By the PlatterTap team · Updated
Guide · step by step
How to put your menu onlinestep by step, for free.
To put your restaurant menu online, turn it into a mobile-friendly web page, give it a short link and share that link everywhere guests look: QR codes on the tables, your Google Business Profile, Instagram and your website. This guide walks through each step, using PlatterTap (free) as the example.
What are the ways to put a menu online?
There are three common ways: upload a PDF or photo of the printed menu, build a menu page on your own website, or use a digital menu tool that gives you a mobile menu page and QR codes. The first is quick but hard to read on phones, the second takes the most work, and the third sits in between.
| Option | Effort | Phone-friendly | Updating | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDF or photo upload | Low | No — pinch and zoom | Re-export and re-upload | Free |
| Page on your own website | High, or a developer | If the site is built for it | Depends on your website | Hosting and developer time |
| Digital menu tool (e.g. PlatterTap) | Low | Yes | Edit and save | PlatterTap: free; others vary |
Step 1: Get your current menu ready
Collect the latest version of your menu — a clean photo of the printed card, the PDF from your printer or a text file. Check the prices, remove dishes you no longer serve and decide which languages you want to offer. Ten minutes here saves corrections later.
Step 2: Create your menu page and choose your link
Sign up at PlatterTap with your email or Google account and choose your link, for example plattertap.com/trattoria-bella. Keep it short, lowercase and close to your restaurant’s name — it’s what guests see under the QR code and in your Instagram bio.
- Links are 3–40 characters: lowercase letters, numbers and single hyphens.
- Use the name guests know you by, not the company’s legal name.
- Decide once: printed QR codes point to this link, so avoid changing it later.
Step 3: Add your sections and dishes
Type your sections and dishes into the dashboard: a name, an optional one-line description and the price. Sizes (small / large, 0.2 l / 0.5 l) go in as variants of one dish. Or start from an example menu and edit it. Your page goes live as soon as it has its first dish.
Tip — Use the quick-add row: type the dish, its price, press Enter, repeat. Add descriptions and photos afterwards.
Step 4: Choose a design and add your details
Pick a template — Classic, Street, Gallery or Noir — and add your logo, a short intro, address, phone, opening hours and social links. These details appear on your menu page, so it can double as a simple website for your restaurant.
Step 5: Add translations (optional)
If you serve visitors, add up to 10 languages and translate dish names and descriptions. Guests get a language switcher and every language has its own link. Start with the language most of your foreign guests speak; untranslated dishes simply show in your main language.
Step 6: Publish and test on your phone
Publish the menu, then open your link on your own phone. Scroll through each section, tap the section bar, switch languages and try the call and directions buttons. It’s the quickest way to catch a typo before your guests do.
Step 7: Print QR codes for your tables
Download your QR code as PNG or SVG, or print the ready-made table cards (A4 or Letter — fold them in the middle so they stand). Test a printed code from a seat at the table before you print for the whole room.
Step 8: Add the link to Google, Instagram and your website
Put the same link everywhere guests look: the menu link in your Google Business Profile, your Instagram and TikTok bio, your Facebook page, your WhatsApp Business profile and a “Menu” button on your website. One link everywhere means one menu to keep up to date.
How do I keep an online menu up to date?
Make it part of your routine: change a price online when you change it on the till, hide dishes you’re not serving today and add the week’s specials on Monday. With PlatterTap every change is live when you save, and the QR codes never need reprinting.