> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.conduit.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Does your PMS carry your OTA messaging?

> Find out whether your OTA conversations arrive with your PMS connection or need connecting separately.

The answer determines whether you need to connect your OTA channels separately.

Some property management systems carry your OTA conversations as well as your bookings. Others carry only the bookings, and the messages have to be brought in separately. Both are common, and the difference only changes what you need to do next.

## Common systems

| Your system | Does it carry your OTA messaging? |
| - | - |
| Guesty | Yes |
| Hostaway | Yes |
| Lodgify | Yes |
| Beds24 | Yes |
| Streamline | No, bookings only |
| Track | No, bookings only |
| Opera Cloud | No, bookings only |
| RMS | No, bookings only |

The table covers the most common setups rather than every one. See [Messaging support by PMS](/setup/pms/connect-pms#messaging-support-by-pms) for the full list, or ask your onboarding contact, who can confirm which group yours falls into.

<Note>
  This only applies to your OTA conversations, meaning Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO and Expedia. Email, WhatsApp, text messages and your other channels are always connected separately, whichever system you use.
</Note>

## How to tell for yourself

If you are not sure which group you are in, the question to ask is whether your OTA accounts are connected to your property management system today.

If you already read and reply to your Airbnb or Booking.com messages inside your PMS, then your PMS carries your messaging, and it will pass those conversations on to Conduit. If you read those messages on the Airbnb or Booking.com website instead, or in a separate inbox, then your PMS is carrying bookings only.

## If your PMS carries your OTA messaging

There is very little to do in this case.

Once your property management system is connected, your Airbnb, Booking.com and VRBO conversations arrive in Conduit on their own. You do not need to connect those channels separately.

The one exception is Expedia, which is covered further down this page.

## If your PMS carries bookings only

Your reservations come through your PMS, and each messaging channel is connected separately so the conversations have somewhere to arrive. Conduit then matches each conversation to the right reservation.

There are three channels to consider. Connect only the ones you take bookings through.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Airbnb">
    Go to **Settings > Airbnb** under Channels and sign in to your Airbnb account.

    If you have more than one Airbnb account, repeat the same steps for each one, signing into a different account each time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Booking.com and VRBO">
    These two arrive by email, so they need your [email connected](/setup/channels/email/connect-email) first.

    Once your email is set up, go to **Settings > Connections > Add connection**, choose the channel you want, and select the email address you configured.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Expedia">
    Expedia messaging is available, but it is enabled at partner level rather than by you.

    There is nothing to do here yourself. Please tell your onboarding contact that Expedia is in scope and they will arrange it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Combinations to be aware of

Conduit prevents certain combinations, because mixing them would create duplicate guest conversations.

* A system that delivers guest messages cannot share a workspace with one that only supplies property and reservation data. If you need both, they must sit in separate workspaces.
* If Airbnb is your primary property management connection, you cannot connect another PMS alongside it.
* You can connect Airbnb directly at the same time as a PMS. If your PMS handles guest messages, those keep flowing through the PMS. If it does not, Conduit receives the Airbnb messages directly and matches them to your PMS reservations.

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="I have several Airbnb accounts. Does that work?">
    Yes. Connect them one at a time, signing into each account in turn. There is no limit on the number of accounts you can connect.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why do Booking.com and VRBO need my email?">
    Those channels send their guest messages to you by email rather than through a direct connection. Conduit reads them from the address you connect, which is why email comes first for those two.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My PMS is not in the table above.">
    Please ask. We work with more than 20 PMS providers  and the table lists the most common ones rather than all of them. Your onboarding contact can tell you which group yours is in straight away.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## What to do next

If your PMS carries your messaging, you can move on to your other channels such as email, WhatsApp and phone.

If it does not, work through the channels above that apply to you, then carry on to the rest of your channels. If anything is unclear, please bring it to your onboarding call and we will set them up together.


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