What is Guidebook PIN Authentication?

Guidebook PIN Authentication lets property managers and owners secure their guidebook content with a 4-digit PIN. Only guests with the PIN can open the guidebook, which adds security for sensitive information such as internal cleaning guides, guest instructions or private content.

🔶 Availability: PIN Authentication is available on some Touch Stay plans. If your plan doesn't include it, the PIN Access section shows a locked banner with an upgrade link instead of the PIN controls. The PIN screen guests see is currently only available in English.

Why use Guidebook PIN Authentication?

Some property managers want more control over who accesses their guidebooks. This feature helps by:

Allowing only guests with the PIN to access the guidebook.
Securing internal documents, such as cleaning guides or operational notes.
Keeping sensitive guest information private.
Offering an easy-to-use 4-digit PIN instead of complex passwords.

How it works

For guests (opening a protected guidebook)

When a guest opens a PIN-protected guidebook, they see a locked screen asking for the 4-digit PIN.
They enter the PIN and click Continue.
✅ If the PIN is correct, the guidebook unlocks straight away.
❌ If the PIN is incorrect, an error message appears and they can try again.

⚠️ Just a heads-up: guests only need to enter the PIN once per device, unless they switch browsers or clear cookies. They'll need to enter it again when opening the guidebook in a new tab, but not after a page refresh.

How to enable PIN Authentication

Log in to your Touch Stay account (legacy Hub).
Go to the Guides page and select the guidebook you want to protect.
On the Guide Details tab, find the PIN Access section.
Click Edit to open the setup window.
Create a 4-digit numeric PIN and click Save.

✅ Once enabled, only guests with the correct PIN can open the guidebook.

💡 Quick tips

Preview your guide from the Guide Details tab or Content Hub to see how the PIN screen looks to guests.
Share the PIN with your guests so they can unlock your guidebook.

Using Message Hub messages: insert the PIN into guest messages automatically with the {{guidebook_pin}} field code. The PIN is then included in guest emails or SMS invitations.
Manually: share the PIN through your own channels, such as email, SMS or booking confirmation notes.

⚠️ Copied a code with # in front? Older versions of this article showed the field code with # characters in front of it. The # is not part of the code and is never replaced, so your guests see it as plain text. Edit your template, delete the # characters and keep just the code in curly brackets.

FAQs

Is PIN Authentication mandatory?

No. It's an optional feature that you can enable or disable.

Can guests choose their own PIN?

No. Guests don't set their own PINs — you control the PIN settings.

Will guests have to enter the PIN every time they open the guidebook?

No. The PIN is required once per device, unless cookies are cleared or a different browser is used. Guests will need to enter it again when opening a new tab, but not after a page refresh.

Can I disable PIN protection later?

Yes. Click Edit in the PIN Access section, change the feature state to Disabled and click Save.

Is PIN Authentication included in my plan?

PIN Authentication is available on some plans. If your plan doesn't include it, you'll see a locked banner with an upgrade link in the PIN Access section.

⚠️ If you change to a plan that doesn't include PIN Authentication, PIN protection is switched off automatically on all your guidebooks, and they open without a PIN.

🤝 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] or submit a ticket from your Touch Stay account, and we'll be happy to help.

Guidebook PIN Authentication Explained (Legacy hub)