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What is the First Impressions Topic?
You only have one chance to make a great first impression.
Things like unclear door lock instructions, an outdated WiFi code, or small issues on arrival can impact your guest's experience and lead to poor reviews or missed repeat bookings.
The First Impressions Topic (called First impression in the new Hub) helps you stay ahead of this.
It's a special type of topic that allows you to collect your guests' first impressions shortly after check-in.
This gives you the opportunity to:
Spot and fix issues early
Respond quickly if something isn't right
Make sure your guests are having a great stay
Here's an example of how it appears in the guest view:
When a guest submits their response, an email with the details is sent to the notification address(es) you've added.
ℹ️ The First Impressions Topic is included on some plans only. In the new Hub, if your plan doesn't include it, it shows a lock icon in the widget list.
Add a First Impressions Topic in the new Hub
Open your guidebook's Guidebook Content tab and expand the subcategory where you want the topic to appear.
Click Add Topic to [your subcategory name].
Under Widgets, click Browse widgets, select First impression and click Add.
On the Content tab, give the topic a name (e.g. "Your First Impressions"), add the message guests will see before leaving a rating, and optionally change the Rating system label and Rating title.
On the Settings tab, under Contact collection:
Set E-mail address field is: and Phone number field is: to Mandatory or Optional.
Answer the marketing question: Yes if you want to collect contact details for marketing (you'll then need a privacy policy link), or No if you only want to collect feedback.
Add the email address(es) where you want to receive the ratings and comments.
Save the topic.
Add a First Impressions Topic in the legacy Hub
Go to the Content Hub
Open the subcategory where you want the topic to appear
Click the three dots or use the + Add Topic option at the bottom of the subcategory level
Select Special Topics
Choose First Impressions Topic
Set up your First Impressions Topic: it works just like any other topic. You can customise:
Topic name: This is what guests will see (e.g. "Your First Impressions")
Add email recipients
Enter the email address(es) where you want to receive the first impressions rating and comments
Click Add Email if you want to include more than one recipient
Choose marketing settings
Select Yes if you want to collect emails for marketing → you'll need to add a Privacy Policy link (see Collecting contact details (marketing settings) below)
Select No if you only want to collect feedback
Advanced options (optional)
You can customise how the rating appears:
Edit the rating button text (e.g. "Leave your rating")
Edit the rating stars label (e.g. "Your first impressions:")
You can also choose which fields are required:
Phone number
Email
Add your topic content (the message guests will see before leaving a rating)
Activate the All guides tag if you want this topic to appear in every guide
Click Submit
Collecting contact details (marketing settings) ⚠️
When using a First Impressions Topic, you can choose whether to collect guest contact details for marketing purposes.
Select Yes if you plan to use guest details for marketing
Select No if you only want to collect feedback
If marketing is enabled, you'll need a Privacy Policy link to stay GDPR-compliant.
How can I create a Privacy Policy link?
If you don't already have one, you can:
Create your policy using a free generator like Termly, PrivacyPolicies.com, Iubenda or ChatGPT
Publish it on your website or social page.
Add the link in your First Impressions topic settings so guests can view it before sharing their details.
Include these key points:
What personal data do you collect (e.g. name, email)
Why do you collect it (for guide access, marketing updates, etc)
How you store and protect the data
How users can unsubscribe or request their data
ℹ️ Note: Check the data protection rules for your country, as requirements may vary
💡 Important for Airbnb bookings
Airbnb has rules around:
Promoting direct bookings outside the OTA
Collecting guest contact details for marketing purposes
Asking guests to leave reviews on other platforms
If you are sharing your guide with Airbnb guests, we recommend using OTA Compliance Setting
👉 This helps ensure your setup remains aligned by adjusting what guests see and how their data is handled.
How do I encourage users to submit their first impressions rating?
A simple reminder at the right time can make a big difference in getting responses. Here are a few ways you can remind your guests to share their first impressions:
Option 1 — Use your own messaging system
Send a message shortly after check-in with a direct link to leave a rating
👉 Learn how to get a deep link to any section of your guide
Option 2 — Use Message Hub
Send your message using Message Hub
Include a deep link to the rating topic in your message template so guests can open it directly
Keep the message short and easy to read
Option 3 — Use a QR code
Create a QR code linking to the rating topic
Place it in your property so guests can scan it
👉 Learn how to create QR codes
Example messages to send to guests
If sending via email:
Hello Jane,
Now that you've checked in, we'd love to hear your first impressions 😊
👉 Click here to leave a quick rating: [insert deep link]
(5 means everything is as expected)
If anything isn't quite right, this helps us fix it quickly and make sure you have the best possible stay.
Thank you!
If sending via text/sms:
Hello Jane, hope everything is as expected 😊
We'd love your first impressions, please leave a quick 1–5 rating here:
👉 [insert deep link]
Thank you!
Downloading guest responses
Guest responses are stored securely in your account.
New Hub: go to General settings → Downloads and use Rating/Email Capture Topic responses.
Legacy Hub: go to Guides → Downloads, select Rating / Email Capture Topic responses, use the filters to choose the topics, guides and time period, and download the data as a CSV file.
The download will indicate if permission was given by the user for their details to be used for marketing purposes.
VIDEO: The First Impressions Topic explained
🤝 Need help?
Our Fin AI assistant is available 24/7 and typically responds in under 10 seconds. If Fin isn't able to solve your issue, our support team will take ownership of your case from there.
You can also reach out to our team at [email protected], and we'll be happy to help.