• What is private messaging?
• How do I send a private message to another member?
• Where do my messages appear?
• How do I know when a member has sent me a question or replied to one that I sent?
• Can other members see my personal e-mail address?
• How do I start using Private Messaging?
• Can I turn off Private Messaging?
• Does TripAdvisor monitor what I write to other users?
• I am receiving messages from a member that I don't want to communicate with. What can I do?
• What is blocking?
• How do I block/unblock a member?
• I sent a question to another member, but haven't gotten a response. What can I do?
• Can I set an away message?

What is Private Messaging?

Private messaging is a TripAdvisor feature that allows members to connect one-to-one to ask questions and share travel advice. You can ask for additional information about a contributed review, traveler goList, photo or video to gather first-hand advice while planning your next trip.

How do I send a private message to another member?

You can send a message by clicking:

• On a user contributed review:
  
  
  
  
• In a member's public profile:

When you click on these links, a dialog box will open for you to compose your private message. Messages need to adhere to our Message Guidelines. Responses to questions you send will appear in the Messages tab of your profile.

Where do my messages appear?

Responses to questions you ask and questions other members send to you appear in the Messages tab of your TripAdvisor profile. When new messages are available, a New messages link will also appear when you are logged in at TripAdvisor. Messages will not be visible in your public profile.

How do I know when a member has sent me a question or replied to one that I sent?

When you have new messages at TripAdvisor, we will send you a message to your external e-mail account telling you that new messages are waiting. Additionally, you will see a link in the top right hand corner of TripAdvisor.

If you prefer not to receive notifications at your external email address when you receive new messages, you can turn notifications off by going to the Subscriptions tab of your profile, un-checking the box under E-mail Notifications and clicking Submit.

Can other members see my e-mail address?

No, we respect your privacy and never share your external email address with other members. Private messaging uses your TripAdvisor screen name to send and receive messages. Other members can only see the information you choose to provide in your public profile and what you share in your private messages. Please be cautious in sharing personal information with other members. Read our Privacy Policy to learn more.

How do I start using Private Messaging?

You can begin simply by sending a question to another member. Sending a message turns messaging �On' and enables other members to send you questions.

If you don't want to send a question right now, but want to make sure that other members can contact you, you can enable this feature now.

Additionally, you can go to the Messages tab in your profile to enable messaging. Click Settings, and select Private Messaging, to enable or disable.

Can I turn off Private Messaging?

If you would prefer not to receive private messages from other TripAdvisor members, you can disable this feature at any time.

Does TripAdvisor monitor what I write to other users?

TripAdvisor does not actively monitor the messages exchanged among members. We do want to make sure that people use messaging in an appropriate manner, so we reserve the right to review certain messages for cases of reported abuse, harassment, spamming and commercial mailings.

I am receiving messages from a member that I don't want to communicate with. What can I do?

If you would prefer not to communicate with a specific member, you can block this member.

All private messages should adhere to our Message Guidelines. Spamming, harassing or commercial mailings are not allowed. If another member has sent you a message the violates our message guidelines, please report this by clicking on Report Abuse while viewing the offending message.

What is Blocking?

Blocking prevents that member from sending you any further messages. You will also not be able to send messages to any member that you have blocked.

If a member that you have blocked tries to send you another message, they will receive a notice indicating that you are not accepting messages at this time. If you attempt to send a message to someone that you have blocked, you will be asked to first unblock the member before your message can be sent.

How do I block/unblock a member?

To block a member, simply click select the screen name in your Message tab, and click Block. You can also block a member by going to their user profile and clicking Block Sender.

You can view a list of members you've blocked and unblock members by clicking Settings and selecting Blocked Senders. To unblock a member, simply click unblock next to that member's screen name. You can also unblock a member by going to their user profile and clicking Unblock Sender.

I sent a question to another member, but haven't gotten a response. What can I do?

We are sorry if this happens, but we cannot guarantee that members will respond to your questions. If you do not receive a response, we encourage you to send a message to other members that have reviewed or contributed information about the desired destination.

Can I set an away message?

We hope you do! We know TripAdvisor members love to travel, so when you are out on your next great adventure, be sure to let other members know. To set your Away Message, click Settings and select Away Message. You can also write a personal message for other members to see.

All messages sent to you while you are away will be waiting in your Messages tab when you return. When you return, you can turn your Away Message off by clicking Settings and selecting Away Message. And, please be sure to share your experience and submit a review, photos, video or goList!