Requirements
The information we’ll need before we can begin development is primarily around site setup and branding. It’s best if you select someone on your staff to act as the technical contact. This person will coordinate with your Expedia launch manager to get the technical information and any brand assets to our development team.
Site setup requirements
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Technical contact | The name and contact information of the person on your staff who’s leading the technical discussions. |
| Issue distribution list address | An email address we can notify if there are any technical issues with your site. This can be the technical contact, but a distribution list can avoid delays if that person is out of the office. |
| Brand or program name | The name you want to use for the site. This name will appear at multiple touchpoints, including confirmation emails. Please include an email address to use as the sender address and for contact links on the site. The default format for this address is do.not.reply@notify.<yourbrandname>.com. Our legal team will review your selection to be sure that it doesn’t infringe on any other businesses’ sites. |
| Cobranding | You can include Expedia or Hotels.com cobranding on your template site if you choose to, as a way to inspire travelers’ trust. Cobranding consists of a secondary header with a “powered by Expedia” or “powered by Hotels.com” message. |
| Domain / URL | The domain (or base URL address) to be used for your template site, hosted by Expedia Group. Be sure to choose a domain name that is relevant to the new site and that represents your unique brand (for example, travel.YourBrand.com, travelYourBrand.com). Read more about this in Domain and SSL certificate setup. |
| Main site URLs | The URL of the site the new template site will be linked from. (For example, your main site might be YourBrand.com and your template site might be travel.YourBrand.com) If there are multiple sites to account for regional differences, please include all of them. Our legal team will review these URLs for compliance. |
| Test accounts | Account login information for multiple test accounts (at least one that we have access to) so that we can test the templated site, including loyalty points (if applicable). We’ll also need a contact name (if different from the technical contact). See Integration and testing for more information. |
| IP allow list | IP addresses that should be allowed edit access to the template site, including IP ranges your organization owns. Maximum of 10 IPs. |
| Accounts payable and commissions information | Information that assists us with aligning the templated site with your financial systems. This can include bank information, W8/W9 forms, and commission reporting configuration. |
| Security and compliance requirements | A list of any security and compliance requirements we should be aware of to serve your business effectively. |
| Credit card merchant descriptor | How the booking will appear on your traveler’s credit card statement to help them recognize the purchase. This descriptor often includes contact information, and can minimize the risk of chargebacks. Sometimes, charges will appear as coming directly from the supplier, but for ones that will appear as coming from your organization, you’ll set primary and secondary descriptors: Primary descriptor appears on the first line of the statement. Maximum length of 22 characters including “EG*”. Secondary descriptor is the second line of the statement. Maximum length of 13 characters. This is typically a customer support phone number or website address. |
| Analytics container and ID | The analytics container you are currently using (for example, Google Analytics) and the unique identifier they provide. For example, “Google Analytics, ID: G-XXXXXXXXXX or UA-XXXXXXXXXX.” We can support your analytics through our tag management solution (TMS), which is available throughout all pages of the shopping and booking path. Our TMS allows us to send data directly to your analytics container. Read more about this on our Analytics page. |
| Privacy policy link (optional) | A link to a description of your privacy practices, including what kinds of personal information you gather from website visitors, how you use this information, and how you keep it safe. Making your policy easy to find will establish trust with your travelers. When we embed your link, you retain control of the text of your policy, so you can change it as needed. If you have questions about this, be sure to discuss the options with your launch manager. |
Note: Additional information may be needed depending on your implementation. Your Expedia launch manager will be in touch with you as development progresses.
Site branding requirements
We want to make sure that we’re accurately communicating your brand on your template site. We ask that you provide us with a reference file (often a PDF or link to your brand library) that includes any explicit rules around how your brand should and should not be used. Here are some of the items that could be included in those guidelines.
Logos and favicon
Image files of your logo and favicon (the version that appears on a browser tab) to use across the templated site. The image files should be:
- Full color, dark, or black for use on light backgrounds, white for use on dark backgrounds.
- A horizontal layout of the logo is preferred. See the sample logo and layout images below.
- If additional locales are supported, we may need a localized logo asset.
- Logo file requirements: .svg format (no minimum or maximum size), minimum resolution of at least 1,000 px, transparent background.
- Favicon file requirements: .ico format, 1:1 ratio (square), smaller than 50 kb and 20 px by 20 px, transparent background recommended.
Unless you select a different destination, the primary logo displayed on the template site will be linked to the template site home page.
Important
Our design team will provide a review to ensure that your template site meets accessibility standards.
Loyalty mark
Our asset displays have a space where we can add your loyalty program’s logo, if you have one. The image file should be:
- .svg format with a transparent background
- 1:1 ratio (square)
- smaller than 50Kb and 24 px by 24 px
Virtual agent logo (optional)
We can add your custom avatar to the chat agent window, or use a standard version we provide. The logo file should be:
- .svg format with a transparent background
- 1:1 ratio (square)
- smaller than 50Kb and 24 px by 24 px
Note: We can also use the same file as the loyalty mark for this purpose.
Brand colors
The brand colors to use on components across your site, such as headers, buttons, and text links. Be as specific as possible, particularly if more than one color is necessary. Examples include primary and secondary brand colors designated by element, such as:
- Static text like headings (multiple levels, if necessary)
- Action items like buttons in various states (such as active, clicked, and inactive)
- Text links (normal and visited, if different)
- Brand-specific badges (for example, if you offer a special rate)
We’ll work with you to ensure the colors selected meet accessibility requirements. Colors should be expressed as an alphanumeric hex color code (for example, #ffffff or #336b95).
Primary site color scheme
One of four color schemes for the background color of the primary header and footer of your site. This header will contain your logo and menu items. You can choose:
- White with gray text and links (default)
- Black with white text and links
- Your primary brand color with white or gray text and links
- Your secondary brand color with white or gray text and links
We’ll work with you to ensure that your selections meet accessibility requirements.
Secondary site color scheme
If your site will be co-branded, you can choose the same background color or a different one for the secondary header where the co-branding information will display. The secondary header shows the co-branded logo and the user’s accumulated points value. These headers will be stacked at the top of each page on your site.
