# Create and Publish a Direct Booking Website

## What the Website Module Does

The **Websites** module helps you create a guest-facing direct booking website from the content already inside SympleHost. You can feature listings, services, tours, experiences, direct booking checkout pages, and brand information without building a separate site from scratch.

Use this when you want guests to:

- Browse your properties or services from one branded website.
- Book directly instead of only through OTAs.
- See your logo, photos, business description, contact details, FAQs, and social links.
- Pay through SympleHost checkout when payments and direct booking settings are ready.

If you do not see **Websites** in the left sidebar, the module may not be enabled for your account yet.

![The Websites module in the SympleHost sidebar with a website dashboard showing edit, settings, preview, offerings, and performance areas](/screenshots/websites/website-dashboard.png)

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## Before You Start

Prepare these items first:

| Item | Why It Matters |
|------|----------------|
| **Listings or services** | Your website needs at least one property or service to show. |
| **Direct booking enabled** | Selected listings and services must be published and available for direct booking before guests can book them. |
| **Payment gateway** | Connect Stripe or your available payment gateway if you want guests to pay online. |
| **Brand assets** | Logo, hero image, gallery images, brand colours, and a short description. |
| **Domain choice** | Choose a short, memorable SympleHost subdomain for your public website. |

You can save a draft while you are still collecting content. Publish only when the website, offerings, payments, and booking rules are ready.

---

## Create the Website

1. Open **Websites** from the left sidebar.
2. Click **Create Website**.
3. Follow the setup wizard.

The setup flow walks you through:

| Step | What You Add |
|------|--------------|
| **Business information** | Business name, tagline, description, logo, hero image, and gallery images. |
| **Content selection** | Listings and services you want to feature. |
| **Template and style** | Website template, colours, and fonts. |
| **Subdomain** | Your public SympleHost website address. |
| **Review and publish** | Final checks before the website goes live. |

---

## Add Business Information

Use this step to explain who you are and what guests can book with you.

Add:

- **Business name**: The name guests should see in the website header.
- **Tagline**: A short phrase that explains your offer.
- **Description**: A clear introduction to your brand, location, property type, or services.
- **Logo**: PNG or JPG, up to 2 MB.
- **Hero image**: The main image used to introduce the website.
- **Gallery images**: Up to 5 supporting images.

Keep the description practical. Mention the destination, style of stays or services, and why guests should book directly.

---

## Choose Listings and Services

Select the properties and services you want to display on the website.

Important: a listing or service may appear in the admin setup, but it still needs to be ready for direct booking before guests can book it publicly. If a selected item is not published, inactive, archived, or direct booking is disabled, SympleHost will stop you from publishing or show it as unavailable.

![A website settings screen showing a publish warning that selected listings must be published and available for direct booking](/screenshots/websites/website-publish-requirements.png)

Use this check:

| If You Want To Sell | Check This First |
|---------------------|------------------|
| A property stay | Listing is active, not archived, priced, available, and direct booking is enabled. |
| A service or tour | Service is published, has pricing, availability, and direct booking enabled. |
| Online payment | Payment gateway is connected and checkout settings are complete. |

---

## Select Template and Style

Choose the template that best matches what you sell.

Then adjust:

- Accent, background, and text colours.
- Heading font and body font.
- The overall look of your guest-facing pages.

Pick a template based on the guest journey. For example, a villa portfolio needs strong imagery and property cards, while a tour or experience business may need service cards and clear booking paths.

---

## Choose a Subdomain

Your subdomain becomes the public address for the website.

Subdomain rules:

- Use lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens.
- Start and end with a letter or number.
- Use 3 to 63 characters.
- Avoid double hyphens.
- Avoid reserved words such as `admin`, `support`, `checkout`, `app`, or `help`.

Choose something guests can recognise easily, such as your business name or destination brand. The subdomain is checked for availability before you publish.

---

## Review and Publish

Before publishing, confirm:

1. Business name and description are complete.
2. At least one listing or service is selected.
3. Selected offerings are published and direct-bookable.
4. Logo, hero image, and gallery images look correct.
5. Subdomain is available.
6. Payment and direct booking settings are ready.

Click **Publish** when everything is ready.

After publishing, open the public website in a new tab and test the guest journey from homepage to checkout.

![A guest-facing direct booking page created from SympleHost website content](/screenshots/websites/public-booking-page.png)

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## Related Articles

- [Customize Website Branding and Content](/platform-guides/customize-website-branding-and-content/)
- [Set Up Checkout Pages and Direct Booking Links](/platform-guides/set-up-checkout-pages-and-direct-booking-links/)
- [Embed Booking Widgets on Your Existing Website](/platform-guides/embed-booking-widgets-on-your-existing-website/)
- [Managing Partial Payments and Deposits](/platform-guides/partial-payments-and-deposits/)