Feature once hailed as transformative is quietly retired to make space for new business lines
Sep 26, 2025
Airbnb has discontinued its Category search, the 2022 feature designed to inspire travelers with curated property types, in favor of a simpler interface focused on Homes, Experiences, and Services. The decision reflects Airbnb’s shift toward broadening its offerings beyond rentals, while competitors never saw value in adopting the feature.
Key takeaways
- Shift to new priorities: Airbnb ended Category search to make room for Experiences and Services on its homepage.
- Limited search options remain: Users can still filter by a few property types and amenities, but the feature is less extensive than Categories.
- Competitors showed no interest: Unlike Airbnb, rivals like Booking and Expedia stuck with traditional search tools, prioritizing conversions over inspiration.
- Mixed host reactions: Some hosts saw fewer bookings or poor category placement, while others said the feature had little impact.
- Inspiration vs. utility: Category search aligned with Airbnb’s vision of inspiring flexible travel, but in practice proved less useful once the platform expanded beyond homes.
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