◊Wishwood
◆ Chrissy's plain-English walkthrough

What is each one? And how do I sign up?

Everything on the checklist · explained without jargon · with click-by-click sign-up steps. If you have an hour and some patience, you can do most of this yourself.

1 · StripeMUST 2 · Booking.comMUST 3 · AirbnbMUST 4 · AgodaOPT 5 · WhatsAppMUST 6 · Email sendMUST 7 · Email receiveNICE 8 · SMSNICE 9 · CloudflareMUST 10 · DomainMUST 11 · Business infoMUST 12 · Your accessMUST 13 · AI keysOPT

1Stripe direct booking payments

Must-haveEasy signup, patient verification~1-2 days
What is Stripe? The plumbing that lets guests pay you directly on your website with a debit or credit card. Like a card reader in a cafe, but for the internet. Money lands in your bank account 2-7 days later.
Why you need it: Without Stripe, guests who book direct on your site have no way to pay you. You'd have to send them a bank-transfer request manually, which loses about half of them. With Stripe: they click "book", pay, done. Stripe charges you 1.4% + 20p per UK card. Cheaper than Airbnb's 15%.

◆ Sign-up walkthrough

  1. Go to dashboard.stripe.com/register and create an account with your business email.
  2. Stripe will ask for your business details: legal name, address, and either your UTR (sole trader) or Companies House number. Have this ready.
  3. Add your bank account where you want payouts to land (sort code + account number).
  4. Verify your identity: upload a photo of your passport or driving licence. Stripe reviews this within 24 hours usually.
  5. Once approved, go to Developers → API keys. You'll see two pairs of keys: pk_live_... / sk_live_... (real money) and pk_test_... / sk_test_... (fake money for testing). Copy all four.
  6. Send Simon the four keys via Signal or iMessage (never email — these are like passwords to your bank).
  7. Simon will send you back a URL for a webhook endpoint. Add it in Developers → Webhooks → Add endpoint. Stripe will give you a signing secret starting whsec_.... Send that to Simon too.
Common gotcha Stripe rejects incomplete business details. If they ask for "proof of activity" (like a website or an existing booking record), just send them a screenshot of your Airbnb listing or your business bank statement — that's usually enough.
Stuck? Plan B If Stripe verification stalls, you can start taking bookings with a manual bank transfer request in the meantime. Guests get an email with your sort code + account number and a booking reference. Not ideal but keeps you selling.

2Booking.com iCal exports

Must-have if listed thereEasy — copy-paste URLs~15 min
What is an iCal export? A special web link that another calendar can read to see when a unit is booked. Think of it like a live-updating public Google Calendar — but for room availability.
Why you need it: To stop double-bookings. When someone books on Booking.com, we need our own calendar to know that unit is now occupied so we don't accept a direct booking for the same night. iCal is how calendars talk to each other. Every OTA (online travel agent) supports it.

◆ Get the iCal export URL for each unit

  1. Log into admin.booking.com (the Extranet).
  2. In the top nav, click your property name if you have multiple properties.
  3. Go to Rates & Availability → Sync calendars.
  4. You'll see two tabs: Import (calendars coming in) and Export (calendars going out). Click Export.
  5. For each unit (Hobbit Hut, Vintage Caravan, etc.) you'll see a long URL that starts https://admin.booking.com/hotel/hoteladmin/ical.html?.... Copy each one.
  6. Paste each URL into the matching slot on the checklist. Label which unit is which.
Common gotcha Booking.com's iCal only updates every 1-2 hours, not instantly. That means if two people try to book the same night on Booking and your site at the exact same moment, there's a small window for a double-book. Simon's setup handles this with a hold-then-confirm flow — nothing for you to do.
Stuck? Plan B If you can't find the Sync calendars menu, contact Booking.com partner support via the Extranet — they'll walk you to it. Usually takes 5 minutes on chat.

3Airbnb iCal exports

Must-have if listedEasy~10 min
What is this? Same as Booking.com above · a live URL that tells other calendars when Airbnb has bookings.
Why you need it: Same reason · to prevent double-bookings between Airbnb and your direct site or other channels.

◆ Get the iCal export URL per listing

  1. Log into airbnb.co.uk/hosting.
  2. Click Menu → Listings and pick the first unit.
  3. Go to Availability → Availability settings (button, not the calendar view).
  4. Scroll to Sync calendars and click Export calendar.
  5. Copy the URL (starts https://www.airbnb.co.uk/calendar/ical/...).
  6. Repeat for each listing.
Common gotcha Airbnb sometimes hides the sync calendar menu on mobile · use a laptop for this one.
Stuck? Plan B Chat with Airbnb host support — they've done this thousands of times.

4Agoda only if listed

Optional
Only relevant if you list on Agoda. If you don't · skip this whole section.

◆ If listed

  1. Log into ycs.agoda.com (their operator dashboard).
  2. Property → Calendar → look for a "Sync" or "iCal" option. Some property types have it, some don't.
  3. If it's not there · tell Simon you're on Agoda but it doesn't expose iCal · he'll use their channel-manager partner path instead.

5WhatsApp Business guest comms hub

Must-haveMedium · sender approval takes 1-2 weeksStart early
What is Twilio? The bridge that lets Wishwood send + receive WhatsApp messages from your business phone number automatically. Guests message you on WhatsApp · Wishwood sees it · you can reply from the operator hub.
Why you need it: WhatsApp is where most guests actually talk to you. Without a bridge, you'd have to hand-type replies on your phone. With the bridge · you can draft AI replies in the hub, review, send. Also multiple staff can see conversations without needing to share your personal phone.

◆ Twilio sign-up (Option A · recommended)

  1. Go to twilio.com/try-twilio and sign up with your business email.
  2. Verify your mobile number (Twilio texts you a code).
  3. Once inside the Console, at the top-right you'll see your Account SID (starts AC...) and Auth Token (click to reveal). Copy both.
  4. Go to Messaging → Try it out → Send a WhatsApp message. Twilio walks you through requesting a WhatsApp Business Sender number.
  5. You'll need to give Twilio your business name + verify ownership · takes 1-2 weeks for Meta (WhatsApp's owner) to approve. Start this on day one.
  6. Once approved · your WhatsApp sender number appears in the console (a UK number like +447...). Copy it.
  7. Send Simon: Account SID + Auth Token + WhatsApp sender number (secure channel only).
Common gotcha Meta rejects WhatsApp sender applications if your business profile isn't clear. Have a website (even a placeholder), a business address, and a public description of what you sell ready when you apply.
Stuck? Plan B While Twilio approval is pending, use WhatsApp Web on a laptop (link your existing WhatsApp Business account). Wishwood can integrate with that via the wa.html launcher · not as clean but works today.

6Email sending booking confirmations

Must-haveEasy~1 hour once DNS is set
What is Resend? The service that sends automated emails from your domain. When a guest books, Resend sends the confirmation. When a payment goes through, Resend sends the receipt.
Why you need it: Gmail and normal email accounts aren't built for automated sending — they'll rate-limit you or mark your emails as spam. Resend is designed for this and gets ~99% inbox delivery.

◆ Resend sign-up (Option A · recommended)

  1. Go to resend.com/signup and create an account.
  2. Once inside, go to API Keys → Create API Key. Copy the key (starts re_...). This appears once; save it.
  3. Go to Domains → Add Domain and type your domain (e.g. wishwood.co.uk).
  4. Resend will show you a list of DNS records to add. You'll copy these into your DNS provider (Cloudflare — see §9). Simon can do this bit if easier.
  5. Wait 15 minutes for DNS to propagate, then click Verify. Green tick = you're live.
  6. Decide on your sending address (usually bookings@wishwood.co.uk).
  7. Send Simon: API key + verified sender address.
Common gotcha If DNS verification fails, Cloudflare's proxied setting on those records blocks Resend's check. In Cloudflare, click the orange cloud next to each Resend DNS record to make it grey (DNS only, not proxied).
Stuck? Plan B SendGrid works identically. Any transactional-email service Simon supports works — Resend is just the cleanest to sign up.

7Email receiving guest replies

Nice-to-have
What is this? A way for Wishwood's inbox to see when guests reply to your booking-confirmation emails.
Why nice-to-have: Without this, guest email replies land in your normal Gmail. With this, they show up in the Wishwood hub alongside Airbnb, Booking, and WhatsApp messages — all in one feed.

◆ Simplest path

  1. Use your existing email address (Gmail, Zoho, whatever).
  2. In your provider's Security → App passwords, generate a new app password (a 16-character code — NOT your login password).
  3. Send Simon: your email address + the app password + the IMAP host (Gmail = imap.gmail.com:993, Zoho = imap.zoho.com:993).
Common gotcha Gmail requires 2-factor auth to be ON before you can create app passwords. Set 2FA first, THEN generate the app password.

8SMS text-message fallback

Nice-to-have
Adds SMS to the mix. Some guests don't use WhatsApp. If you already have Twilio from §5, adding SMS is one button.

◆ If you have Twilio (§5)

  1. In Twilio Console: Phone Numbers → Buy a number.
  2. Filter for UK, "SMS enabled". Pick one you like (~£1/month).
  3. Send Simon the number.

9Cloudflare webhooks live here

Must-haveEasy~30 min
What is Cloudflare? Two things at once: your domain's DNS (the phonebook that turns "wishwood.co.uk" into a computer address) AND a tiny always-on server that receives webhooks from Stripe, WhatsApp, etc.
Why you need it: Stripe needs somewhere to send "payment succeeded" pings. WhatsApp needs somewhere to send "new message" pings. Cloudflare's free tier handles both, forever, at no cost. Simon writes the code that runs there · you just create the account.

◆ Sign up + add your domain

  1. Go to dash.cloudflare.com/sign-up and create an account.
  2. Click Add site and type your domain (e.g. wishwood.co.uk).
  3. Choose the Free plan when asked. Everything you need is on Free.
  4. Cloudflare will scan your existing DNS records and show them to you. Click Continue.
  5. You'll get two nameservers like alice.ns.cloudflare.com and bob.ns.cloudflare.com. Write these down.
  6. Log into wherever you bought your domain (GoDaddy, 123-Reg, Namecheap, etc.) and change the nameservers to the two Cloudflare ones. This is the biggest bit — takes ~15 min in your registrar's control panel, then up to 24 hours to propagate.
  7. Once Cloudflare shows a green tick that your domain is active, go to Overview → API tokens (right sidebar) and create an API token with scope Workers Scripts Edit + KV Edit. Copy it.
  8. Copy the Zone ID and Account ID from the sidebar too.
  9. Send Simon: Zone ID + Account ID + API token.
Common gotcha Changing nameservers at your registrar looks scarier than it is · you're just replacing 2 strings with 2 other strings. If in doubt, screenshot the current nameservers first so you can revert.
Stuck? Plan B If you can't figure out the registrar's nameserver change, contact them via chat · every registrar has done this thousands of times.

10Domain where the site lives

Must-have
The domain is your web address. Like a phone number for your website.

◆ What Simon needs to know

  1. The exact domain (e.g. wishwood.co.uk).
  2. The registrar you bought it from (GoDaddy / 123-Reg / Namecheap / etc.) · Simon may need help changing DNS here.
  3. Are the Cloudflare nameservers already set (from §9)? If yes · great. If not · that's the priority.
Don't have a domain yet? Buy one at Namecheap or 123-reg. .co.uk is usually £8/year. .com around £10/year.

11Business + legal required for Stripe + WhatsApp

Must-have
Both Stripe (§1) and WhatsApp Business (§5) verify these before letting you go live. Have them all in one place so you can copy-paste when asked.

◆ What to gather

  1. Business name as it appears on any registration.
  2. Business address (a real one, not a PO box — Stripe checks).
  3. UTR if sole trader, or Companies House number if incorporated.
  4. VAT number if you're VAT-registered (skip if not).
  5. Guest contact phone (the number you're happy to give guests).
  6. Guest contact email (usually bookings@wishwood.co.uk).

12Your access for the operator hub

Must-have
Simon will set you up with a password and 2FA to the hub · you need to tell him how you want to be reached for password resets.

◆ Send Simon

  1. The password you want (or ask Simon to pick a strong one for you).
  2. Your personal phone number (for 2FA text codes and WhatsApp Business).
  3. Your personal email (for password recovery — separate from bookings@).
  4. Preferred 2FA method: SMS (easiest) / authenticator app (Google Authenticator or Authy · most secure) / paper recovery codes (for offline).

13AI keys optional · for reply drafting

Optional
Wishwood can draft replies to guest messages in your voice. It runs a small AI in your browser for free · or you can plug in a paid API key for faster + higher-quality drafts.

◆ If you want the faster paid version

  1. Anthropic (Claude): console.anthropic.com → API Keys → create one starting sk-ant-...
  2. OpenAI (GPT): platform.openai.com/api-keys → create one starting sk-...
  3. Send Simon whichever you pick. Cost: typically £3-15/month at Wishwood's message volume.
Skip this entirely. The browser-native AI (WebLLM) is free forever, slower on first load but works. You lose no features · just wait 2-3 seconds per draft instead of 0.5.
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