Airbnb Case Study: Reducing gift card inquires by 40% through Help Center content
Challenge
Airbnb's customer support team was overwhelmed with hundreds of daily inquiries about gift cards—one of the platform's most fundamental functions. Users struggled with questions about redemption, balance checking, expiration policies, and payment integration.
Furthermore, when users tried searching for this information online, Airbnb’s Help Center articles rarely appeared in the first page of results. The existing Help content was insufficient, creating frustration for users and an unsustainable burden on support agents.
Approach
I conducted a comprehensive content audit and developed a strategic information architecture to address the most common gift card pain points. Rather than creating scattered FAQ entries, I designed a cohesive content ecosystem that would guide users through their entire gift card journey.
Key Strategic Decisions:
User journey mapping: Organized content around natural user workflows rather than internal business logic
Proactive problem-solving: Addressed edge cases and common mistakes before users encountered them
Cross-linking strategy: Created a web of interconnected articles to reduce bounce rates
Tone optimization: Balanced authoritative information with reassuring, conversational language
SEO focus: Performed extensive keyword research to ensure new articles appeared on the first page of search results
Solution
Previously, Airbnb had only one article about gift card redemption. After researching topics that generated the most frequent queries, I wrote five comprehensive articles from scratch, creating a complete gift card knowledge base.
Foundation Article: How gift cards work
Established core concepts including card formats, expiration policies, and usage scope. Included upfront troubleshooting tips to prevent common issues. Key topics within the article were indexed at the top to simplify finding relevant information. Several of the topics linked to other newly-created articles where the issue could be discussed in depth.
2. Process Articles: "Redeeming" and "Checking balance"
These articles focused on providing streamlined step-by-step instructions with clear success indicators, next-step guidance, and links to product that set users up for success.
3. Specialized Use Cases: "Pay Part Now, Part Later" integration
Addressed complex payment scenarios that previously required agent intervention.
4. Troubleshooting: "Finding your PIN"
Solved one of the most frequent support requests with clear visual guidance and recovery options.
Content features
Anticipatory design: Proactively addressed "what if" scenarios
Scannable formatting: Used clear headings and progressive disclosure
Strategic cross-linking: Guided users to related information without overwhelming them
Regulatory awareness: Seamlessly incorporated regional restrictions and compliance information
Results
40% reduction in gift card-related support tickets requiring agent intervention
Hundreds of daily inquiries resolved through self-service
Improved user experience through comprehensive, accessible information architecture
Operational efficiency gained by freeing agents to handle complex, high-value inquiries
Impact
This content strategy transformed gift cards from a support burden into a seamless user experience. By creating a comprehensive, interconnected knowledge base, I enabled users to confidently navigate gift card functionality independently while dramatically reducing operational costs. The success demonstrated how strategic content architecture can solve complex customer experience challenges at scale.