BetterSTR connects directly to Smoobu so your properties and bookings sync automatically and every guest gets their own digital guidebook link. This guide walks you through creating your Smoobu API credentials, connecting them to BetterSTR, setting up the optional real-time webhook, and what to check if something doesn’t look right.
Before you start
API access requires Smoobu’s Professional plan
Smoobu’s API comes with their paid Professional plan. If you can’t see an API Keys section under Settings → Advanced in your Smoobu account, contact Smoobu support and ask about API access — without it, the connection can’t be made. The BetterSTR side is free on every plan.
Step 1 — Create your Smoobu API key and secret
- Log in to Smoobu at login.smoobu.com.
- Open Settings → Advanced → API Keys.
- Click Create API Key and give it a label like “BetterSTR”.
- Click Generate Secret and copy both the key and the secret.
The secret is shown only once
Smoobu displays the API secret a single time when you generate it. If you lose it, don’t worry — just generate a new secret and reconnect. Also note that Smoobu’s older single “API Key” found under Settings → Profile is being retired by Smoobu in September 2026 and won’t work here — you need the newer key and secret pair.
Step 2 — Connect them to BetterSTR
- In BetterSTR, go to Integrations and choose Smoobu, or head straight to the Smoobu connection page.
- Paste the key into the API Key field and the secret into the API Secret field, then click Connect Smoobu.
- BetterSTR validates the pair with Smoobu before saving it. If the credentials are accepted, your properties begin syncing automatically straight away.
Step 3 (recommended) — Turn on real-time updates
Smoobu can notify BetterSTR the moment a booking is created, changed or cancelled — but you need to tell Smoobu where to send those notifications (a one-time step):
- On the Smoobu page in BetterSTR, find the Real-time updates card and click Copy next to your personal webhook URL.
- In Smoobu, open Settings → Advanced → API and paste the URL into the Webhook URL field, then save.
That URL contains a private token unique to your account — treat it like a password. If you skip this step the integration still works: BetterSTR checks Smoobu for booking changes every hour regardless, so the webhook simply makes updates arrive within moments instead of within the hour.
What syncs, and how fast
- Properties — name, address, location, bedrooms, bathrooms, maximum occupancy and amenities. Property details refresh daily, or on demand with Sync Properties.
- Bookings — guest name, email, phone, party size, arrival and departure dates and times, prices and the booking channel (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia, direct).
- Booking changes — near real-time via the webhook (Step 3), with an hourly sync as a safety net.
- Guidebook links — every booking automatically gets its own unique guest guidebook link, ready to share in your Smoobu message templates.
Property photos don’t sync from Smoobu
Smoobu’s API doesn’t provide property photos, so your guidebooks start with a default cover image. You can upload your own property photo in the BetterSTR guide builder — it takes a few seconds per property.
Smoobu shortcodes in the guide builder
Once connected, the guide builder’s shortcode menu gains two Smoobu categories — Smoobu Fields (property-level values such as the property type, maximum guests and amenities) and Smoobu Res (per-booking values such as the confirmation ID, party size, booking channel and the guest’s language). Insert them like any other shortcode, e.g. {{smoobu_confirmation_id}}, and they resolve per booking when the guide is viewed.
Troubleshooting
- “Smoobu rejected the credentials” — double-check you copied both values fully from Settings → Advanced → API Keys. If you’ve lost the secret, generate a new one in Smoobu and reconnect. Remember the older Settings → Profile key won’t validate.
- Connected but no properties appeared — click Sync Properties on the Smoobu page in BetterSTR to trigger a fresh pull, and confirm the key belongs to the Smoobu account that holds your listings.
- A booking change isn’t showing yet — if you’ve set up the webhook (Step 3), changes normally land within a couple of minutes; otherwise they arrive with the hourly sync. If something is still missing after an hour, use Sync Reservations to pull it immediately.
- Rotating your credentials — use Update Credentials on the Smoobu page in BetterSTR. The new pair is validated before it replaces the old one, so a typo can’t break your existing connection.