On April 24, 2024, we updated the app's URL and implemented a new in-app sidebar menu to enhance user experience. Over the past year, OwnerRez gradually introduced changes in preparation for this major update. During the rest of the year, we will make other design changes to enhance the user experience further. We will document those changes here as they are released.
Due to the new design, many support articles and videos in the OwnerRez Support Center have outdated screenshots. We are aware and are working to update these as soon as possible.
What hasn't changed?
While the sidebar, top, and profile menus have been moved or look dramatically different, the app pages have remained the same (for now).
What's changed?
OwnerRez moved much of the top menu to a new sidebar menu on the left. This sidebar includes many previous top menu items along with some new additions. The top menu now features simplified icons, and some menu locations have been moved for more straightforward navigation. Here's how the new OwnerRez layout looks.
The app's URL was also updated. Let's review all of these changes one by one.
New URL
New look, new URL! We've changed the app's URL (i.e., subdomain) from secure.ownerrez.com to app.ownerrez.com.
Why change the URL? All OwnerRez site pages are secure, so having "secure" in the URL is redundant. Many apps use "app." in their URL to let users know they are in the main application, so we wanted to do the same thing. If muscle memory still causes you to type in secure.ownerrez.com, you will be redirected to app.ownerrez.com.
This update also lays the groundwork for the much-anticipated push notifications feature. Coming soon, you can receive notifications sent straight to your iOS or Android devices!
With this change, users may have to enter a two-factor verification code to initially log into app.ownerrez.com to set up a new browser cookie (i.e., "security handshake").
Please Note: You may have to overcome other hurdles, depending on what you use in your own "tech stack." Because of this, OwnerRez recommends that users review the following to ensure that regular logins work effectively on all devices.
- Update OwnerRez URLs in browser-stored sites/passwords and/or Password Managers (e.g., 1Password, Dashlane, Google Password Manager, LastPass, Keeper)
- Update browser bookmarked OwnerRez URLs (even though secure.ownerrez.com-based ones will forward to app.ownerrez.com)
- Delete any Progressive Web App shortcuts and re-save them to prevent any redirecting.
Sidebar Menu
This new sidebar menu on the left provides more in-app visual space or "real estate."
Let's take a look at the old pre-April 2024 top menu.
Here is the new sidebar menu navigation. Notice how you can collapse the sidebar menu by clicking on the "hamburger" icon inside the sidebar menu or by clicking OwnerRez (when open) or OR (when closed) to give you more space, but click it again to expose it when necessary. When the sidebar menu is closed, the menu icons remain visible, and each menu item is identified by name when you hover over the icon on a desktop computer.
It includes all of the previous top menu items. With more space available, all CRM sub-menu items (Inbox, Contacts, and Reviews) have been promoted, and Settings is back. The Team Access and Billing sections have also moved to the sidebar.
On mobile devices, we've maximized the "visual" space; tooltip names are not visible when the sidebar menu is closed or collapsed.
Of course, your in-app OwnerRez experience may differ depending on your specific device, operating system, and browser.
Now, let's talk about the specific menu changes.
The new sidebar menu navigation now includes the following options: Inbox, Contacts, Reviews, Settings, Team Access, and Billing. Bookings, Quotes, Inquiries, Reports, and PM (if activated) remain included in the new sidebar menu navigation. The menu icons help identify each item on the sidebar menu when closed.
Below the sidebar separator line, you will find Properties, Settings, Team Access, and Billing (Team Access Staff users will not see Billing).
Users with thousands (999+) of inbox messages and inquiries will notice that we've truncated the unread counts displayed on the menu.
The updated top navigation menu now features more icons to provide a clean and modern appearance. Top navigation menu items now include Your Business Name, Announcements, Help, Search, Tools, and My Profile.
Let's review all of them, left to right.
On the left, you can toggle the sidebar menu open or closed by clicking on the "hamburger" icon inside the menu, or you can click OwnerRez (when open) or OR (when closed) to collapse or open the sidebar navigation menu. Next to that, your business name is displayed.
Announcements
Moving to the right, the bell icon will take you to Announcement History. In the future, the Bell icon will serve another purpose.
Here, you can see previous in-app announcements and filter to view the history by category as needed.
Help
Next is the Help icon. While it has changed from a black background with a white question mark to grey, this question icon should look familiar as it is similar to the pre-2024 OwnerRez layout.
When the Help question icon is clicked, the Help menu will appear as a right-side flyout menu. Although the Help menu has remained the same, the flyout menu has been expanded, providing more visual space.
Search
We replaced the pre-2024 search box with a magnifying glass icon.
Clicking on the Search magnifying glass icon opens the Search options as a right-side flyout menu. The Search flyout menu now includes valuable tips on boolean search operators. You can exit the Search tool by clicking the upper right grey X.
Tools
Next up is the Tools wrench icon.
Like most other top menu navigation icons, the Tools wrench icon opens the Tools menu as a right flyout. All menu items remain the same, but we moved the Deposits menu item up to a more prominent position. You can exit the Tools menu by clicking the upper right grey X.
Quick and Create Quote
The Quick Quote (on the Tools menu) and the Bookings > + Create Quote pop-ups have been redesigned for a cleaner and fresher look. Instead of two individual arrival and departure date selectors, it now has one combined and outlined input date selector.
Four of the Tools menu items, the Direct Rate Tester, the Channel Rate Tester, the LOS Checker, and the Rate Checker, received some love with our June 5th release.
These four important Tool menu items used to open up in pop-ups. Now, they open as full pages, allowing for increased visual space and more readable results!
For instance, the Rate Checker displays all dates without having to scroll across your screen to see the rates.
And, the LOS (Length of Stay) Checker can now display all rates on one page with less horizontal scrolling if you collapse the left navigation menu.
The Find or Create a Guest pop-up also got a refresh! At the top, the guest record is highlighted by a subtle grey background, and many of the guest fields now have icons rather than text labels.
And finally, the Status column warning and error icons in the Listing Quality Analyzer (LQA) results were updated with more rounded icons.
My Profile
Finally, the green circle My Profile icon on the far right displays your initials in white text.
When clicked, all the same menu items appear, just like the pre-2024 My Profile menu.
Secondary Menus
Secondary sidebar menus (e.g., Properties, Settings, etc.) have been tweaked a bit. The selected menu item is still shown in green text but is now highlighted with a gray bar.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Are you a fan of old-school keyboard shortcuts? Many of us are! OwnerRez has added a few new in-app keyboard shortcuts to trigger global actions that will work on corresponding in-app pages.
/- Open the in-app Search flyout (as long as you are not using a rich text editor or input element)Ctrl + /- Open the in-app Seach flyout menu at all timesCtrl + Alt + F- Moves cursor to the Select Ribbon Calendar Property Filter (available if more than one property)
What's coming next?
These changes were long in the works, and as you get used to them, they hopefully enhance your in-app experience. We have other changes coming, so stay tuned to this support article, as it will be updated to feature these new changes!