| Purpose | Troubleshoot unexpected Cloudbeds Booking Engine behavior and identify which setting, PMS preference, or guest-side factor controls what guests see. |
| Best for | Property admins, general managers, marketing managers, and revenue managers who manage or troubleshoot the Cloudbeds Booking Engine. |
| Use this when | A Booking Engine setting, guest-facing default, filter, calendar option, promo code field, or shared Booking Engine link is missing or not behaving as expected. |
| Requirements | Permission to view or edit Booking Engine settings when configuration changes are needed. |
| Expected result | You can confirm whether the behavior is expected, identify which part of Cloudbeds controls it, and know what to check or which related setup article to use next. |
| Limitations | Not every guest-facing Booking Engine behavior is controlled from the Booking Engine Settings page. Some behavior depends on other Cloudbeds PMS preferences or on the guest's browser. |
Introduction
This FAQ helps you troubleshoot Cloudbeds Booking Engine settings and guest-facing behavior when something is missing, unexpected, or controlled from a different part of Cloudbeds PMS. It covers settings, guest defaults, filters, calendars, Booking Engine links, and promo codes.
For a tab-by-tab explanation of settings available directly on the Booking Engine Settings page, see Booking Engine Settings page overview.
Booking Engine settings apply only to the Cloudbeds Booking Engine. They do not change OTA settings, distribution channel content, or channel mapping.
Table of contents
- Who this affects and how
- Booking Engine settings and troubleshooting
- Guest-facing defaults controlled outside Booking Engine settings
- Filters and search results
- Booking Engine links and URLs
- Promo codes
Who this affects and how
| Role | What to know |
|---|---|
| Property admins and general managers | Use the settings and troubleshooting and guest-facing defaults sections to identify which Cloudbeds setting or system behavior controls what guests see. |
| Marketing and revenue managers | Use the filters, Booking Engine links, and promo codes sections to understand how direct-booking options are presented to guests. |
Booking Engine settings and troubleshooting
Use these questions when you are working directly with the Booking Engine Settings page or when a saved setting does not appear to behave as expected.
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, see Booking Engine Settings page overview.
If you are still unable to find the setting, contact Cloudbeds Support. Include your property ID, a screenshot, the affected setting or Booking Engine URL, and the checks you already completed.
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 or 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. Include your property ID, a screenshot, the affected setting or Booking Engine URL, and the checks you already completed.
How do I add or remove languages on my Booking Engine?
You can choose which languages are available to guests 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.
Guest-facing defaults controlled outside Booking Engine settings
Some guest-facing Booking Engine behavior is controlled outside the Booking Engine Settings page. For example, the calendar start day comes from Cloudbeds PMS System Preferences, while the guest's pre-selected country follows separate Booking Engine defaulting behavior.
How does the Booking Engine choose the guest's default country?
The country pre-selected for a guest in the Cloudbeds Booking Engine is determined separately from the Use Default Country for Guest preference in Cloudbeds PMS.
When possible, the Booking Engine uses regional information from the guest's browser language or locale to choose a country. For example, a browser locale such as pt-PT can pre-select Portugal, while es-MX can pre-select Mexico.
This is not physical-location or IP-based geolocation. Because a guest's browser locale can differ from where they are physically located, the pre-selected country may not always match the guest's current location.
If the browser locale does not provide a usable country, the Booking Engine can fall back to the property's configured country. If no usable country can be determined, the field may remain empty for the guest to select manually.
Guests can change the pre-selected country before completing the reservation.
The Use Default Country for Guest preference is located under Account Menu → Settings → System → Preferences → Booking Preferences and applies to guest details created in Cloudbeds PMS. It does not control the country pre-selected in the Cloudbeds Booking Engine. See General System Settings.
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 Menu → Settings → System → Preferences in the Miscellaneous Preferences section.
The screenshot below shows where to find the setting in System Preferences.
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 Account Menu → Settings → System → Preferences.
- Perform a hard refresh of the Booking Engine page or clear your browser cache.
If the problem persists, contact Cloudbeds Support. Include your property ID, a screenshot, the affected setting or Booking Engine URL, and the checks you already completed.
Filters and search results
Use these questions when a Booking Engine filter is missing or when filtered search results still show accommodations that do not match the selected criteria.
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. Include your property ID, a screenshot, the affected setting or Booking Engine URL, and the checks you already completed.
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. 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.
For more detail about filter behavior, see Cloudbeds Booking Engine Plus: Filters, Logic, and Guest Steppers.
Booking Engine links and URLs
Use these questions when you need to understand what a standard Booking Engine link contains, create a customized link, or direct guests to a specific booking scenario.
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 a 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 or 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 or 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 Groups Booking Engine, which consolidates all properties in one link.
Need a Groups 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 Groups Booking Engine to your website.
Promo codes
Use these questions when guests need to enter a promo code or when the promo code field or an expected promotional rate does not appear.
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. Include your property ID, a screenshot, the affected setting or Booking Engine URL, and the checks you already completed.
Related articles
Now that you can identify which area controls the Booking Engine behavior you are reviewing, use these resources for deeper setup details about Booking Engine settings, accommodations, and advanced Booking Engine URLs:
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