Filter orders by category with Square KDS

Before you begin

Filtering orders by category on your KDS helps you route items and orders to specified KDS screens, increasing your team’s efficiency to prep orders faster with the relevant order information available for each kitchen station.

Filter by item categories

Go to your Square Dashboard to use your account default item categories for filtering:

1. On your Square Dashboard create categories for your items.

2. Assign items to the category.

3. Go into your KDS to choose which categories you want to route to the KDS screen.

Filter by kitchen categories

Part 1: Turn on kitchen categories.

1. Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Settings > Restaurant settings > Kitchen settings > Kitchen routing.

2. Toggle on Use Kitchen routing categories on KDS.

3. If you have not created kitchen categories, click Create New Category and assign items to your new kitchen category. You can return to Item Settings at any time to edit which items are assigned to which kitchen category.

Part 2: Choose which categories will route to the KDS screen.

1. On your Square KDS, go to Settings > Routing > Items & categories.

2. Confirm you see the list of kitchen categories (if not visible, go back and check the Kitchen Routing page on your Square Dashboard).

Next Steps

Learn how to optimise order filtering from one of these Support Centre articles:

• Filter orders by dining option with Square KDS

• Route orders to the kitchen with Square KDS and Square for Restaurants

• Troubleshoot missing orders with Square KDS