Issue and manage door lock keys

Gabriela Garcia

Updated August 18, 2026 18:14

Purpose	Understand how to access, issue, review, and invalidate door lock keys from Cloudbeds PMS.
Best for	Property staff who issue or manage guest room keys.
Use this when	You see the Issue Keys option in a reservation, or you have connected a compatible door lock integration and want to issue or manage guest keys.
Requirements	A compatible door lock integration must be configured for your property to issue and manage keys from Cloudbeds PMS.
Expected result	You can identify whether your property can use the Cloudbeds key-management workflow and, when supported, issue and manage keys for a reservation.
Limitations	Not all door lock integrations currently use this key-management interface. Available key types and options depend on the connected integration.

Introduction

Cloudbeds PMS provides an Issue Keys option in reservations so properties can access door lock functionality as part of their reservation workflow.

You may see this option whether or not your property already has a door lock integration connected. What happens after you select Issue Keys depends on your property's setup.

If you have not connected a door lock integration, Cloudbeds will direct you to information about available integrations. If you have already connected a compatible integration that uses the Cloudbeds key-management interface, you can issue and manage keys directly from the reservation.

If you arrived here after connecting a supported door lock integration, go directly to Issue keys with a connected integration to start using the integration with reservations.

Find Issue Keys in a reservation
What happens when you select Issue Keys
Issue keys with a connected integration
Review issued keys and issue additional keys
Invalidate keys

Find Issue Keys in a reservation

You can access Issue Keys from the Dashboard or from the Accommodations tab of a reservation. Expand the option you want to use to see where the key-management controls appear.

From the Dashboard

On the Dashboard, open the three-dot menu for the reservation.
Select Issue Keys.
If keys have already been issued, the menu can also display View issued keys and Issue additional keys.

From the Accommodations tab

Open the reservation and select the Accommodations tab. Key controls are available at the reservation and accommodation levels:

Select the key icon in the upper-right corner to start key issuance for accommodations in the reservation.
Select the key icon on an individual accommodation row to manage keys for that accommodation.

After keys have been issued, you can use these key controls again to review their status or issue additional keys.

What happens when you select Issue Keys

Selecting Issue Keys produces one of two results, depending on whether your property has a compatible door lock integration connected.

No door lock integration is connected

If your property does not have a door lock integration configured, selecting Issue Keys does not start a key-issuance workflow.

Cloudbeds displays a message explaining that a door lock integration is required and provides a link to information about available access-management and door lock integrations.

Review Access Management and Door Locks Apps to explore the available integration options.

A compatible door lock integration is connected

If your property has a compatible integration that uses the Cloudbeds key-management interface, selecting Issue Keys opens the Issue Keys dialog so you can create keys for the reservation.

Depending on the connected integration, supported key types can include key cards, access codes, or mobile keys. The fields and key-creation process can vary by integration.

Follow the steps in Issue keys with a connected integration to configure and create the key type supported by your integration.

Issue keys with a connected integration

If your property has a compatible door lock integration connected, use the Issue Keys dialog to configure the access required for the reservation. The fields displayed depend on the connected integration and supported key type.

Configure the key details

Review the available settings before creating the keys. The key-card example shown here includes the following options:

Key type: Select the available type of key to issue.
Encoder: For key cards, select the available encoder to use.
Selection checkbox: Select or deselect the accommodations for which you want to issue keys.
Room / Guest: Review the accommodation and guest associated with the key.
Valid from: Set when the key becomes active.
Valid until: Set when the key expires.
Unit(s): Select the unit or units the key should access.
Common areas: If available for your integration, select any configured common areas the key should access.
Keys: Set the number of keys to issue.
Review the settings and click Issue keys.

Complete key creation based on key type

After you select Issue keys, Cloudbeds sends the request to the connected door lock integration and waits for the key creation result. Expand the key type supported by your integration to review what happens next.

Physical key cards

For physical key cards, follow the prompts from your connected door lock system and place the key card on the selected encoder when prompted.

If multiple key cards are being created, complete the encoding process for each requested card.

Access codes and mobile keys

For access codes and mobile keys, the connected integration creates the corresponding key information and returns it to Cloudbeds.

When supported, the access code or mobile-key information is available from the key details.

Review issued keys and issue additional keys

To review keys that have already been requested or created, open the key details from the Dashboard or from the reservation's Accommodations tab.

The key details display the associated accommodation, validity period, key type, and current key status. When additional keys are needed for the reservation, use Issue additional keys.

Failed key requests

If the connected integration cannot complete a key request, the key remains visible in Cloudbeds with a Failed status. Any error information returned by the integration can also be displayed in Cloudbeds.

Invalidate keys

If an issued key should no longer provide access, open the key details for the reservation or accommodation and send an invalidation request to the connected door lock integration.

Open the key details for the reservation or accommodation.
To invalidate one key, select the Invalidate icon beside that key
To invalidate all displayed keys, click Invalidate all

Now that you understand how to find, issue, review, and invalidate door lock keys, review the available door lock integrations if you need to connect a provider or confirm which access-management options are available for your property: