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WP Booking Engine — Setup Guide

Everything you need to install, configure, and activate the WP Booking Engine plugin on your WordPress site.

Download the plugin Jump to install

Requirements

  • A self-hosted WordPress site (version 6.0 or newer recommended).
  • PHP 7.4 or newer.
  • A Gnarly Host account — create a free account to download the plugin.
  • A connected PMS (Guesty or Hospitable) to sync your listings.

1. Install the plugin

  1. Download the plugin. Log in to your Gnarly Host account and go to My Account → Downloads. Click Download to get the wp-booking-engine.zip file. The plugin is free for all members.
  2. Upload it to WordPress. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, choose the .zip file you downloaded, and click Install Now.
  3. Activate the plugin. After it installs, click Activate Plugin. You'll see a new Gnarly Booking Engine menu in your WordPress sidebar.
Tip: If your upload fails with a size error, your host may limit upload size. Increase upload_max_filesize / post_max_size, or upload the plugin via SFTP into wp-content/plugins/ and activate it from the Plugins screen.

2. Activate your license

A license key connects the plugin to your subscription and sets how many listings you can publish.

  1. Get your license key. In your Gnarly Host account, open My Account → License Keys. If you don't have one yet, click + Add a key to choose a plan and subscribe. Your key looks like GNARLY-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX.
  2. Enter it in the plugin. In WordPress, go to Gnarly Booking Engine → License, paste your key, and click Activate License.
  3. Confirm activation. The screen will show your plan and listing limit. A license can be active on one site at a time — to move it, deactivate it on the old site first (or contact support to reset it).
Free tier: You can run the plugin on the free tier without a paid key (up to the free listing limit). Add a paid license anytime to publish more listings.

3. Set up & configure

  1. Connect your PMS. Go to Gnarly Booking Engine → Settings and choose your provider (Guesty or Hospitable). Enter your API credentials / access token to connect.
  2. Sync your listings. Once connected, run a sync to import your properties, photos, pricing, and availability. Re-sync anytime your listings change.
  3. Choose your payment method. Under Settings, pick how guests pay or book: Stripe, GuestyPay, or Request to Book (for Hospitable). Enter the matching keys for your chosen method.
  4. Set your branding. Adjust colors, logo, and display options so the booking engine matches your site.

4. Add the booking engine to a page

Place the booking engine anywhere on your WordPress site using these blocks/shortcodes:

  • [hostapi_search_bar] — the destination + date search bar.
  • [hostapi_listing_results] — the searchable listings grid + map.
  • [hostapi_listing_details] — a single listing's detail + booking widget.

Create a page (e.g. Book Now), add the shortcode(s), and publish. Guests can now search, view listings, and book directly on your site.

Troubleshooting

  • "This link has expired" / license errors: Re-copy your key from My Account → License Keys and re-activate.
  • Listings not showing: Confirm your PMS is connected and you've run a sync; check that listings are active in your PMS.
  • License says "in use elsewhere": The key is active on another site. Deactivate it there, or contact support to reset.
  • Availability looks wrong: Re-sync; availability reflects your PMS calendar at last sync.

Support

Need a hand? We're here to help.

Contact Support Go to My Account