Controlling When the Bot Replies
The bot waits a configurable number of seconds before sending a reply. During that window you can step in and respond manually â the bot will then stay silent for the next 15 minutes so your conversation is not interrupted.
How the reply delay works
When a guest sends a message, the bot does not reply immediately. Instead, it waits for a short delay before processing the message. If the guest sends several messages in a row, the timer resets with each new message, so the bot only replies once the guest has finished typing.
There are two separate delays depending on the reservation type:
| Reservation type | Default delay | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmed reservation | 30 seconds | Reply delay â normal reservations |
| Inquiry (pre-booking) | 1 second | Reply delay â inquiries |
Replying manually before the bot does
If you send a reply through Hostaway during the delay window, the bot will cancel its queued response and stay silent. Beyond that, the bot will not engage at all for the next 15 minutes after any outbound message from your team â so you can finish your conversation without the bot interrupting.
This 15-minute window resets every time you send a message. Once 15 minutes pass without any outbound activity, the bot resumes handling incoming guest messages automatically.
Adjusting the reply delay
Go to Settings â General in your dashboard and scroll to the Messaging section. You will find two fields:
- Reply delay â normal reservations (seconds) â how long the bot waits before replying to a confirmed guest. Default: 30 s.
- Reply delay â inquiries (seconds) â how long the bot waits before replying to a pre-booking inquiry. Default: 1 s.
Enter the number of seconds and click Save. The new delay takes effect immediately for all subsequent messages.
When the bot will not reply at all
In addition to the reply delay, the bot also skips a message entirely when any of these conditions are true:
- Your team sent a message to the guest in the last 15 minutes (human inactivity window â bot is snoozed).
- A support case is open for this reservation and a team member has taken over handling.
- The last message in the thread was sent by your team, not the guest.
- AI bot message processing is disabled in Settings â General.