Find out why iframes are not always the best way to integrate an online booking solution on your website
Why Tour and Activity Providers Should Avoid Using iFrame Integrations
Many tour and activity providers are initially drawn to using iFrame integrations on their websites. At first glance, it's an appealing option: it's easy to implement and can appear seamlessly embedded to your customers. iFrames (or inline frames) essentially allow one web page to display content from another.
However, while iFrames may seem convenient, they come with several significant drawbacks—especially for businesses in the tourism and activity industry where user experience, mobile responsiveness, SEO, and accurate tracking are critical.
Reason 1: iFrames Cause Usability Issues
One of the main goals of your website is to provide a smooth, convincing path to booking. Unfortunately, iFrames can disrupt this experience:
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Content inside an iFrame may not scale properly, potentially breaking layouts or looking out of place.
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Navigation may not function correctly—either within the iFrame or on the host page—which can confuse users or even prevent them from moving through your site effectively.
Reason 2: iFrames Are Problematic on Mobile Devices
iFrames are not inherently responsive. While the page containing the iFrame might adapt to different screen sizes, the content within the iFrame often does not. This can lead to poor usability on smartphones and tablets, which is a major issue considering how many travelers book experiences on mobile.
While there are complex workarounds to make iFrames more responsive, these are often difficult to implement correctly and frequently overlooked.
Reason 3: iFrames Introduce Security Limitations
iFrames can also create issues with browser security—particularly with Safari. For example, Safari restricts cookies set within iFrames, which can interfere with tracking user sessions or managing logins.
Implementing workarounds (like using subdomains and advanced cookie settings) requires technical expertise and additional development time, which many businesses may not have.
Reason 4: iFrames Negatively Impact SEO
Search engines like Google do not treat iFrame content as part of your website. Because of this:
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Content displayed via an iFrame may not be indexed by search engines.
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Your SEO efforts could be wasted, as this content doesn't contribute to your site’s visibility or authority.
To improve your rankings and be more discoverable online, it's better to use fully integrated content that search engines can crawl and attribute to your domain.
Reason 5: iFrames Complicate Google Analytics Tracking
From a tracking perspective, iFrames act as separate web pages. This causes two major problems:
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Google Analytics may not track actions within the iFrame unless it is specifically implemented on that page.
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You lose insights into user behavior inside the booking flow—critical data for optimizing your conversion rates.
A Better Alternative: Use a "Book Now" Button
Fortunately, there are better solutions than iFrames for integrating a booking system into your website.
At TrekkSoft, we recommend using a "Book Now" button that launches a booking widget or calendar. This approach allows you to:
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Build fully customizable and SEO-friendly web pages
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Add your own content, media, and branding
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Maintain full control over layout and responsiveness
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Ensure seamless Google Analytics tracking
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Provide a smooth, mobile-friendly user experience
In Summary
While iFrame integrations may seem like a quick fix, they introduce a host of long-term issues in usability, mobile experience, SEO, sec
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