A study by the DoorDash developer team found photos have the biggest impact on the success of a menu. In fact, based on an April – June 2022 DoorDash study of over 15,000 small restaurants, menus with item photos get up to 44% more monthly sales.
In this article, we’ll walk through how to add photos to your menu, meet photo guidelines, and even get a free photoshoot sponsored by DoorDash. If you want to learn how to add your restaurant’s header image and logo, check out Store Essentials. In addition, if you need to add photos to your DoorDash menu on the go, here’s a step-by-step guide to using the Business Manager App.
How do I add photos to my menu via the Merchant Portal?
Once your photos are ready, you can upload them to your menu through the Menu Manager in your Merchant Portal.
How to upload new photos.
1. Navigate to the Menu section and click on the item you want to add photos to.
2. Once an item’s page is open, there are two ways to add a photo:
Click Add a photo in the blue box.
If your item already has a photo uploaded, you will see it here. Click on the image or if this item does not have a photo yet, select the DoorDash delivery bag in the gray square.
How to use the Photo Bank feature.
Mx-L3. If your photo has already been approved, look for it under the Approved section.
4. Click Select File or drag and drop the image you want to upload over the Photo Uploader then click Save.
5. Next, you can edit the photo, such as zooming in. You can also click in View Photo Guidelines to see if your photo meets our quality control standards. From here, you can choose whether to Submit for Review or Change Photo.
6. Once uploaded, DoorDash will review your photo. This process usually takes 2-3 business days.
7. Back on the menu item page and on its individual item page, you will see a clock over your image, indicating it is still under review.
How to edit your photos in the Merchant Portal.
Some things to keep in mind:
Menus with header images and logos get up to 50% (header) and 23% (logo) more monthly sales than menus without these branding elements according to an April–June 2022 DoorDash study of over 15,000 small restaurants.. Here’s how to add them.
Only users with Business Admin permissions or higher will be able to update headers and logos. Learn more on how to manage permissions.
Menus with header images and logos get up to 50% (header) and 23% (logo) more monthly sales than menus without these branding elements.
New photos can take up to 72 hours to be reviewed. Images will only be reviewed if they are linked to a menu item. If a pending photo is being used on multiple menus, the image will be assessed and approved for all locations.
All menu photos will be cropped to a landscape 16:9 aspect ratio. Please ensure that the item is centered in the frame and the entire portion is visible within the cropped area.
If the image was previously uploaded and was rejected, uploading it a second time will not change the approval status.
How do I submit a request to the photos team?
The photo team can also help you with a number of other photo issues. To reach out to them for support, start by:
1. In Menu Manager of the Merchant Portal, click Get Menu Help at the bottom right corner of your screen.
2. Select the Request Menu Update button.
3. Select the store to update by inputting the restaurant’s name or Store ID, then click Update store.
4. Fill out the form with specifics on where you need additional photo support. Some examples could include:
Option 1: Adding brand images and troubleshooting load errors
You do not need to submit a ticket for every photo, especially if uploading the same photo(s) for multiple locations, one ticket for all will suffice. If you want to upload these visuals or have any issues regarding photo submissions, uploading, or approval, here are next steps:
5. Within "Please add any additional menu updates in the box below", state that you are “Requesting upload support”
6. Within "Provide your menus and item photos, either as attachments or URLs", upload your attachments
If uploading more than 1, check the box for “I would like to attach additional files” to have more uploading fields.
If adding more than 4, please share a link to a file-sharing site like Google Drive (and be sure sharing settings are set to Anyone with the Link).
7. Check the box for "I confirm that a menu source has been included or is not needed for this menu update. Menu sources are needed for ALL changes that impact an entire menu (>5 items) and bulk pricing changes".
Option 2: Requesting a free DoorDash photo shoot
If you don't have high-quality photos, DoorDash is happy to pay for a professional photographer to come to your restaurant and photograph some of your most popular dishes at no charge to you.
5. Within "Please add any additional menu updates in the box below", state that you are “Requesting a Photo shoot”.
6. Once the form is complete, click Submit Form.
7. We will coordinate with the photography company who will reach out via email with a scheduling link for you to choose your desired photo shoot day and time. Expect to hear from us within 48 business hours.
What are the Photo Guidelines?
If you’re just getting started, you’ll want to select your most popular/signature items first to highlight your specialties on your menu.
Definitions
Here are some definitions of photos we can help you with:
Item photo: A picture of one of your products that shows a meal’s size, shape, color, and ingredients.
Carousel photo: A single header photo or a collection of photos in the app that potential customers can easily flip through to get a sense of your menu and what you’re offering.
Header photo: The photo at the top of your restaurant’s store page in the app.
Logo: A visual image of your restaurant’s brand logo.
Logo Guidelines
Is clearly recognizable, is readable if text, graphics are clear
Avoid just text in a single line, is difficult to read
Should not be a photo of an item you sell, but graphics are allowed
The white border will be added afterward and not part of the uploaded image
Technical Specs
File Size: Under 2 MB
Aspect Ratio: No requirement but the system crops the center square from the photo, so square (1:1) photos are your best option
Resolution Size: 230x230px
File Type: JPG, JPEG, or PNG
Header Photo / Carousel Guidelines
On top of the photo basics mentioned above, header and carousel photos should:
Showcase the food/products you sell
Not have text/graphics overlays or borders
Include multiple items/products in the photo
Have food/products be centered as much as possible to best fit the header frame
Technical Specs
File Size: Under 2 MB
Aspect Ratio: No requirement but best to use landscape (16:9)
File Type: JPG, JPEG, or PNG
Resolution Size: 1400x800px minimum
What are some common rejection reasons?
Sometimes a photo you submit may be rejected for not following our guidelines. After review, an email should be sent to you with a report for all photos that have been approved/rejected, including reasons for any rejected photos. Here are a few common reasons why your photo may be rejected:
Photo size: The resolution needs to be at least 1400 x 800px. Photos cannot be edited to increase size without the quality of the image dropping
Zoomed in or out: The item should be displayed in the frame to give a proper idea of portion size for customers. As a general rule of thumb, you should be able to see at least 80% of the item
Framing: The aspect ratio needs to match the landscape crop ratio 16:9
Lighting: Items need to be properly lit and should show off their entirety without any part being overly exposed
Background/Setting: Backgrounds must not be flashy or distract from the item itself
Overlays: All images must have the same formatting without any extra graphics, text, or borders
People In Shot: The food is the star, if the person is taking up more of the frame than the food/product, the photo will be rejected
Photo Not Representative of Item: The photo does not properly represent the item including:
There are multiple items in the same photo
The photo displays an unrealistic format/presentation
Image doesn’t show proper portion sizing
Out of Focus: Parts or the entire photo is blurry
Copyright: The photo that was submitted doesn't belong to the store or is a stock photo
Duplicate: Photo has already been submitted
Examples
Here are some examples of approved versus rejected photos:
For more details on photo requirements, please check out our photos guide.
