Autopilot is the AI component of Minut Messaging. When a guest sends a question about check-in, Wi-Fi, parking, or anything else, Autopilot answers it automatically using the content you have added to its Knowledge base. It replies in a friendly, natural tone without copying your text verbatim. When it does not have a reliable answer, it escalates the conversation to you rather than guessing.
Autopilot is part of Minut Messaging, alongside the Inbox and Guest Journey. This article covers Autopilot specifically; how it works, how to build its Knowledge base, and how to handle escalations.
How Autopilot works
When a guest sends a message during their stay, Autopilot checks the question against your Knowledge base, composes a natural reply, and sends i; typically within seconds. The guest receives a response that sounds human, not like a template lookup.
Guest sends a message
Via WhatsApp, SMS, Airbnb inbox, or another connected channel; Autopilot picks it up immediately.
Autopilot checks the Knowledge base
It searches your Knowledge content; first content assigned to the specific unit, then the building or location, then organisation-wide content. The most relevant content is used to compose the reply.
Autopilot replies or escalates
If it has a reliable answer, it sends a reply. If the question is outside the Knowledge base, ambiguous, or sensitive in nature (a complaint, a request it cannot handle), it marks the conversation Unresolved and alerts you.
You resolve; Autopilot resumes
You reply in the Inbox and mark the conversation Resolved. Autopilot then takes over again for any subsequent messages in that thread.
Autopilot does not make things up. It only uses content in your Knowledge base. If an answer is not there, it will not guess; it will escalate. This is why building a thorough Knowledge base is the most important setup step.
Enable Autopilot
Autopilot is part of Minut Messaging and must be enabled before use. It is managed entirely from the web app at web.minut.com not from the mobile app.
Open Messaging
Sign in to web.minut.com → click Messaging in the left-hand menu. If you have not enabled Messaging yet, complete the onboarding first- see Messaging.
Turn Autopilot on
Go to Autopilot → Settings and toggle Autopilot on. This activates it organisation-wide; you can turn it off per conversation thread in the Inbox if needed.
A welcome WhatsApp message is sent to guests 1 hour before check-in when Autopilot is on and a WhatsApp channel is active
Build the Knowledge base
The Knowledge base is the source of truth Autopilot uses to answer guest questions. The quality and completeness of your Knowledge base directly determines how often Autopilot can answer without escalating and how accurate those answers are.
What to add first
Start with the questions guests ask most often. In most properties that is:
Check-in instructions | How to access the property; lockbox location, entry code, building access, parking instructions, elevator notes |
Wifi | Network name and password. This is the single most common guest question across all property types. |
How to get there | Directions from the nearest transport hub, station, or airport; especially for first-time visitors to the area |
House manual | How to operate the heating, hot water, dishwasher, washing machine, or any other appliances guests commonly ask about |
Local recommendations | Cafés, restaurants, supermarkets, and attractions near the property; guests ask for these frequently |
House rules | Noise policy, pet rules, smoking, guest capacity, and quiet hours; framed clearly so Autopilot can communicate them firmly but politely |
How do add content
Go to Messaging → Autopilot → Knowledge → click Add content
Type or paste your content. Write naturally; Autopilot will rephrase it to fit the conversation, so you do not need to write in a specific format.
Assign to the right scope
Choose whether the content applies to a specific unit, all units in a building or location, or the entire organisation. Autopilot uses the most specific content available for a given stay.
Wi-Fi passwords and door codes vary by unit; assign these to the specific unit. General recommendations can be organisation-wide.
How content scope works
Content scope | Priority |
Specific rental unit | Used first |
Building or location | Used next |
Organisation-wide | Broadest fallback |
For a guest in unit 3B, Autopilot uses content assigned to unit 3B first. If there is no relevant content there, it checks the building, then the organisation. This means you can write general content once at the organisation level (local cafés, general house policies) and property-specific content at the unit level (door code, specific appliance instructions) without duplicating anything.
Auto-import from integrations
If you have connected Airbnb, Smoobu, Hospitable, or Hostaway, listing content is automatically added to your Knowledge base when you first link the integration. You can also manually trigger an import using the Import button in the Knowledge tab.
Auto-imported content is a starting point, not a replacement. Listing descriptions are written for booking conversion, not for answering guest questions mid-stay. Review imported content and add the specifics guests actually ask about; door codes, appliance instructions, quiet hours; which typically are not in a listing description.
Test with preview
Before Autopilot handles real guest conversations, use Preview to check how it would respond to specific questions. This lets you identify gaps in your Knowledge base before a guest encounters them.
Go to Messaging → Autopilot → open the Preview panel on the right side of the screen
Select a rental unit to test against; Autopilot will use Knowledge content assigned to that unit and its location and organisation scope
Type a guest question as if you were the guest; for example: "What's the Wi-Fi password?" or "How do I get to the property from the airport?" or "Can I check in at 1pm?"
Evaluate the response
If Autopilot answers correctly add nothing. If it says it doesn't have the answer add content to the Knowledge base covering that topic. If the answer is partially wrong edit the relevant Knowledge content to be more specific.
Test the questions that cause the most support tickets. Look at your past guest messages and Inbox threads whatever comes up repeatedly is worth testing in Preview. For most properties: Wi-Fi, parking, early check-in, late checkout, and appliance instructions.
Review Suggestions
Over time, Autopilot learns from conversations it could not fully answer. When it notices a pattern, a recurring question it had to escalate, or a topic where your manual replies suggest missing content, it generates a Suggestion for you to review.
Go to Messaging → Autopilot → Suggestions
Review each suggestion
Each Suggestion shows the gap Autopilot identified and a draft of content it proposes adding to the Knowledge base. Review it for accuracy before applying.
Always verify suggested content before accepting — Autopilot drafts based on patterns in your replies, which may include information that has changed
Accept or edit and apply
If the suggestion is accurate, click Apply to add it to the Knowledge base. If it needs editing, update the content first then apply. If it is incorrect or not relevant, dismiss it.
Accepted suggestions go into the Knowledge base immediately and Autopilot can use them from the next conversation
Check Suggestions weekly when you first go live. The first few weeks of real conversations generate the most useful suggestions. Once your Knowledge base is mature, suggestions become less frequent but remain worth checking monthly.
Escalations and Unresolved
When Autopilot cannot confidently answer a message or detects that the topic is sensitive it stops replying and marks the conversation Unresolved. All team members with access to the rental unit receive an alert.
Autopilot On | Autopilot is actively replying to guest messages in this thread. You can still read and reply manually at any time. |
Unresolved | Autopilot has stopped replying. A question was outside its Knowledge base, or the message was flagged as sensitive (complaint, special request it cannot handle, abusive content). You need to reply manually and mark the conversation resolved. |
Resolved | You have reviewed and replied to the conversation. Autopilot resumes replying to new messages in this thread. Mark Resolved from the top right of the conversation in Inbox. |
Handling an escalation
Open the Inbox; conversations marked Unresolved are shown prominently at the top
Read the full thread for context: noise alert messages appear here too so you have the full picture of the stay
Reply to the guest in the message box at the bottom of the thread
Mark as Resolved
Once you have handled it, click Resolved in the top right corner of the thread. Autopilot will then resume answering new messages from the guest.
Do not mark as Resolved if the issue is ongoing; Autopilot will resume and may reply inappropriately to a still-active complaint
After handling an escalation, consider adding to the Knowledge base. If a question came up that Autopilot could have answered but did not because the content was not there add it now so the same escalation does not happen again. This is more reliable than waiting for a Suggestion to be generated.
What Autopilot will not do
Make up information | Autopilot only answers using content in your Knowledge base. If it does not have an answer, it escalates. It will never invent a door code, a Wi-Fi password, or a local recommendation. |
Handle complains directly | If a guest sends a complaint or a message of a sensitive nature, Autopilot escalates to you immediately. It will not attempt to resolve a complaint independently. |
Respond to abusive content | If a guest sends abusive or inappropriate messages, Autopilot will not engage and will escalate to you. It will decline politely if it does respond at all. |
Send images or files | Autopilot sends text and links only. Media support depends on the channel; WhatsApp supports images, but Autopilot itself does not send them. |
Make decisions on your behalf | Autopilot does not approve early check-in requests, authorise exceptions to house rules, or commit to anything that requires a judgement call. These are escalated to you. |
Frequently asked questions
Will guests know they are talking to an AI?
Autopilot is designed to respond in a friendly, professional, human-like tone. It does not identify itself as an AI unless specifically asked. How you handle disclosure is your choice: some hosts mention in their check-in message that responses are automated; others do not.
Can I turn Autopilot off for a specific conversation without turning it off everywhere?
Yes. Open the thread in the Inbox and mark it Unresolved; Autopilot will stop replying in that thread until you mark it Resolved. The global Autopilot toggle in Autopilot → Settings is not affected.
How quickly does Autopilot reply?
Typically within a few seconds of receiving a guest message. Response time depends slightly on the channel and the complexity of the question, but most replies are sent well within a minute.
What happens if a guest messages outside of their stay window?
Autopilot is active during the stay period. Messages sent before check-in or after checkout may not receive an automated response; this depends on when the conversation thread was opened and whether the stay is still active in Minut.
Can multiple team members respond to the same conversation?
Yes; any team member with access to the rental unit can view and reply in Inbox. There is no lock on threads, so check whether a colleague has already replied before sending a manual response.
Which PMS integrations also import listing content to the Knowledge base?
Currently Airbnb, Smoobu, Hospitable, and Hostaway sync listing information in addition to stay data. All other supported PMS integrations sync stay and guest data only; you will need to add Knowledge content manually for those properties.
Can I receive notifications when a conversation is escalated?
Yes. All team members assigned to the unit, building, or location receive an alert when Autopilot escalates a conversation. Individual notification preferences can be configured in Settings → Notifications.