How Many Months Should You Open Your Calendar on Airbnb and Booking?
En résumé :
Platforms prioritize listings with longer availability windows - a closed calendar signals limited opportunity and reduces your visibility in search results.
Airbnb performs best with 9-12 months open calendar, while Booking.com heavily favors 12+ months availability for maximum exposure.
Three strategic approaches exist: 3-6 months (simple but limited visibility), 9 months (balanced), or 12+ months (maximum algorithmic advantage).
Calendar openness is a prerequisite but your listing quality determines actual conversions - use the Listing Analyzer to verify your listing is properly optimized before extending availability.
Why Calendar Opening Influences Visibility
When hosts think about calendar management, they often approach it from a control perspective: "How far ahead am I comfortable accepting bookings?" But this frames the question incorrectly. Your calendar opening isn\'t primarily about your comfort—it\'s a critical algorithmic signal that directly impacts how much exposure your listing receives.
What Platforms Really Want
Both Airbnb and Booking.com exist to facilitate bookings. Their algorithms are designed to maximize conversion—showing listings that are most likely to generate reservations. When a traveler searches for dates 6 months out and your calendar is closed, you\'re simply not an option. Your listing doesn\'t appear, doesn\'t get clicked, and sends no positive signals back to the algorithm.
🔍 Optimize Your Listing Before Opening Your Calendar
Opening your calendar creates booking opportunities—but only if your listing is properly optimized to convert those views into reservations. Before deciding on your calendar strategy, verify that your listing is algorithm-friendly using the Airbnb Listing Analyzer. Get a complete analysis in under 2 minutes.
Conclusion: How Many Months Should You Open?
For Airbnb: 9-12 months recommended. For Booking.com: 12 months minimum. Adjust prices, not visibility—keep calendar open and use pricing to manage demand.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many months should I open my Airbnb calendar?
For optimal visibility, open 9-12 months on Airbnb. This captures early planners and demonstrates flexibility to the algorithm.
Should I open 12 months on Booking.com?
Yes, Booking.com heavily weights calendar availability in its ranking algorithm. Opening 12+ months gives you a significant competitive advantage.
David
Short-Term Rental Expert
David is a recognized expert in short-term rental optimization with over 10 years of experience. He has helped hundreds of hosts maximize their bookings and revenue on Airbnb, Booking.com, and other platforms. His data-driven approach and deep understanding of booking algorithms have made him a reference in the industry.