Site Settings

Configure your property's settings including business information, timezone, messaging preferences, and notification defaults.

Overview

Setting Area

Description

General

Property info, timezone

Staff

Permissions, auto-archive, custom fields

Cleaning

Room credits, zones, cleaner actions

Guest

Automation, messaging, surveys, reviews

Checkin

Contactless check-in configuration


Accessing Settings

  1. Go to Admin > Settings

  2. Navigate using tabs:

    • General

    • Staff

    • Cleaning

    • Guest

    • Checkin

Note: Integrations (PMS, Twilio, Stripe, etc.) are configured at Admin > Integrations, not under Settings.


General Settings

Property Information

Field

Description

Display Name

Public name shown to guests

Country

Country location

Website

Property website URL

Timezone

Important: Set this correctly for automations and scheduling.

  1. Go to Admin > Settings > General

  2. Find Timezone dropdown

  3. Select your property's timezone

  4. Click Save

Affects:

  • Automation send times

  • Check-in/check-out times

  • Report timestamps

  • Scheduled job execution


Staff Settings

Configure staff permissions and workflow automation. Access at Admin > Settings > Staff.

General Sub-Tab

Role-Based Permissions

Setting

Description

Enable role-based permissions

When enabled, permissions are enforced based on user roles

When disabled (default), all staff have full access. When enabled, Staff/Manager/Admin roles determine what each user can see and do.

See User Roles & Permissions for details.

Auto-Archive Notes and Tasks

Reduce clutter by automatically archiving completed tasks and notes:

Option

Description

Do not auto-archive

Keep all notes/tasks visible

After 1-90 days

Archive completed items after specified days

Note: Incomplete tasks are never auto-archived.

Checklist Generation Pause

Stop generating new checklists if recent instances had no tasks completed:

Option

Description

After 3-10 incomplete

Pause after this many consecutive unused checklists

This prevents clutter from unused recurring checklists.

Custom Fields Sub-Tab

Define custom field values used throughout HelloShift:

Field Type

Used For

Cash Count Shifts

Track AM, PM, Night Audit shifts

Lead Types

Categorize sales leads (Group, Extended Stay, LNR)

Lead Sources

Track where leads come from (Referral, Web, Event)

Lead Statuses

Lead progression (Potential, Qualified, Customer, Lost)

Opportunity Statuses

Deal stages (Initial, Proposal, Negotiation, Closed)

Item Types

Inventory categories (Linen, Guest Supply, Equipment)

To add a custom field value:

  1. Go to Admin > Settings > Staff > Custom Fields

  2. Find the relevant section

  3. Type the new value and click Add

  4. Use pencil icon to edit, trash icon to delete


Guest Settings

Configure guest communication, surveys, and reviews. Access at Admin > Settings > Guest.

Automation Sub-Tab

Hotel Front Desk Hours

Setting

Description

Begin (24-Hour)

When front desk opens (e.g., 7)

End (24-Hour)

When front desk closes (e.g., 23)

Away Message

Send automatic reply outside office hours

Tip: If you have a 24-hour front desk, leave Away Message unchecked and use the AI Assistant Configuration instead.

Hotel Checkin/Checkout Hours

Setting

Description

Check-Out (24-Hour)

Default checkout time (e.g., 11)

Check-In (24-Hour)

Default checkin time (e.g., 15)

Used to automatically issue and revoke digital keys.

Automation Message Hours

Setting

Description

Begin (24-Hour)

Earliest send time (e.g., 8)

End (24-Hour)

Latest send time (e.g., 21)

Leave blank for unrestricted. Restricts when Jobs and Triggers send messages to avoid disturbing guests.

Messaging Sub-Tab

Guest Notification

Setting

Description

Notify only Front Desk

Only Front Desk receives new guest message alerts

Unchecked

All staff with messaging access are notified

Desktop Sound

Setting

Description

Sound on desktop notifications

Play sound when new guest message received

Reply Signature

Option

Result

Blank

Auto-signature: "– [FirstName]"

Custom text

Your text appended (e.g., "– John, Front Desk")

Single dash (-)

No signature

Order of Channels

Choose channel priority for automated and triggered messages:

Priority

Description

SMS → Email

Try SMS first, fall back to email

SMS → WhatsApp → Email

Try SMS, then WhatsApp, then email

WhatsApp → SMS → Email

Try WhatsApp first

Email Only

Only use email

Note: WhatsApp appears as option only when integration is active.

Surveys Sub-Tab

Guest Score

Configure in-stay satisfaction survey scoring:

Setting

Description

Low Score

Minimum score value (e.g., 1)

High Score

Maximum score value (e.g., 5)

Cutoff Score

Scores at or below this trigger staff alerts

How it works:

  • Scores ≤ cutoff → Alert to staff for recovery

  • Scores > cutoff → Can trigger review collection

Reviews Sub-Tab

Review Dashboard Links

Add your property's review URLs. Guests see these options in post-stay messages:

Platform

Description

TripAdvisor

Your TripAdvisor review URL

Google

Your Google Business review URL

Facebook

Your Facebook page review URL

Booking

Your Booking.com review URL

Expedia

Your Expedia review URL

HelloShift generates a Review Dashboard link that shows all configured review options.

Custom Fields Sub-Tab

Guest Types

Define guest categories for personalized service:

Examples

Use Case

VIP

High-priority guests

Loyalty Member

Repeat guests

Corporate

Business travelers

To add guest types:

  1. Type the guest type name

  2. Click Add


Checkin Settings

Configure contactless check-in. Access at Admin > Settings > Checkin.

See Contactless Check-in Setup for complete setup guide.

Brand Sub-Tab

Customize the guest-facing check-in experience:

Theme Colors

Setting

Description

Primary Color

Main accent color

Secondary Color

Secondary accent color

Background Color

Page background color

Brand Images

Setting

Description

Hotel Logo

Your property logo (recommended 250px wide)

Guidebook Splash Image

Background image for guidebook (recommended 1024px wide)

Guidebook Sub-Tab

Control what guests see on the guidebook:

Setting

Description

Display Chat Widget

Show chat widget for guest-staff communication

Display Checkin Button

Show check-in button on guidebook homepage

Display Shop Link

Show shop link in navigation (requires Stripe)

Display Tip Button

Show tip button on guidebook and reviews (requires Stripe)

Checkin Steps Sub-Tab

Enable or disable each step in the check-in flow:

Step

Description

Options

Who Is Coming

Guest count and names

Enable, Skippable

Identity

ID verification

Enable, Skippable

Choose Document Type

Select ID type

Enable, Skippable

Document Upload

Upload ID photo

Enable, Skippable

Registration Card / Agreement

Digital signature

Enable, Select Agreement, Skippable

Special Request

Parking, pets, upgrades

Enable, Skippable, Custom questions

Payment

Collect payment/deposit

Enable, Skippable, Terms text

Each step can be:

  • Enabled/Disabled - Include or exclude from check-in flow

  • Skippable - Allow guests to skip without completing

Kiosk Sub-Tab

Set up self-service kiosk devices:

Setting

Description

Kiosk URL

Secure URL for kiosk devices (copy to tablet browser)

Generate Token

Create new kiosk authorization

Regenerate Token

Create new URL (invalidates old devices)

Revoke Token

Disable all kiosk access

Allow Partial Confirmation

Let guests search by last 4+ digits of confirmation

Custom Fields Sub-Tab

Checkin Document Types

Define which document types guests can select:

Examples

Description

Passport

International travel document

Driver License

State-issued ID

Document ID

National ID card

To add document types:

  1. Type the document type name

  2. Click Add


Cleaning Settings

Configure housekeeping and room cleaning options. Access at Admin > Settings > Cleaning.

General Sub-Tab

Room Status Sync

When connected to a PMS that supports room status push:

Setting

Description

Room Status Push

Enabled/Disabled - sync room status changes to PMS

When enabled, room status changes in HelloShift automatically sync to your PMS.

Credits Sub-Tab

Room Credits by Cleaners

Set daily credit capacity for each housekeeper:

Column

Description

Cleaner

Housekeeper name

Sunday-Saturday

Credit limit for each day (e.g., 5, 6, 0 for day off)

Used for workload balancing during auto-assignment.

Room Credits by Cleaning Task

Set credit values per cleaning task and room type:

Row

Columns

Cleaning Task

Each task type (Clean, Deep Clean, etc.)

Room Types

Credit value for that task on each room type

Example: "Deep Clean" on "Suite" = 2.0 credits, "Clean" on "Standard" = 1.0 credit.

Zones Sub-Tab

Zone Distances

Configure distances between zones for route optimization:

  • Matrix shows all zone pairs

  • Enter relative distance values (1-10)

  • Used by auto-assignment to minimize travel

Max Zones Per Cleaner

Setting

Description

Max Zones

Maximum number of zones a cleaner can be assigned

Leave blank for unlimited. Set a value to limit zone spread during assignments.

Custom Fields Sub-Tab

Cleaner Actions

Define cleaning task types available for assignment:

Default Actions

Description

Clean

Standard room cleaning

Light Clean

Touch-up or refresh

Deep Clean

Thorough deep cleaning

To add custom actions:

  1. Type the action name

  2. Click Add

  3. To attach a checklist, create a checklist with the same name as the action


Saving Settings

Auto-Save vs Manual Save

Some settings auto-save; others require clicking Save or Update:

Type

Behavior

Toggles

Usually auto-save

Text fields

Require Save button

Dropdowns

Require Save button

Connections

Save after OAuth

Validating Changes

After saving:

  1. Refresh the page to confirm

  2. Test affected features

  3. Monitor for issues


Best Practices

Initial Setup

  1. Set timezone first: Critical for scheduling

  2. Configure business hours: Sets expectations

  3. Connect integrations: PMS, then messaging

  4. Enable check-in steps: Based on your needs

Ongoing Maintenance

  1. Review quarterly: Settings may need updates

  2. Update hours: For seasonal changes

  3. Check integrations: Ensure connections are active

  4. Audit permissions: Remove unnecessary access


Troubleshooting

Changes not taking effect

Possible Causes:

  • Didn't click Save

  • Browser cache

  • Permission issue

Solutions:

  • Verify Save button clicked

  • Refresh browser/clear cache

  • Check admin access

Timezone wrong

Symptoms:

  • Automations sending at wrong times

  • Reports show incorrect times

Solutions:

  • Update timezone setting

  • Save and verify

  • Allow time for cache to clear


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