Use this article to add a new category to your DoorDash menu and fill it with new items. You will open Menu Manager in the DoorDash Merchant Portal, create and save the category, then add an item to it with a name, price, and description. While you build the item, you can also attach a modifier, upload a photo, add food labels, and set special hours for when customers can order it.
Before You Begin
Before you add a new menu category or item in the DoorDash Merchant Portal, confirm the following.
You can sign in to the Merchant Portal and open Menu > Menu manager.
Know which menu you are adding to. Menu Manager shows the menu you are working in, such as All Day, in the menu name dropdown above the category list. Confirm the correct menu is selected before you start.
Have your item details ready: the item name, its price, a description, and a photo if you want one.
Check that your menu isn't managed by a POS. If your DoorDash menu is connected to a POS or menu management provider, add new categories and items in your POS instead. Menu Manager edits on a POS-managed menu may be overwritten by your next POS update. See What You Can Edit in the DoorDash Merchant Portal vs. in Your POS.
Important: A new menu category is hidden from customers until it has at least one available item. Add at least one item to every new category you create.
How to Add a New Menu Category
Follow these steps to create a new menu category in Menu Manager in the DoorDash Merchant Portal.
Navigate to your DoorDash Merchant Portal.
Click Menu in the left navigation, then open Menu manager.
On the Menu Manager page, confirm the correct menu is selected in the menu name dropdown, then click Add in the top right, below Preview Menu.
Click New Category. The Add dropdown has two options, New Category and New Item.
In the New Category panel, enter a name in the Name field. The name is required.
Enter a description in the Description field if you want one. The description is optional.
Click Save Changes at the bottom of the New Category panel. To discard the new category instead, click Cancel.
Close the category details panel with the X in its top right.
Note: The New Category panel only asks for a name and a description. As the panel notes, you can edit the availability of the category after saving.
What Happens After You Save a New Menu Category
After you click Save Changes, the category details panel shows your new menu category with the status Available, which means customers can view and order from the category during store hours. The panel also has a Mark as Unavailable for Today button.
The new category appears in the Menu Manager category list with 0 items. Until you add at least one available item, Menu Manager shows the message "This category will be hidden unless there is at least one available item." To change where the category appears on your menu, see How to Rearrange Menu Categories in the DoorDash Merchant Portal.
How to Add a New Item to a Menu Category
Follow these steps to add a new menu item to a category in Menu Manager in the DoorDash Merchant Portal.
In the Menu Manager category list, find the category and click the expand arrow at the right of the category row.
Click Add Item under the category.
In the New item panel, under Item details, enter the item name in the Name field.
Enter the item's price in the Price field. The Tax rate field sits beside it.
Enter a description in the Description field. A description is recommended: the field prompts you to include things like preparation methods, ingredients, and anything that makes the item unique. A Write with AI link sits below the field.
If the item contains alcohol, select This item contains alcohol.
Confirm the Category field shows the category you want. When you start from Add Item inside a category, the Category field is already set to that category.
Add a modifier now if the item needs one. See How to Add a Modifier While Creating a Menu Item below.
Click Create and add photo at the bottom of the New item panel. Clicking it creates the item and opens the Add a photo window. To discard the new item instead, click Cancel.
Tip: You can also start a new item from Add > New Item in the top right of Menu Manager. If you start there, check the Category field before you click Create and add photo.
How to Add a Modifier While Creating a Menu Item
The Modifiers section of the New item panel lets you attach an existing modifier to the menu item, or create a new modifier without leaving the item.
In the Modifiers section, click the Search and add modifiers field. The Add a modifier from dropdown above the field, set to All Active Menus, controls which menus are searched.
To attach a modifier you have already created, search for it by name and select it. To create a new one, click Add new modifier.
On the Create new modifier page, the menu item you are creating is already listed under Items. Enter the modifier name, add each option and its price, and set the modifier rules.
Click Create modifier at the top right of the page.
After you click Create modifier, you return to the New item panel, and the modifier is listed in the Modifiers section with its options and Remove and Edit controls.
Note: For what each modifier option, price, and rule does, and how the Preview panel works, see How to Create a New Modifier for Your DoorDash Menu Items. That article starts from the Modifiers tab, where you search for the items to attach the modifier to. When you start from a menu item instead, the item is attached for you, and the page notes that you can add the modifier to other items after saving.
How to Add a Photo to a New Menu Item
The Add a photo window opens when you click Create and add photo on a new menu item.
In the Add a photo window, upload a new photo by dragging and dropping a file onto the upload area or clicking Select file. To reuse a photo you have uploaded before, select it from the Library below the upload area instead.
In the Preview and adjust your photo window, check the Preview panel, which shows how your photo appears to customers. Use any of the editing tools listed below the steps if you need them.
Click Submit at the bottom right of the window. A View photo guidelines link sits at the bottom left.
The Preview and adjust your photo window has these editing tools:
AI retouch
Auto-enhance
Crop & rotate
Backgrounds, to swap the background behind the item
Adjust, for manual photo adjustments
Remove text, to remove text overlaying the image
Note: The Add a photo window states that by uploading media, you agree to the terms of the Merchant Media Addendum.
What Happens After You Submit a Menu Item Photo
A new menu item photo goes to review before it appears on your DoorDash menu. After you click Submit, the item panel shows a Photo pending review message and an In review status on the photo, with Edit, Replace, and Remove buttons.
Important: Your photo does not show on your DoorDash menu while it is in review. Once it is approved, it appears on your menu.
How to Add Food Labels to a Menu Item
Food labels help customers find what they are looking for in the DoorDash app. You add food labels to a menu item from the Food labels section of the item panel.
In the item panel, scroll to Food labels and click the Search for food labels field.
Select each label that applies. The labels are grouped. Dietary labels include Healthy, High protein, Low carb, Low fat, Vegan, and Vegetarian. Allergen labels include Gluten free, Gluten free options, and Contains dairy. Scroll the list to see all of them.
Each label you select is listed under the field. To remove one, click the X next to it. For a definition of each label, click What do these labels mean? below the field.
Note: Food labels apply to a single menu item. They are separate from the dietary labels on your store, which describe the store as a whole. For store labels, see Updating Your Store Contact Information On DoorDash.
How to Set Special Hours for a Menu Item
Special hours let you choose specific hours when customers can order a menu item during your regular menu hours. You set them under Advanced settings at the bottom of the item panel.
Under Advanced settings, turn on the Special hours toggle. It is set to No by default.
For each day you want the item to be orderable, select the day's checkbox and choose a start time and an end time. To use the same hours every day, select Apply same hours to all days.
Click Save changes at the bottom of the item panel.
A day you leave unchecked shows N/A instead of hours. When a day's hours match your menu hours, Same as menu hours shows below them.
What Happens After You Save a New Menu Item
After you save, your new menu item appears in its category in Menu Manager with its price, and the category's item count goes up. The item panel shows the status In stock, which means customers can view and order the item during store hours.
Once a category has at least one available item, it is no longer hidden from customers. If you uploaded a photo, it appears on your menu after it is approved.
You can return to Menu > Menu manager at any time and click the pencil icon on the item's row to edit its details, modifiers, photo, food labels, or special hours.
Questions? If you need help with this process or have questions, reach out to DoorDash Support at oosupport@doordash.com.