Once upon a time, different listing channels operated like old-fashioned newspaper classified ads. When a guest wanted to make a reservation, they would send their contact details, and you could handle the rest.
Those days are gone. Today, channels prefer to keep control over guests and their information to charge ongoing fees to both sides. Instead of providing confirmed email addresses, they create temporary "proxy" addresses that they filter and control. These look like 883263@guest.booking.com.
In 2023, Airbnb removed the platform (a.k.a. proxy or pass-through) email address function. Message Airbnb guests through Airbnb Messaging. Airbnb doesn't allow hosts to ask Airbnb guests for contact details unless a law, a homeowners association (HOA) rule or an allowed rental agreement requires it. See Airbnb Guest Contact Info and Airbnb House Rules.
While we do have access to proxy email addresses, we do not store or display them in the inbox or bookings associated with the guests. Here's why:
- Proxy email addresses represent a booking, not the guest record. This matters because guest info might include multiple emails or bookings across properties. You'll have many proxy emails, but none truly link to the guest outside the booking.
- Proxy email addresses are useless after booking ends because they expire and can't be used to contact guests later. They only follow the booking, leading to a guest contact list filled with worthless addresses. This makes building your guest contact info very difficult.
- Proxy email addresses often break even when bookings are active or upcoming, causing bounces, bad forwards, and stripped info. Long proxy server use can block last-minute guest updates. We recommend users get a real email to avoid these issues.