Set up your site
Do these once, in order. Each step lists what you should see when it worked.
Make your copy1 min
- Sign in to Chrome with your Gmail account.
- Open the copy link from your welcome email and click Make a copy.
- Rename the new Sheet, for example "My Staycation Bookings".
You should see: your own Sheet with tabs named Settings, Listings, Extras and Bookings.Run setup2 min
- In the Sheet, click Extensions → Apps Script.
- Click Code.gs, choose setup in the dropdown next to Debug, then click Run.
- Click Review permissions, choose your account, then Advanced → Go to … (unsafe) → Allow. This warning is normal because the script runs in your own account.
You should see: "Execution completed" in the log at the bottom.Publish your website2 min
- Click Deploy → New deployment, then the small gear next to "Select type" → Web app.
- Set Execute as: Me and Who has access: Anyone, then click Deploy.
- Click Copy under the Web app URL (it ends in
/exec) and save it. This is your booking website.
Important: "Who has access" must be Anyone, or your guests will be asked to sign in to Google.Activate your license1 min
- In your Sheet's Settings tab, paste your license key next to License key (the last row).
- Click the menu Booking system → Check license. If you don't see the menu, refresh the page.
You should see: "License active. Your booking site is on." at the bottom right. Each key works on one copy only.Add your business details5 min
- In Settings, fill in your business name, host name, email, phone, address and GCash name and number.
- For your GCash QR: upload the image to Google Drive, share it as Anyone with the link, copy the link and paste it next to GCash QR image.
- Leave Bank details empty if you only accept GCash.
Add your stays and test10 min
- In Listings, replace the sample stays with yours. One row per property. Untick Active on samples you don't need.
- Open your website link in an Incognito window and make a test booking with your own email.
- Check the new row in Bookings, set its Status to Confirmed, and look for the emails. Then delete the test row.
Done. Share your website link on Facebook, Messenger and your page's "Book now" button.
Run your bookings
Everything is managed in your Google Sheet, on a computer or in the Google Sheets phone app. There is no separate login: you sign in with your Google account.
When a booking comes in
- You get an email titled "New booking … verify payment".
- Open the payment screenshot and check it against your GCash app.
- In Bookings, change the Status of that row.
- Collect the balance on check-in day.
Add or edit a property
- One row in Listings per property. Tick Active to show it.
- Price per night covers Base guests. Each guest above that pays the Extra guest fee per night, up to Max guests.
- Don't change a property's ID after it has bookings.
- Changes show the next time a guest opens or refreshes your site.
Add photos
- Upload photos to a Google Drive folder.
- Share the folder as Anyone with the link (Viewer).
- Right-click each photo → Share → Copy link.
- Paste the links in the Photos cell, separated by commas. The first is the cover.
Block dates
- Add a row in Bookings with a Ref, Status Blocked, the Listing ID, Check-in and Check-out.
- Type dates as
2026-12-24. Check-out is the morning after the last closed night. - To reopen, set Status to Cancelled or delete the row.
Add-ons and payment
- Extras tab: breakfast, extra mattress, late check-out. "stay" is a flat price, "guest" is per guest.
- Reservation percent in Settings sets how much guests pay upfront (20 = 20%).
Co-hosts and your phone
- Install the Google Sheets app and sign in with the same Gmail to manage bookings anywhere.
- To add a co-host, click Share in your Sheet and add their Gmail as Editor.
- Turn on 2-Step Verification on your Google account.
Video tutorials
Short screen recordings of each step. Videos marked "Coming soon" will be added here.
Questions
The answers to what new hosts ask most.
The copy link asks me to sign in
That's normal. Copying a Sheet needs a Google account. Sign in with your Gmail, then click Make a copy.
Google says the app isn't verified or is unsafe
This appears for every personal script. The "developer" it names is your own email. Click Advanced, then Go to … (unsafe), then Allow.
I don't see "setup" in the dropdown
Click Code.gs on the left first, then open the dropdown next to Debug.
I can't find my website link
In Apps Script, click Deploy → Manage deployments. The Web app URL ending in /exec is your site.
It says "Add your license key in the Settings tab"
Paste the key from your welcome email next to License key (last row of Settings, column B), then click Booking system → Check license.
It says "This license key is not valid"
Copy the key again from your email. Copy only the key, with no spaces before or after it.
It says "already used on another copy"
Each key works on one copy. If you made a new copy, message us and we'll move your key to it.
My website says "Online booking is not available right now"
Your license isn't active on this copy. Click Booking system → Check license and send us a screenshot of the message.
My site is stuck on "Preparing your perfect stay…"
Refresh the page, or open it in an Incognito window. Chrome signed in to several Google accounts can block it.
Guests are asked to sign in to Google
In Apps Script: Deploy → Manage deployments → pencil → Who has access: Anyone → Deploy.
Photos or my QR code don't show
Share the photo (or its folder) in Google Drive as Anyone with the link, and paste the file's share link, not the folder link.
I'm not getting booking emails
Check your Spam folder. Use Booking system → Send test email to me, and check the Host email in Settings.
Booked dates aren't crossed out on the calendar
The first row of the Bookings tab must start with Ref, Created, Status, Listing ID. If a header moved, put it back in place.
Can I change the design or colors?
The code is protected, so please don't edit it; edited code can stop your site and isn't covered by support. Message us for a custom design.
Can I remove the grey Google bar at the top?
It appears on every Google Apps Script site and guests can close it. It goes away if your booking site is embedded in another website; ask us about this.
Stuck on a step?
Send us a message with a screenshot of what you see. Include the step number from this page so we can help faster.