Answers about modifier groups (min and max, required options, shared groups, duplicating, deleting, sold out), duplicating and hiding menus, PDF menu links and QR codes, and items with no price.

Quick answers to the questions we get most about menus, modifier groups and options. You manage all of this under Menus in the left menu of your dashboard, and Menus → Modifiers in the left menu for modifiers. This opens the Modifier Groups page (open Modifier Groups).

What is a modifier group and when do I use one?

A modifier group is a set of choices guests make when they add an item — for example "Choose your crust", "Add toppings" or "Make it a combo". Each choice in the group is a modifier (an option) and can have its own price, photo and dietary tags. You create the group once and attach it to as many items or sections as you like. An option can also have its own group inside it (a nested group) — for example, "Make it a combo" opens "Choose your drink".

Please check How to Create a Modifier and How to Add a Modifier to a Menu Item or Menu Section to understand the steps.

How do I limit how many options a guest can choose?

Open the modifier group, change these settings and click Update Modifier Group:

  • Optional or required — a required group must be filled in before the guest can add the item to the cart. Required groups always show above optional ones.
  • Min — the fewest options a guest must choose. It's 0 for optional groups and at least 1 for required groups.
  • Max — the most options a guest can choose (up to 100). Once the guest reaches it, the other options are greyed out. For an optional group, set Max to 0 for no limit.
  • Allow multiple quantities (on each option) — lets a guest pick the same option more than once, for example 2× extra cheese. Each pick counts towards the group's Max.
A required group where guests choose 2 or 3 options

Common setups:

  • Pick exactly one (size, crust): Required, Min 1, Max 1. Guests see round buttons and "Choose 1".
  • Pick up to 3 toppings: Optional, Min 0, Max 3.
  • Pick exactly 2 sides: Required, Min 2, Max 2. Guests see "Choose 2".
  • Add as many extras as they like: Optional, Min 0, Max 0.

Which items use a modifier group?

Go to Menus → Modifiers. The Used in column lists every item and section the group is attached to, and the Modifiers column lists its options. Modifier groups belong to a location, so if you have more than one location, switch location at the top right of the dashboard to see that location's groups.

The Used in column shows which items and sections use each group

I changed a modifier group and it changed on other items too

That's expected — a modifier group is shared. Every item, section and menu that uses it shows the same options and prices, including menus you duplicated. To have a different version for some items:

  1. In Menus → Modifiers, open the actions menu on the group and choose Duplicate. The copy gets "-copy" at the end of its name.
  2. Rename the copy and change its options or prices.
  3. On the items that need the new version, remove the old group, add the copy and click Done.

Nested groups inside the copied options are still shared with the original. If you need those to be different too, duplicate the nested group as well and attach the copy to the options in your new group.

Can I use a section's modifier group on most items but not all?

A modifier group attached to a section applies to every item in that section. If a few items need different options, attach the group to each item that needs it instead of to the section, or move the exceptions to their own section.

How do I delete an option or change the order?

  • Delete an option: open the modifier group and click the red trash icon on the option's row. It's removed straight away from every item that uses the group. To remove an option only for today, mark it sold out instead (see below).
  • Delete a whole group: open the group and click Delete Modifier Group, or choose Delete in the group's actions menu in Menus → Modifiers. Check the Used in column first — the group disappears from all those items.
  • Order of options inside a group: options show in the order you added them, and they can't be reordered. To change the order, delete the options and add them again in the order you want.
  • Order of groups on an item: you can drag them into a new order — see the steps below.

Add modifier groups to an item or change their order

  1. Open the menu and click the item to start editing it. Its modifier groups are shown as tags next to the + Modifier Group button.
  2. Click + Modifier Group.
  3. In Select modifier groups, tick the groups the item should have. Drag a group by the dotted handle on its left to change the order, then click OK.
  4. Click Done on the item to save.
Click the item, then + Modifier Group. Tick the groups and drag them by the dotted handle into the order you want.

Sections and options with a nested group work the same way. On your website, required groups always show above optional ones; within each, your order is kept.

My modifiers don't show on my website

  1. Open the menu, click the item or section and check the group shows as a tag next to + Modifier Group. Changes to an item are only saved when you click Done.
  2. Check you edited the right location — switch location at the top right of the dashboard.
  3. If every option in the group is sold out, guests see the group marked as sold out. Mark the options available again.
  4. If the menu is managed by your POS or another integration (Square, Bridge, Deliverect, Cuboh), change modifiers there — they sync to Sociavore from that system.

Still not showing? Please check My Changes Aren't Showing on My Website to understand the other checks.

How do I mark an item or option as sold out?

  • Item: open the menu, click the actions menu on the item and choose Mark Sold out. Guests still see it, marked as sold out, but can't order it. Choose Mark available to bring it back.
  • Option: open the modifier group and click the green cart icon on the option's row. It's sold out on every item that uses the group.
  • Sold out stays on until you change it back — it doesn't reset by itself the next day.
  • Partially sold out on an item means some of its prices (for example one size) have reached their inventory limit. Please check How to Set Inventory Limits on an Online Ordering Menu Item to understand inventory limits.
  • If your menu is managed by Deliverect, items snoozed in Deliverect show Available in… with the time left.

To stop all orders for a while instead, please check How to Temporarily Stop Accepting New Orders from Your Online Menu.

Can options change by day of the week?

Not automatically. For something like a daily soup, the easiest way is one option (for example "Soup of the day") whose description you update, or separate options that you mark sold out and available each day. If a whole menu changes by day, create separate menus and give each one its own schedule. Please check Pickup Schedules for Online Ordering Menus to understand schedules.

How do I duplicate a menu, and what gets copied?

In Menus, open the actions menu on the menu's row and choose Duplicate. The copy gets "-copy" added to its name and its own URL path. It includes all sections, subsections, items, prices, photos, the locations and the pickup, delivery and table schedules. Items in the copy use the same modifier groups as the original, so changing a group changes both menus (see above). Please check How Do I Duplicate a Menu? to see where the button is.

How do I hide a menu?

In Menus, open the actions menu on the menu's row and choose Make invisible. The menu disappears from the menus on your website, but anyone who has its direct link can still open it — and order from it, if online ordering is on for that menu. That makes hidden menus useful for private menus, for example catering for one company: hide the menu and share its link only with them. To stop orders from a menu, pause it, turn off online ordering or remove its schedules.

Every menu has a Path (open the menu in Menus to see it). For a PDF or picture menu:

  • yourdomain.com/menu/path opens the menu page on your website with the PDF shown in it.
  • yourdomain.com/menu/path/download opens the file itself — handy for a QR code on your tables.
  • To update the menu, open it and click Delete and upload new file. The links stay the same, so printed QR codes keep working.
  • You can upload a PDF, Word, Excel or text file, or a picture of your menu.

For an itemized menu, use Attach a download to add a PDF version — your menu page then shows a Download menu button. Please check Finding your menu URL path and Add a PDF Menu or a Picture of the Menu to understand the steps.

Why does an item show no price?

If an item's price is $0, your website doesn't show a price for it. That's useful for items where the guest builds the price with options (for example "Build your own bowl"): the price is added up as they choose. If the item should have a price, open it in the menu, enter the price and click Done.

Selling something with options outside your menu?

For catering packages, merchandise or event extras with options and online payment, you can also use a product in your online store. Please check How to Add Products to Your Online Store to understand how. Custom forms can't take payments.