Setting Up Kitchen Screens
Set up kitchen device logins, create prep-line stations, and choose each screen's location and station filter.
Before a ticket ever appears on a cook line, three pieces need to be in place: a device identity that can only load the KDS app, stations that name your prep lines, and a one-time screen setup on each physical display.
Station management requires settings:view (page access) and
settings:update (create/edit/delete). KDS app access requires a service
account with the kitchen display module enabled plus kds:view and
kds:manage. Your organization must also have the Sell module turned on.
Walkthrough: End-to-End Setup
Create a Kitchen Display service account
Go to Settings → Service Accounts and create a new account (for example, "Kitchen Line, Downtown").
- Enable only the Kitchen Display (KDS) module, never POS on a kitchen tablet.
- Assign the location(s) this screen should access.
- Save the credential for device sign-in. GreenSails issues an automated
sign-in address on the
@service.greensails.localdomain (not a real mailbox).
See Hardware Service Accounts for the full provisioning flow.
Grant KDS permissions
Ensure the service account's access policy includes
kds:view and kds:manage for the assigned locations. Without these, the
device can sign in but cannot load tickets or bump them.
Create KDS stations (optional but recommended)
Go to Settings → KDS Stations, select a Location, and add stations that match your physical lines, for example Grill, Salad, Bar.
Each station has a name and sort order (controls display order in dropdowns). Stations do not map to catalog categories; they only group tickets that items are explicitly routed to.
If you skip this step, all tickets appear on the default Kitchen board.
Mark items for the kitchen
In Catalog → Items, toggle Send to kitchen display on the items or categories that should generate tickets. See KDS Routing.
Sign in on the kitchen device
Open the KDS web app and sign in with the service account
email (the automated @service.greensails.local address GreenSails assigns
when you create the account). The app verifies the account is authorized for
kitchen display, and that Sell is enabled for your organization, before
allowing access.
Configure the screen
On first launch, the Configure this screen flow appears:
- Select the Location this screen serves.
- Select a Station filter, a specific station, or All stations.
- Tap Open ticket board.
The choice is saved locally on the device so the screen boots straight to the board on subsequent visits.
KDS Stations Settings
The KDS Stations tab under Settings is intentionally simple:
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Name | Label shown on tickets and in the KDS station picker (e.g. "Grill") |
| Sort order | Numeric order in lists and dropdowns |
Create stations that match how your kitchen is physically organized. A screen at the grill station should filter to Grill; an expo screen can choose All stations to see every active ticket at once.
What stations do not do
Stations are not tied to catalog categories. You do not pick "Appetizers → Grill" in settings. Instead, routing works through Send to kitchen display toggles on items and categories, with an optional per-item station override that your administrator can configure. See KDS Routing.
Station Filter Behavior on Screens
When a screen filters to a specific station, it shows:
- Tickets routed to that station, and
- Unrouted tickets (default Kitchen board with no station assignment)
This ensures nothing is invisible just because an item lacks a station override.
Changing or Resetting a Screen
From the ticket board header:
- Change screen: re-run the location/station setup without signing out. You stay logged in and keep working.
- Sign out: ends the session and clears this screen's saved configuration. The next sign-in requires configuring location and station again.