KDS Routing
Control which catalog items generate kitchen tickets and how they group onto station boards, using send-to-kitchen flags, not category mapping.
KDS routing decides two things when an order is saved: whether each line item gets a kitchen ticket at all, and which station board that ticket appears on. GreenSails uses explicit Send to kitchen display toggles on items and categories, not a mapping between stations and catalog categories.
Routing flags are set in Catalog → Items when editing an item or category. Changes apply to new orders; tickets already fired keep their original routing snapshot.
The Eligibility Rule
An ordered item generates a kitchen ticket when either condition is true at the moment of sale:
| Item toggle | Category toggle | Ticket? |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Off | No |
| On | Off | Yes |
| Off | On | Yes |
| On | On | Yes |
In short:
- Category ON → every item in that category gets a ticket, unless you move the item to a different category (or leave the category OFF and turn items ON one by one).
- Item ON → that item gets a ticket even when its category is OFF.
- Item OFF does not exclude the item when its category is ON.
Prefer turning Send to kitchen display on for whole prep categories (e.g. "Hot Food"). For items that should never hit the kitchen, keep them in a category with the toggle off, or put them in a non-prep category and leave both toggles off. Turning an individual item off does not remove it from a kitchen category that is already on.
Walkthrough: Routing a New Menu
Flag categories first
Open Catalog → Items, edit each catalog category, and toggle Send to kitchen display for sections that require prep: Entrees, Appetizers, Bar Drinks, etc.
Every item in those categories becomes KDS-eligible automatically.
Include one-off items
For items in a non-kitchen category that still need prep (e.g. a custom sandwich in "Retail"), edit the item and turn Send to kitchen display on. That item will get tickets even though its category stays off.
To stop an item in a kitchen category from getting tickets, move it out of that category (or turn the category off and opt items in individually). Turning the item toggle off while the category stays on will not exclude it.
Create stations (optional)
Under Settings → KDS Stations, name your prep lines. Stations do not auto-receive categories. They only receive tickets for items explicitly routed to them.
Test with a POS order
Save a test order on a register. Eligible items should appear on the KDS board within seconds. Ineligible items should not generate tickets at all.
Station Grouping
After eligibility is determined, eligible items are grouped into tickets by station:
| Item configuration | Ticket destination |
|---|---|
| No station override | Default Kitchen board (All stations filter shows these) |
| Station override set to a valid station at the order's location | That station's board |
All items sharing the same station on one order are combined into one ticket for that station. Items with different stations (or no station) produce separate tickets.
Per-item station assignment is available through GreenSails integrations today. The dashboard item editor exposes the Send to kitchen display toggle; station overrides for individual items can be set up with help from your GreenSails administrator if you need split routing beyond the default Kitchen board.
What Changed from Category Mapping
Earlier designs tied stations to catalog categories ("Grill sees Appetizers"). That model is removed. Benefits of the current approach:
- Flexible: any item can go to the kitchen regardless of category.
- Explicit: nothing fires to KDS by accident; you opt in per item or category.
- POS-aligned: prep ticket printing on registers uses the same send-to-kitchen flags synced from the catalog.
POS Prep Tickets
Registers use the same eligibility flags for local prep ticket printing. If an item is not marked for the kitchen display, it won't appear on kitchen tickets or on synced prep chits, keeping the line and the printer in agreement.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No ticket at all | Item and category both have Send to kitchen display off | Toggle on item or category |
| Ticket still fires after turning item off | Category toggle is still on (OR rule) | Move the item out of the kitchen category, or turn the category off |
| Ticket on wrong board | Station override on item | Adjust the station assignment or remove the override to use default Kitchen |
| Screen shows no tickets but dashboard does | Screen filtered to a specific station | Choose All stations, or confirm items route to that station |
| Ticket missing after order | Order not yet synced to cloud | Ensure POS has connectivity; tickets fire on cloud order create |