow for calendar-based channel setup.
Manage channel settings and availability
Use these articles once your channels are connected and you need to control how inventory, currency, and revenue are managed across them.
- Closeouts - Set channel specific inventory blocks - Stop selling inventory on selected channels for a specific date range without affecting your direct booking availability.
- Allotment - Set different availability to your channels - Control how many rooms are sent to OTAs and how far out your channel availability extends.
- Distribution Currency - Everything you need to know - Match the currency used by Cloudbeds PMS with each channel and configure currency conversion when applicable.
- Channel Revenue Allocation and Meal Plan Reporting Guidelines - Configure rate plan-level revenue tracking for channel reservations and enforce rate plan availability limits on OTAs.
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