When you are Couchsurfing, it’s not about the places you stay, but the people you meet. Couchsurfing can be the best way to create lifelong friendships and unforgettable adventures, but sometimes our hosts feel overwhelmed by impersonal requests from new community members.
To encourage our surfers to spend more time selecting hosts they’d like to meet and reading hosts’ information before sending a request, we will be limiting the number of messages and Couch Requests you can send. This change will be rolling out to all Couchsurfing members over the next few weeks.
Each member will have 10 “Introductions” they can use each week. An Introduction is used any time you initiate a conversation with a member for the first time with a message or Couch Request. Verified members are able to send unlimited Introductions.
We have been testing this system over the last few weeks and have seen that members with a limited number of Introductions have more success finding a Couchsurfing host than member with unlimited requests. In addition, we’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback from hosts, who report that the Couch Requests they receive are warmer, more detailed, and more personal as members invest more time crafting each message.
How do I find a host with Limited Introductions?
Finding a host with Limited Introductions should be done in the same way as before. We encourage all members to follow the below steps to find an amazing host easily:
- Completely fill out your profile. Your profile is the first impression you’ll give to both potential guests and hosts! Make it count. Fill out every section and include multiple pictures of yourself so that other Couchsurfing members have a good idea of who they are interacting with before they meet you.
- Post a Public Trip. Once you have created a Public Trip, you will appear as a Traveler in that city during the dates you have specified. Hosts in that area receive email notifications about Travelers visiting that area, and can offer to host you.
- Use the date filter. When you filter by your arrival and departure date, you will only see hosts that are available during your trip. Hosts that are already hosting, or have otherwise indicated that they are busy, will not appear in your search results.
- Adjust other search filters. Click “More Filters” to narrow down your search results further. You can find hosts that have similar interests as you, or have qualifications you are looking for. To increase your chances of a response from your host, you may want to filter by “Last Login Date”.
- Make sure that you meet your host’s Host Preferences. Be sure that you have read your host’s profile and My Home information, to ensure that you meet your host’s rules and preferences. Checking this before you send a Couch Request will increase your chances of being accepted by your host.
- Write personalized requests. Let your host know that you respect and value their time by writing personalized requests that clearly explain why you want to meet them.