Quick Start Checklist to Create Your Own Website

Unlike the professional design service, the website builder DIY option is managed directly through your Cloudbeds PMS:

1. Log in to Cloudbeds PMS
2. Click the Main Menu , navigate to Digital Marketing
3. Go to the Websites tab
4. Click Edit my website to launch the Editor

This step ensures your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) are accurate. This data is synced to your site's header, footer, and contact sections.

• Navigation: In the side panel of the editor, go to Content > Connected Data (CMS) > Business Info.
• Action: Review the Location name, Address, and Phone Number fields.

The AI Business Profile acts as the "brain" for the editor's AI tools. It determines your brand's tone and the specific property highlights used for content generation.

• Navigation: Click the AI Assistant (sparkle icon) in the bottom-left corner of the editor and select Update AI Business Profile.
• Action: Review and refine the following:
  • Property Description: Ensure it captures your property’s unique personality.
  • Top Amenities: Confirm the AI has selected your most important features.
  • Brand Tone: Select a tone (e.g., Professional, Luxury, or Witty) that matches your guest experience.

Before you can personalize the visual style of your site, you must upload your property’s high-quality photos into the Website Editor’s library.

• Navigation: In the side panel of the editor, click Content and select Media Manager.
• Action: Click the + Upload Images button. Select the high-quality photos of your property, rooms, and amenities from your computer to add them to your site’s image gallery.

After your photos are uploaded, you need to replace the AI-generated placeholders with your actual property images.

• Navigation: Hover over any existing image on a page and click Replace (or Manage Image).
• Action: In the Image Picker, select your desired photo from the Site Images library.

The image gallery showcases your property’s best features. You must update this collection to replace AI-generated placeholders with your own high-quality photos.

• Navigation: Locate the photo gallery section on your website page (within the main design canvas). Click directly on the gallery to open its settings.
• Action: In the Photo Gallery Content window, you can:
  • Add Images: Click + Add Image to select new photos from your media library.
  • Replace Images: Select an existing thumbnail and click Replace to swap it.
  • Delete Images: Click the X on any thumbnail to remove it from the gallery.
• SEO Optimization: Select an image and enter descriptive Alt text in the Image Settings panel to improve search engine rankings and accessibility.

While the AI generates a professional blueprint, you may want to manually refine the copy or use the AI Assistant to adjust the tone to better match your property’s brand voice.

• Navigation: Click directly into any text block or heading you wish to change. A floating toolbar will appear above the text area.
• Action:
  • Manual Edits: Type directly into the block to update information or highlight text to change the color, font size, or formatting using the toolbar.
  • AI Assistant: Highlight a text section and click the AI Assistant (sparkle icon) in the toolbar. Select Quick edits to Improve Writing, Make Shorter, or Make Longer.

The primary purpose of your website is to drive direct revenue. To do this, your "Book Now" or "Reserve" buttons must link directly to your Cloudbeds Booking Engine.

• Navigation: Locate the primary Call-to-Action (CTA) button (e.g., "RESERVE" or "BOOK NOW") on your website page within the main design canvas. Click directly on the button and select Manage Button.
• Actions: 
  • In the Button Content window, select Web address under the "Set what the button links to" section.
  • Paste your unique Cloudbeds Booking Engine URL into the provided field.

Ensure that inquiries from potential guests are reaching your team by configuring where your website's contact form sends messages.

• Navigation: Locate the Contact Form on your website page within the main design canvas. Click on the form and select Manage Form.
• Actions: 
  • In the Contact Form Content window, select the Submission tab.
  • Click on New submission notification and enter the email address(es) where you want to receive guest messages in the Email Target field.
  • You can also customize the Email subject line to help you easily identify website inquiries in your inbox.

Optimizing your page titles and meta descriptions is essential for improving your website’s visibility in search engine results. The AI Assistant can generate these automatically for all your pages at once.

• Navigation: In the side panel of the editor, click the SEO (magnifying glass) icon and select Page SEO.
• Actions:
  • Click the Generate Meta Tags button in the top-right corner. You can choose to Generate Missing Tags Only or Generate Tags for All Pages.
  • The AI SEO Assistant will generate suggestions based on your property profile. Review the suggested titles (recommended 55 characters or less) and meta descriptions (recommended 160 characters or less).
  • Finalizing: Click Next, then click Save Meta Tags to apply the changes to your site.

Image Alt Text (Alternative Text) describes your property photos for search engine crawlers and guests using screen readers. Using the AI Assistant to bulk-generate this text ensures your site is both accessible and optimized.

• Navigation: In the side panel of the editor, click the SEO (magnifying glass) icon and select Image Alt Text.
• Actions: 
  • Click the Generate Alt Text button in the top-right corner. You can choose to generate text for Missing Alt Text Only or for All Images.
  • The AI will analyze each photo and suggest a descriptive caption. Review these descriptions to ensure they accurately reflect your property.
  • Finalizing: Once the AI finishes generating, click Save Changes.

This path allows you to buy a new domain name directly through the Cloudbeds interface.

• Navigation: After clicking the Publish button, a Choose your website domain window will appear. Select Get a New Custom Domain.
• Action: Enter your desired domain name in the search field to check its availability. If the domain is available, click Get it ->.
• Registration: Complete the Registration to Own form by providing your contact information, including your first and last name, phone number, email, and address. These details are required by ICANN regulations to verify domain ownership.

If you already own a domain from a third-party provider, follow these steps to link it to your new Cloudbeds site:

• Navigation: After clicking the Publish button, select Use a Domain You Already Own from the available domain options.
• Action: Enter your domain name in the provided field and click Continue. The system will then analyze your domain to determine the best connection method.
• Setup Path: Select your domain provider from the list to begin an automated connection. If your provider is not listed, or you prefer to configure it yourself, scroll to the bottom of the list and select Go to our manual setup.
  • Manual Configuration: If you choose the manual path, copy the provided CNAME and A records (IP addresses) and paste them into your domain registrar's DNS settings portal.
  • Verification: Once you have updated the records with your registrar, return to the Cloudbeds editor and click the button: I have added 3/3 records above to my domain provider.
• Finalizing: Click Done. Please note that it can take up to 24 hours for DNS changes to propagate globally before your site is fully accessible on all devices.