Managing Categories
Categories group menu items into logical sections (e.g. "Starters", "Mains", "Desserts", "Drinks"). They are the primary organizational structure for your menu.
Category Properties
| Property | Description |
name | The display name of the category |
display_order | Sort order within the menu (drag-and-drop reorderable) |
is_active | Toggle visibility on the public menu |
collection_id | Assigns the category to a collection |
Working with Categories
Categories are managed from the left rail of the menu editor (/dashboard/menus/manage/[id]).
Adding a Category
- Open the menu editor.
- In the left rail, locate the Categories section.
- Type a name in the input field and click Add (or press Enter).
- The new category appears at the bottom of the list.
Renaming a Category
- Click the More menu (three dots) on the category you want to rename.
- Select Edit.
- Enter the new name and confirm.
Reordering Categories
- Drag the grip handle (six dots icon) next to a category to reorder it.
- The order is saved automatically via drag-and-drop.
Toggling Visibility
- Click the eye icon to toggle a category between visible (
is_active: true) and hidden (is_active: false). - Hidden categories and their items are not shown on the public menu.
Deleting a Category
- Click the More menu on the category.
- Select Delete.
- Confirm deletion. Items in the category will need to be reassigned.
Categories and Collections
Categories can be assigned to collections to create curated subsets for different occasions or meal periods.
- Assign a category to a collection by setting its
collection_id. - When viewing categories in the editor, use the collection filter in the left rail to see only categories belonging to a specific collection.
- Categories without a collection are considered "Unassigned" and appear across all collections on the public menu by default.
For more details, see the Collections guide.
Display in Public Menu
On the public menu (/m/[slug]), categories appear as pill buttons that customers can tap to filter items. The first category's items are shown by default.