A guest cannot open their booking link, or the booking now shows Expired. This article explains why the link stops working, what you can check yourself, and how to get a replacement link issued.
Before you begin
Access to Guest experience and Bookings.
The booking reference, which is shown as BKG followed by the number at the top of the booking.
Confirmation from the guest of the email address the link was sent to.
What you need to know
Why the link stops working
A booking created through the flexible booking journey is held by a booking expiry timer that belongs to its product group. If the booking is not confirmed before the timer runs out, it expires and the unit is released for sale. The link the guest was emailed then no longer opens a live booking.
A link can also fail for reasons that have nothing to do with expiry, most often because the guest's email application is blocking it. Rule that out first, because it is quicker to fix.
Check the booking status first
Go to Guest experience, then Bookings.
Find the booking and open it.
Read the status on the booking. Tentative means the timer has not run out and the existing link may still work. Expired means the hold has lapsed.
Go to the Checklist tab and note which items are still Pending, so you know what the guest still has to complete.
If the booking is still Tentative
The link is probably being blocked rather than expired. Work through Troubleshooting inaccessible links in offer or payment emails, which covers unclickable buttons and links that open an error page.
If the booking shows Expired
A new link can be sent from the booking itself.
Go to Guest experience, then Bookings.
Find the booking and open it.
Select Resend link. The guest receives a new link at the email address on the booking.
Where Resend link does not appear, or the guest still cannot open the new link, raise it with Ava, the Lavanda AI Support Agent, from the blue chat bubble at the bottom right of any page or from Need help? in the left navigation. Give the booking reference.
When would you use it
A guest says their booking link no longer works, or opens an error page.
A booking has moved to Expired and the guest still wants the room.
A guest never received the email carrying their link.
You need to know whether to troubleshoot the email or ask for a new link.
Things to note
Requesting a new link does not bring back an expired hold on the unit. Check the unit is still available before you promise it to the guest.
The expiry length is set on the product group, not on the booking, so it is the same for every booking in that product group.
A booking that has expired keeps its record and the guest details. Nothing the guest entered is lost.
Self-serve link retrieval is not available today, so every request goes through Support.
Where the guest can still open their link but has not finished, Send booking checklist reminder emails them about the items still outstanding. That is a different tool from Resend link.
Find out more
Article | What it covers |
The stages, the statuses and the expiry timer, in one place. | |
What to do when the link is blocked by the guest's email application. | |
When the guest has paid but the booking has not confirmed. | |
Check whether the email carrying the link was actually sent. |