| Purpose | Use this article to answer common questions about Booking Engine settings, filter visibility, Booking Engine URLs, calendar behavior, and troubleshooting. |
| Best for | Property admins, general managers, marketing managers, revenue managers, and users who manage Booking Engine settings. |
| Use this when | You need help when a Booking Engine setting, filter, calendar option, promo code field, or shared Booking Engine link is not showing or not behaving as expected. |
| You need | Access to Cloudbeds PMS, permission to view or edit Booking Engine settings, and your property ID when contacting Cloudbeds Support. |
| Expected result | You can confirm expected Booking Engine behavior, identify what to check, and know which related setup article to open next. |
| Important limit | Booking Engine settings apply only to the Cloudbeds Booking Engine. They do not change OTA settings, distribution channel content, or channel mapping. |
Introduction
This FAQ helps you troubleshoot common questions about the Booking Engine Settings page and related guest-facing Booking Engine behavior. Use it when a setting does not appear to work as expected, when a filter does not display, or when you need to understand how Booking Engine URLs, calendars, promo codes, or Group Booking Engine links behave.
This article focuses on frequently asked questions and troubleshooting. For a general explanation of each tab and setting, see Booking Engine Settings page overview.
Settings on this page apply only to the Cloudbeds Booking Engine. They do not change how your property appears on OTAs or other distribution channels.
Will changing Booking Engine settings affect what guests see?
Yes. Saved changes can affect how your Booking Engine appears or behaves for guests, depending on the setting you edit.
Changes are not applied until you save them. If something does not appear as expected after saving, review the related setting and confirm it is configured correctly.
To learn where each setting is located, see Booking Engine Settings page overview.
Where can I find a specific Booking Engine setting in Cloudbeds PMS?
Go to Account Menu → Settings → Booking Engine → Settings. Booking Engine settings are grouped by category, so select the tab that matches the setting you want to review.
For a tab-by-tab list of settings, see Booking Engine Settings page overview.
If you are still unable to find a specific setting, contact Cloudbeds Support.
Why is my Booking Engine filter not showing after I enabled it?
A filter may not appear if it does not have the required information to display options to guests. Check the filter type first:
- Amenities filter: Confirm that at least one accommodation has amenities configured at the accommodation level. If no accommodations have amenities, the filter has nothing to display.
- Accommodation type filter: Confirm that your accommodation types are configured in Cloudbeds PMS.
- Guest occupancy filter: Confirm the Guest occupancy filter setting is not set to No.
If the setting is enabled and the filter still does not appear as expected, contact Cloudbeds Support with your property ID and a screenshot of the Booking Engine.
Why do non-matching accommodations still appear after guests apply a filter?
Some Booking Engine filters prioritize matching accommodations instead of hiding all non-matching results. This means matching accommodations appear first, while other available accommodations may still appear lower in the results and remain bookable.
For example, when a guest filters by amenities or accommodation type, the Booking Engine helps guests compare their best matches without removing other available options from the booking flow.
Learn more about filter behavior in Cloudbeds Booking Engine Plus: Filters, Logic, and Guest Steppers.
Why can't I save Booking Engine settings?
If you are having trouble saving Booking Engine settings, start with these checks:
- Clear your browser cache and try again in an incognito/private window.
- Verify you have the correct user permissions to edit Booking Engine settings.
- Check your plan tier, as some settings may not be available for all Cloudbeds packages.
If the issue persists, contact Cloudbeds Support and include your property ID and a description of the issue.
How do I change the first day of the week on the Booking Engine calendar?
Change the first day of the week from your property's system preferences. The Booking Engine availability calendar and date pickers reflect the Start week on day selected under Account → Settings → System → Preferences in the Miscellaneous Preferences section.
Because this is a property-wide preference, any change here applies automatically to both the PMS and Booking Engine calendars.
For a detailed overview, see Choose Your Calendar Start Day in Cloudbeds PMS Settings.
Why is the Booking Engine calendar showing the wrong first day of the week?
The Booking Engine calendar should match the Start week on selection saved in your property's system preferences. If it does not match, check the following:
- Verify the Start week on selection is saved correctly in Settings → System → Preferences.
- Perform a hard refresh of the Booking Engine page or clear your browser cache.
If the problem persists, contact Cloudbeds Support with your property ID and a screenshot.
How do I add or remove languages on my Booking Engine?
You can choose which languages are available to guests on your Booking Engine from the Supported languages setting.
- Go to Account Menu → Settings → Booking Engine → Settings.
- Open the Advanced tab.
- Find Supported languages.
- Select the languages you want guests to use on the Booking Engine.
- Save your changes.
After a language is selected and saved, guests can choose it from the Booking Engine language selector.
Only selected languages are available to guests in the Booking Engine language selector.
To learn where the Supported languages setting is located, see Booking Engine Settings page overview.
Can I set default check-in and check-out dates on my Booking Engine link?
No. The standard Cloudbeds Booking Engine link does not include default check-in or check-out dates, and there is no setting to configure default stay dates for all guests.
When you share your standard Booking Engine link, guests choose their stay dates directly on the Booking Engine.
A standard Booking Engine link looks like this:
- https://hotels.cloudbeds.com/reservation/<your-property-code>
In some cases, the system may add a currency parameter to the URL:
- https://hotels.cloudbeds.com/reservation/<your-property-code>?currency=usd
This currency parameter does not set stay dates. Check-in and check-out dates are added to the URL only when a guest, or someone creating a customized link, selects dates first and then copies the full URL.
To share a Booking Engine link with preselected dates, create a customized link by selecting the desired dates on the Booking Engine and copying the full URL from your browser.
How do I create a Booking Engine link with preselected dates, guests, filters, or promo code?
You can create a customized Booking Engine link by opening your Booking Engine, applying the date, guest, filter, or promo code selections you want, and copying the full URL from your browser.
- Open your Booking Engine and use the calendar date picker to select the desired check-in and check-out dates.
- Click Filters if available, set the number of guests, and click Apply.
- Optional: Click Promo Code to enter a promo or group code, then click Apply.
- After the page reloads with your selections, copy the full URL from your browser's address bar.
The copied link will include parameters such as checkin, checkout, guests, and, if used, your promo/group code. For example:
https://hotels.cloudbeds.com/reservation/<your-property-code>?currency=usd&checkin=2026-01-29&checkout=2026-01-31&guests=2
Customized links work only when you share the full URL that already contains the selected parameters.
How can I create special Booking Engine URLs for groups, room types, rate plans, or promo codes?
Cloudbeds supports special-purpose Booking Engine URLs for specific booking scenarios, such as group allotment blocks, room types, rate plans, and promo codes.
Group Allotment Block URLs (Groups Add-On)
From the Groups module, you can generate a unique Booking Engine URL for each Definite Allotment Block. Guests who use this link will see only the rooms and dates allocated to that block. See Manage Group Allotment Blocks for setup instructions.
Advanced parameters for room types, rate plans, and promos
You can also build advanced Booking Engine URLs using parameters such as room_type, checkin, checkout, guests, adults, kids, rate_plan, and promo. These let you:
- Send guests directly to a specific room type.
- Show only a particular rate plan or base-rates-only view for the selected room.
- Apply a promo code automatically so guests see the related promotional rate plan.
- Pre-fill all stay details and redirect guests straight to the confirmation/checkout page.
For the full list of supported parameters, see How to redirect your guests to a particular room type and/or rate plan in Cloudbeds PMS.
How do I offer one Booking Engine link for multiple properties?
The standard Cloudbeds Booking Engine displays availability for one property only. If your business manages two or more properties under an Organization, you automatically have access to the Group Booking Engine (GBE), which consolidates all properties in one link.
Need a Group Booking Engine? First, your properties must belong to an Organization. If you haven't set one up yet, learn more about Organizations here. Once active, follow Where can I customize the Group Booking Engine and How to add the Group Booking Engine to your website.
Where can guests enter a promo code on the Booking Engine?
Guests can enter a promo code in the Booking Engine search panel. The promo code field appears near the date and guest selectors.
Desktop: The promo code field is integrated directly into the horizontal search panel, allowing guests to apply discounts immediately without navigating into secondary menus.
Mobile: Guests tap Add Code within the mobile search panel. The field condenses into a small tag icon during active scrolling and expands again when the guest scrolls back up.
After a guest enters and applies a promo code, the button displays the applied code instead of the default label. For example, entering LOYAL updates the button to show Loyal.
Why is my Booking Engine promo code not visible or not working?
If the promo code field is not visible or a promo code is not working as expected, check the following:
- Clear your browser cache and refresh the page, especially on mobile devices.
- Confirm the promo code is correctly configured, active, and meets all conditions, such as dates, room types, and restrictions. See: Attach a promo code to a rate plan or package.
If the issue persists, contact Cloudbeds Support and include details and screenshots if possible.
Related articles
Use these articles to review Booking Engine settings, filter behavior, and related setup workflows.
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