Spoiler: if you keep them in check, bookings will rain.)
On SpacePal, we track two key metrics that decide whether your inquiries turn into real money — or just “hey, they left me on read”:
Response time – how many hours (or minutes, if you’re on fire 🔥) it takes you to reply to a new inquiry.
Response rate – the percentage of inquiries you reply to within 24 hours.
Mastering these two is the ABC of ranking higher and booking more often.
1. What is response time?
Response time is the average number of hours it takes you to reply to the first message or booking request from a guest.
It doesn’t matter if you keep chatting afterward — what counts is how long you took to respond to the very first message.
📊 Example
You get a message at 10 am and respond at 11 am → Your response time is 1 hour.
🧠 Key points:
We only measure your first reply.
The faster you answer, the better your average gets.
Hosts who reply right away stand out from the rest.
Why does responding fast matter?
👉 It boosts your ranking in search results.
👉 Guests trust you more and book faster.
👉 It’s one of the main criteria to become a Top Host.
💡 SpacePal tip:
Even if you don’t have all the info yet, send a quick “Hi! I’ll get back to you shortly” — it still counts and keeps your score up.
Response time calculation rules
⏰ We don’t count time between 9 pm and 9 am (local time) — no penalty for late-night messages.
📱 We only track activity within the platform. Phone calls, emails or DMs don’t count toward your response score.
2. What is response rate?
Response rate tracks how many guest inquiries you respond to, and how quickly.
It’s like a pulse check on your attention: reply fast and often, and your rate goes up. Ghost messages and delays? It drops.
📊 Quick example
You receive 10 messages and reply to 8 within 24 hours → 80% response rate.
🧠 Good to know:
We only count your first response. You don’t need to keep chatting or send the last word.
Accepting or declining a booking request also counts as a reply.
Why is a good response rate so important?
👉 Fast replies push your listing higher in search and build guest trust.
👉 If you ignore messages or take too long, we may hide your listing to avoid guest frustration.
👉 Keeping a response rate of 90% or more qualifies you to become a Top Host and gain more visibility.
💡 SpacePal tip:
Even a simple “Hey! I’ll reply soon” within 24 hours keeps your response rate in the green.
3. How do I improve my response time and rate?
The golden rule: respond as quickly as you can.
Recent replies weigh more, so if you start reacting fast now, your score goes up quickly.
Make sure you’re always in the loop when a guest reaches out:
✅ Enable SMS or WhatsApp alerts
So you don’t miss any opportunities.
Turn on push notifications to respond instantly, wherever you are.
✅ Add these emails to your contacts:
hola@space-pal.com and mateo@space-pal.com — so our emails don’t end up in Spam.
Check out our tips for faster replies and start getting more bookings.
4. Why is it SUCH a big deal to respond fast?
Because it’s not just about being polite — responding fast changes everything:
🔍 You rank higher in search
Our algorithm rewards hosts who are quick to reply. Attention = visibility.
💰 You close more bookings
Hosts who respond in under 1 hour get up to 5× more bookings. For real.
🏅 You can become a Top Host
You’ll need to respond within 1 hour and keep a response rate of 90% or higher.
🌟 You create a better guest experience
Happy guests leave 5-star reviews — and those bring more bookings your way.
5. FAQ
Do auto-replies count?
Yes — as long as you follow up with a human message within 24 hours.
What if the guest cancels before I reply?
It won’t affect your response rate.
Do weekends count the same?
Yes — the algorithm doesn’t take holidays or weekends off.
If I don’t reply at night, does it still affect my metrics?
No. Any time between 9 pm and 9 am (local time) is paused on the response timer.