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Content actions

Content verification and enforcement

Booking.com aims to reflect the most up-to-date reviews from our travelers. That’s why we have a fast turnaround on our content moderation.

The process of checking submitted reviews is:

  • The first round of checks is performed by our machine learning algorithms – these could be accommodation reviews and photos shared by guests, replies written by partners, or other types of content. From the moment we receive a piece of content, it only takes the algorithm seconds to approve it. That’s why the large majority of content is approved by our algorithms, then published on Booking.com.
  • Content that wasn’t approved by the algorithms is routed to our team of moderators – when our algorithms identify potentially guideline-violating content, they send it to our moderators for further review. We aim to review content within five business days and decide within that time frame if it’s suitable to be published on Booking.com.
  • After a review was published, it can still be removed at a later date – this can happen because machine learning algorithms are performing ongoing checks everyday.

Once approved, content is accessible via our platform and our apps. If our moderators deem that content violates one of our policies (including our content standards and guidelines), it won’t be published. Once a piece of content is removed, the decision can be appealed, or a new version of the content can be submitted to us.

Appealing a moderation decision

When we remove a review, photo, or other content item you've posted, we'll make sure to tell you why in a simple message. You can then edit your content to meet the standards set out in our guidelines or appeal the decision to remove your content if you don’t agree with our moderation decision.

The appeal process

Once you receive a notification that states why your content was removed, you’ll be able to appeal the decision. To start the appeal, follow the link provided in the email letting you know your content was removed.

When you appeal the decision, our content moderators will review your content against our content guidelines again and decide whether the content is appropriate to display on Booking.com. You’ll be notified of the outcome of our review by email.

Reporting content on Booking.com

At Booking.com, we work hard to maintain a platform filled with authentic travel experiences, appropriate for a global audience. If you ever come across illegal content on our platform, let us know. Your feedback is crucial to ensuring a secure environment for everyone. To report any content you think might be illegal, follow the link to our reporting form.