Skip to main content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.trellistech.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

​
One inbox for all your conversations

Stop switching between supported PMS threads, WhatsApp, SMS, and email to keep up with messages. Trellis brings supported channels into a single, organized inbox so your team can work from one timeline.

​
How the inbox is organized

The inbox automatically sorts your conversations so you can focus on what needs attention right now.
Conversations that need your attention - unread messages, items assigned to you, and anything flagged as urgent. Start here every day.

​
Supported channels

Trellis brings together messages from all the places your guests, owners, and vendors reach you:

Airbnb

Guest messages from Airbnb, synced through your PMS.

Booking.com

Booking.com guest messages, automatically imported.

VRBO / Expedia

Conversations from VRBO and Expedia guests.

WhatsApp

Direct WhatsApp conversations with guests, owners, and vendors.

Email

Email threads organized alongside your other conversations.

SMS

Text message conversations with guests and team members.

Voice calls

Make and receive phone calls directly from the Trellis mobile app. Call history and details appear alongside your other conversations.
Every message shows which channel it came from, so you always know how a guest reached out. Replies are sent back through the same channel automatically.

​
Voice calls

Call guests, owners, and vendors directly from the Trellis mobile app - no need to switch to your phone’s dialer or look up contact numbers.

​
Making a call

1

Open a conversation

Navigate to any conversation in your inbox on the Trellis mobile app.
2

Tap the call button

Tap the phone icon in the conversation header to start a call with the contact.
3

Talk and manage the call

Use the in-call screen to mute, use the keypad, or put the call on speaker. Hang up when you are done.

​
Receiving calls

When someone calls your Trellis number, an incoming call screen appears on your mobile device. You can accept or decline the call directly from the notification.
Voice calls are available on the Trellis mobile app. Make sure you have notifications enabled so you never miss an incoming call.

​
Connecting email accounts

​
Gmail

Connect your Gmail accounts so email conversations appear in the inbox alongside messages from other channels. Trellis supports multiple Gmail accounts per workspace - useful when different team members or departments use separate email addresses.
1

Go to email settings

Navigate to Settings → Email and find the Gmail section.
2

Connect an account

Click Connect Gmail and sign in with the Google account you want to use. Trellis requests permission to read and send emails on your behalf.
3

Add more accounts (optional)

Repeat for each Gmail address your team uses. Each connected account appears in the list with its email address and connection status.
Once connected, incoming emails arrive in your inbox automatically. You can disconnect any account at any time from the same settings page.
Each Gmail account is listed separately so you can see at a glance which addresses are active. Disconnecting one account does not affect the others.

​
Setting a default inbox per email address

If you use different email addresses for different purposes - for example, one for guest inquiries and another for owner communications - you can assign a default contact type to each address. When an inbound email arrives, Trellis automatically tags the sender with the contact type you chose, so the conversation appears in the correct inbox filter.
1

Open email settings

Navigate to Settings → Email and find the email address you want to configure.
2

Choose a default contact type

Select a contact type from the dropdown - Guest, Owner, Vendor, or Prospect. This tells Trellis how to categorize new contacts who email this address.
3

Save your changes

Click Save. From now on, every new inbound email to this address automatically assigns the selected contact type to the sender.
This is especially useful when you have a dedicated address for owner communications (e.g., [email protected]). Set its default contact type to Owner and every new sender is automatically categorized - no manual tagging needed.
The default contact type only applies to new contacts. If the sender already exists in your contact list, their existing contact type is preserved.

​
AI-powered replies

This is where Trellis really shines. When a guest sends a message, your AI agent can draft a reply in seconds - using your property details, house rules, check-in instructions, and past conversation context.

​
How it works

1

Guest sends a message

A new message arrives in your inbox from a supported channel - Airbnb, WhatsApp, email, or SMS.
2

AI analyzes the context

The AI looks at the guest’s reservation, the property they are staying at, your house rules, and the conversation history to understand what they need.
3

AI drafts a reply

A response is generated using your agent instructions, knowledge base, and property details. The draft appears in the conversation thread.
4

You decide what happens next

Depending on your autopilot settings, the reply is either sent automatically or held for your review.

​
Reviewing AI replies

When the AI drafts a response, you have full control:
ActionWhat it does
ApproveSend the AI’s draft exactly as written
EditModify the draft before sending - fix a detail, adjust the tone, add a personal touch
RejectDiscard the draft entirely and write your own response
EscalateFlag the conversation for a manager or senior team member to handle
We recommend starting in review mode - where you approve every AI reply before it is sent. Once you are confident in the AI’s responses, switch to autopilot mode for routine messages and keep review mode for sensitive conversations.

​
Escalations

Some conversations need a human touch. Trellis makes sure the right issues get to the right people.

​
What triggers an escalation?

The AI recognizes situations it should not handle on its own - complaints, refund requests, safety concerns, legal questions, or anything outside its instructions. It automatically flags these for human review.
Any team member can escalate a conversation by clicking the Escalate button. This is useful when a conversation takes an unexpected turn.
You can set up automations that escalate conversations based on specific conditions - for example, escalate any message containing the word “refund” or any conversation that has been waiting for more than 2 hours.

​
What happens when a conversation is escalated?

When a conversation is escalated:
  1. It appears in the Escalations view so managers can find it quickly
  2. The assigned manager or team member receives a notification
  3. Optionally, a task can be created to track the resolution
  4. The escalation is logged so you can review patterns over time

​
Blocking unwanted senders

Keep your inbox clean by blocking specific email addresses or patterns. Blocked senders are silently filtered - their messages never reach your inbox or trigger AI replies.

​
How to block a sender

1

Open your email settings

Go to Settings → Email and scroll down to the Blocked Senders section.
2

Add a blocked pattern

Click Add and enter the email address you want to block - for example, [email protected].
3

Choose exact or pattern matching

By default, the address is matched exactly. Turn on Regex if you want to block a pattern - for example, .*@spam\.com blocks every address ending in @spam.com.

​
What happens to blocked messages?

Blocked emails are dropped before they enter your inbox. They will not:
  • Appear in any conversation thread
  • Trigger AI replies or automations
  • Create notifications for your team
Use pattern matching to block entire domains at once. For example, adding .*@marketing\.example\.com as a regex pattern blocks every sender from that domain.
Regex patterns are powerful - double-check your pattern before saving to avoid accidentally blocking legitimate senders. A simple typo could filter out important messages.

​
Conversation sidebar

When you open a conversation, the sidebar on the right shows everything you need to know about the guest and their stay - without switching screens.

​
Reservation details

Each reservation card in the sidebar displays the booking dates, property, number of guests, and financial summary. Below that, you will see:
  • Reservation notes - information collected during booking such as flight details, arrival times, and special requests. If your PMS or check-in tool captures guest data (like Charge Automation), those details appear here automatically.
  • Custom fields - any reservation-level custom fields synced from your PMS, such as pet information, pool heating preferences, or vehicle details. Boolean fields display as “Yes” or “No” for easy scanning.
When new reservation data has synced from your PMS, it appears in the sidebar without switching screens. Refresh the conversation if you are checking a change that was just made in the PMS.

​
Pulse tab

The Pulse tab on the conversation sidebar shows every action the AI agent took in the context of that conversation - tasks created, messages sent, reservations updated, and more. Click any action to see the activity details, the trigger that started it, and the response it generated. For more details on the Pulse feed, see Pulse - AI activity feed.

​
Quick reply

You can send a message directly from the conversation sidebar without switching back to the main thread. A message input appears at the bottom of the sidebar - type your reply and press Enter to send. Use Shift + Enter to add a new line.
Quick reply is handy when you are reviewing reservation details in the sidebar and want to respond to the guest immediately - no need to scroll back to the conversation thread.

​
Messaging from a reservation

When you open a reservation detail sidebar - from the inbox, a workflow run, or anywhere else a reservation is linked - the Chat tab now shows the full guest conversation inline, along with a reply composer at the bottom. Previously, the Chat tab sent you to a separate tray to continue the thread. Now you can read recent messages and reply in place without leaving the reservation you were reviewing.
  • Scroll through the thread to see the latest back-and-forth with the guest
  • Type a reply and press Enter to send (use Shift + Enter for a new line)
  • Replies go out on the same channel the guest used to reach you
Use this when you are checking a guest’s check-in date or custom fields and realize you need to respond - you can answer right from the reservation without opening a second view.

​
Working with conversations

​
Assigning conversations

Assign conversations to specific team members so everyone knows who is responsible. Click the assignee field in any conversation to assign or reassign it.

​
Auto-assigning new conversations

Trellis can automatically assign new conversations to the right team member as soon as they arrive - so messages never sit in a shared inbox waiting for someone to pick them up. When a new conversation comes in, Trellis looks at the channel, the contact type (guest, owner, vendor), and the property to decide who should own it. The conversation appears in that team member’s Todo view immediately, and the assignee can change at any time from the conversation header.
Auto-assignment is based on the rules and team structure you’ve configured. If no rule matches, the conversation stays unassigned in the All view so anyone on the team can pick it up.

​
Bulk actions

When you have a backlog of conversations to clear, select multiple at once instead of opening each one individually.
1

Select conversations

Hover over a conversation in the list and click the checkbox that appears, or use the checkbox at the top to select every conversation in the current view.
2

Choose an action

A toolbar appears showing the actions you can take on the selected conversations - for example, Mark as done moves every selected conversation out of your Todo view in one click.
3

Confirm

The change applies to every selected conversation and the list refreshes.
Bulk Mark as done is the fastest way to clear out promotional emails, automated booking confirmations, or any other conversations that don’t need a reply.

​
Sending email attachments

When you start a new email from the inbox, attach files directly from the new-message dialog - useful for sending invoices, signed agreements, photos, or any other document a guest, owner, or vendor needs.
1

Start a new message

Click New message in the inbox and pick Email as the channel. The From picker always appears so you can confirm exactly which address the email is being sent from - handy when your workspace has multiple inboxes, and reassuring even when there’s only one.
2

Attach your files

Click the attachment button below the message body and pick one or more files. Each attached file appears as a chip you can remove before sending.
3

Send

Write your message and click Send. The recipient receives the email with every attached file.
Attachments are limited to a combined size of 25 MB per email. If you go over the limit, the dialog flags the issue before you send so you can remove or resize files.

​
Replying to a specific message

When a guest sends several messages in a row - or you need to clarify which point you’re answering - you can reply directly to a specific message in the thread.
1

Right-click the message

Right-click (or long-press on touch devices) any message in the conversation timeline. A context menu appears.
2

Choose Reply

Select Reply to message. The composer at the bottom of the thread opens with a quoted preview of the message you picked.
3

Type and send

Write your response and send it. The reply goes out attached to the original message, so the guest sees exactly which point you’re addressing.
Use this when a guest fires off multiple questions at once - replying to each one inline keeps the conversation clear and avoids missed details.

​
Reading full emails

When viewing an email conversation, hover over any email message and click the expand button to open it in a full-screen view. The expanded view shows the complete email headers - subject, from, to, cc, and date - along with the full message body. You can Reply, Reply All, or Forward directly from the expanded view without going back to the conversation thread.

​
Viewing the full email thread

Some email conversations span dozens of replies between multiple people. To see the entire thread in one place - including every reply, forward, and participant - open the Email thread view from any email message in the conversation. The thread view groups every email in the conversation chronologically, with quoted replies collapsed by default so you can scan the new content quickly. Expand any quoted section to see the full history, or jump to a specific message using the participant list at the top.
Use the email thread view when a guest references something earlier in the conversation - you can pull up the original message without scrolling through the entire inbox thread.

​
Resizing the email preview

Email messages in a conversation thread show a preview of the message body. If the default preview height is too short or too tall for your preference, you can resize it:
  1. Hover over the top or bottom edge of any email card - you will see a drag handle appear.
  2. Click and drag up or down to adjust the preview height.
  3. Release to set the new height.
Trellis remembers your preferred height, so it stays the same when you switch between conversations or come back later.
Drag the preview taller when working through long email threads to read more content without expanding each message individually.

​
Following up later

Not ready to respond? Click Follow Up to move the conversation to your Follow Up view. Set a reminder so it pops back into your Todo at the right time.

​
Tagging conversations

Tags are a flexible way to label conversations so your team can find them later, group similar issues, or build views around recurring topics - things like VIP, Refund, Long stay, Maintenance follow-up, or anything else that matters to your operation.
1

Open a conversation

Click any conversation in your inbox.
2

Add a tag

In the conversation sidebar, click the tag field and start typing. Pick an existing tag from the list, or type a new name and press Enter to create one on the fly.
3

Apply or remove

A conversation can carry multiple tags at once. Click the × on any tag to remove it.
Once a tag exists, it shows up in the suggestion list everywhere - so the next teammate who needs it doesn’t have to remember the exact name.

​
Filtering the inbox by tag

Every conversation tag becomes a filter in the inbox. Open the filter menu at the top of any inbox view (Todo, Follow Up, All, or Escalations) and pick one or more tags to narrow the list to only conversations carrying those labels. This is useful for triaging recurring topics - for example, see every conversation tagged Refund in one click, or pull up all VIP threads before a busy weekend.

​
Managing tags

Manage your full library of conversation tags from Settings → Tags. From there you can:
  • Rename a tag - the new name updates everywhere it is applied
  • Change a tag’s color so it stands out in the conversation list and sidebar
  • Delete a tag you no longer need - it is removed from every conversation it was applied to
Conversation tags are separate from contact tags and task tags. Each lives in its own library so labels stay relevant to where they are used.

​
Searching past conversations

Use the search bar at the top of the inbox to find any conversation by guest name, property, booking reference, or message content. Filters let you narrow results by channel, date range, status, or assignee.
Press ⌘F (Mac) or Ctrl+F (Windows) anywhere in the inbox to jump straight into the search bar. The shortcut works on both the conversation list and inside an open conversation, and the filter menu tucks itself away while you type so the results stay in view.

​
Finding a conversation by reservation

When you need to pull up a thread for a specific booking - and you only have the reservation code in hand - use the By reservation filter in the inbox filter panel. It accepts the confirmation or booking reference exactly as it appears in your channel, and matches conversations against that code only - your guest names and message bodies are left out of the match, so the result list stays focused. The filter recognizes reservation codes from supported connected channels, including:
  • Airbnb booking references (for example, HMABCD1234)
  • Booking.com confirmation numbers
  • Vrbo / HomeAway confirmation codes and channel reservation IDs
  • Krossbooking reservation codes (for example, 9946/2024)
  • Hostaway and other connected PMS confirmation codes
The reservation filter works even for brand-new inquiries - if a guest just messaged in and the booking is still syncing from your PMS, the conversation will still surface as long as the code has reached Trellis through a supported connected channel.
It is a separate input from the main search bar, so you can combine it with other filters - channel, status, assignee, date range, or tags - to narrow the list further. Clear the input or remove the chip to drop the filter.

​
Translating guest messages

When a guest writes in a language your team doesn’t speak, Trellis can translate the conversation on the fly so you can read and reply with confidence. Translation works across supported channels that land in your inbox - chat from OTAs and SMS, email (both plain text and styled HTML), voice transcriptions, and connected messaging channels.

​
How it works

Auto-translation is off by default. Once you turn it on for your account, Trellis translates every message in a conversation into your interface language as soon as you open it - no extra steps. With it off, you can still translate any conversation on demand using the language selector at the top of the timeline.
1

Open a conversation

Pick any conversation in your inbox. With auto-translate on, any messages in another language are translated into your interface language as soon as the conversation loads.
2

Switch reading language for a single thread

Use the language selector at the top of the conversation to change languages on the fly. The entire timeline re-translates without losing context.
3

Read every message in your language

Trellis translates each message in the timeline - chat bubbles, email bodies, voice transcripts, and messages from other channels - so you can scan the full thread without switching tools.

​
Turning auto-translate on or off

Each team member controls their own auto-translate preference, so operators who prefer to read messages in their original language can opt out without affecting the rest of the team.
1

Open your account menu

Click your avatar in the top-right corner of Trellis.
2

Toggle Auto-translate messages

Use the Auto-translate messages switch to turn automatic translation on or off for your account.
Auto-translate is off by default. When it’s off, conversations open in their original language and you can still use the language selector at the top of any conversation for one-off translations. Turn the switch on whenever you want every conversation to translate automatically.

​
What to expect

  • Original text is always preserved. Translations sit alongside the original message, not in place of it. For HTML emails, Trellis shows a “Translation” panel above the original styled email so you can compare side by side.
  • Messages already in your language are left alone. If a guest writes in the same language you’re reading in, Trellis shows the original message as-is - no unnecessary round-trip translation.
  • Long messages translate in full. Multi-paragraph guest messages, long emails, and lengthy booking templates are translated end to end from the original message body - no mid-message cut-offs.
  • A short “Translating…” hint appears while a message is being translated, so you know when the result is ready.
Switch your reading language at any time - the entire conversation re-translates so you can flip between languages without losing context.
Auto-translation in the inbox covers guest message content. Internal notes, status chips, and AI activity cards stay in your interface language.

​
Tips for inbox success

Start with review mode

Let the AI draft replies, but approve them yourself for the first week or two. This helps you fine-tune your agent instructions and build confidence in the AI.

Use escalation rules

Set up automations to catch high-priority issues early - refund requests, complaints, and safety concerns should never sit unanswered.

Keep your knowledge base updated

The better your agent instructions and property details are, the more accurate the AI’s replies will be. Update check-in procedures and house rules whenever they change.

Check Escalations daily

Make it a habit to review the Escalations view at least once a day. These are the conversations that need your personal attention.