Common Issues & Questions

One of OwnerRez's most powerful features is our Messaging. Guest communication is crucial to a successful guest experience, and making full use of the OwnerRez messaging feature is key. This article lists common questions and answers about Messaging that are not covered elsewhere and will be added to over time.

Learn more by reading our Messaging Overview support article. If you haven't read that first be sure to do that. If you don't see your question covered in this support article, see our Triggers Common Issues & Questions and SMS Common Issues & Questions support articles.

• How do I add a link to my email templates?
• How do I send my email template to multiple email addresses?
• How do I send files with my email template?
• How do I fix my ugly URL?
• How do I use the Editor HTML Mode?
• Help - my guest says my link doesn't work.

How do I add a link to my email templates?

Incorporating links to other web pages in your email templates can improve guest communication. The easiest way to add a link is to highlight your text and click on the Insert/edit link icon.

The Insert/Edit Link popup allows you to select either a Custom Web Address or a Field Code to add to your template.

Let's review the other available fields in the Insert/Edit Link popup.

• URLs need the https:// prefix to work correctly, so it's easiest to copy and paste the URL into that field rather than attempting to type it out manually.
• The Text is the text displayed on your template.
• The Title field displays the text in your template when hovering but also allows individuals using screen readers to access the information. 
• The Target dropdown list determines whether the link takes you directly to the linked webpage or not.
  • Not Set (default) takes you directly to the linked webpage
  • Open link in the same window takes you directly to the linked webpage
  • Open link in a new window opens your link in a new tab

Conversely, you can remove the link by clicking your link and clicking on the Remove link icon.

How do I send my email template to multiple email addresses?

Generally, the "To" field of an email template will use a field code containing an email address, such as {CEMAIL}. Both field codes, and the "To" field itself, can handle lists of email addresses separated by commas and semicolons.  For instance, the {CEMAIL} field code will contain all of a guest's email addresses that are recorded for them in OwnerRez.

So, if you want someone else to be CC'd on certain messages, you can put something like this in the "To" field: {CEMAIL}, fancy@fancyrentals.com. 

Note that email templates do not support BCC, so all recipients of your emails will be able to see the email addresses of all other recipients of the same email.

How do I send files with my email template?

OwnerRez does not currently support attachments on emails because we've seen issues with deliverability with attachments -- emails going to spam folders more often, etc. Instead, you can upload files to your account so you can include links to those file in the email template.

The easiest way to do this is to use the Upload button when composing the template. If you upload an image, it will display directly in the email. If you upload a different kind of file, such as PDF, it will embed a link in the email that the guest can click to load the file.

A modal pop-up window will appear allowing users to either Drag and Drop a file, Select File from their computer or Paste an Image.

Files selected will be added to the body of the email template with a link with the same name.

You can also upload a file to your account's Files section and then reference it separately in your email. Here's how you do that.

Navigate to your Account Files section (Settings > Advanced Tools > Account Files) to upload a file.

Select the Upload Files button.

Once the file is uploaded, from the Actions drop-down list, select Copy Public Link to copy a public link to the file.

Back in the email template, use the Insert/Edit Link or chains icon to create a link to the file.​

An Insert/Edit Link pop-up window will appear, allowing users to add the copied link to their account file. Click Update.

Files selected will be added to the body of the email template with a link with the same name.

How do I fix my ugly URL?

But, I don't like that ugly URL!

By default, when a file is uploaded into OwnerRez' servers, it's given a random name and location something like this:

https://uc.orez.io/w/images/20df4836355d487daf1718ff4603da91.png

This works, but sometimes you want something a little nicer looking - and if you are using the OwnerRez Hosted Website, there's a way to do it.

Navigate to Settings > My Website > Hosted Websites, and select the website with the domain name you want to use.

Select the Redirects tab and click on Create a Redirect.

 On the Create Hosted Website Redirect page, complete the following.

• From the Type drop-down list, select Exact Match.
• In the From field next to your domain name, enter a nicer name for your file.  Do not put any spaces in the name though.
• Select the "Custom URL" option, and in the adjacent field, enter the full ugly URL from the Copy Public Link above.

Click on Save. You can now use the nicer name, at your own domain name, as the URL for your file.  It'll automatically be forwarded to the right place.

If you later want to update the file to a new version, you can do that while retaining the same friendly link by completing the following.

• Upload a new file, which will have its own ugly Public Link URL.
• Use Copy Public Link (as above) to get the full ugly URL.
• Edit the redirect and change the value in the "Custom URL" option to point to the new URL. Wherever you've used the pretty name in the From field will automatically link to the updated version of your file at the new ugly URL.

How do I use the Editor HTML Mode?

HyperText Markup Language or HTML is the standard markup language for documents designed to be displayed in a web browser and offers increased design flexibility over the OwnerRez rich text editor. If users are comfortable with using HTML, OwnerRez recommends that they use the HTML mode in the Email Template rich text editor.

Users can locate and select the HTML mode in the Email Template rich text editor in the banner of the email template banner with the < > icon.

The HTML Source Editor will pop open, allowing users to add elevated design elements. Users should note the following.

• Users can turn off the Word Wrap (defaulted to on) checkbox, which allows long words to be broken up and wrapped onto the next line.
• Be sure to click on Update to save any changes made in the HTML Source Editor, but remember that users still need to Save their email template when the HTML Source Editor is closed.

Help - my guest says my link doesn't work.

There may be a couple of things at play here, but your first step is to try the link yourself. Does it work? Great. Ask your guest to try again.

If the link does not work, some troubleshooting may be necessary.

• Did you ask your guest to "copy and paste" the plain-text URL address into another browser tab? This may solve your problem. Perhaps the guest was attempting to "click" on the plain-text URL address.
• Maybe the plain-text URL address was "wrapped" (as mentioned in the Editor HTML Mode section), and the plain-text URL address was broken up into more than one line? Perhaps the guest didn't "copy" the complete plain-text URL address.
• Some browsers limit the number of characters allowed in a link. For example, both Chrome and Internet Explorer browsers limit URL characters to 2,083. OwnerRez automatically shortens URL characters, but checking the number of characters in your URL may be worthwhile.

Consider reviewing the Ask Channel Booking Guest Without Contact Info, to Provide Contact Info and Sign Renter Agreement support article for more information.