> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.atlas.kitchen/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How menus work

> How Atlas organises menus, sections, products, and modifiers, and which parts can be shared across them.

Atlas uses a hierarchy to organise what you sell. Each level sits inside the one above it, from the menu a customer opens down to a single modifier. Learn the levels once and the rest of menu building follows.

<Frame caption="An Atlas menu hierarchy, from menus down to nested modifiers.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/atlaskitchen/GOLCsVxUlnianHOQ/images/menu-builder/menu-hierarchy.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=GOLCsVxUlnianHOQ&q=85&s=956fc4196da41360c8943a976c9dcebd" alt="A menu hierarchy for a sample restaurant. Two menus, All-day and Dinner, contain sections such as Mains, Sides, and House Drinks. Mains holds the Burgers and Sharing platters sub-sections. Sections contain products like Classic burger and Fries. Products carry modifier groups such as Burger add-ons, which contain modifiers like Extra cheese. The Side salad modifier carries its own nested Dressing group with Olive oil and Balsamic." width="2141" height="1232" data-path="images/menu-builder/menu-hierarchy.webp" />
</Frame>

## Menu hierarchy on Atlas

* **Menus** are the lists your customers order from, such as an All-day menu or a Dinner menu. A restaurant can run several. A product appears only on the menus you add it to.
* **Sections** are folders that group products inside a menu, such as Mains, Sides, or Drinks. A section holds either products or sub-sections, never both.
  * **Sub-sections** split a section one level deeper, such as Burgers and Bowls inside Mains. Sub-sections go one level deep only.
* **Products** are the items you sell, such as Classic burger, Fries, or Root beer. The same product can sit in more than one section, and it can also act as a modifier.
* **Modifier groups** are the choices on a product, such as Burger add-ons or Choice of side. They set how many options a customer can pick.
* **Modifiers** are the options inside a group, such as Extra cheese or Fried egg. Every modifier is itself a product or component.
  * **Nested modifier groups** are a modifier group attached to a modifier, such as Dressing on a Side salad. They work like any other modifier group, except their parent is a modifier instead of a product.

<Info>
  **Nested modifier groups have two limits:**

  * They allow only one choice (a maximum selection of 1).
  * Aggregator platforms such as GrabFood and Foodpanda do not support them.
</Info>

## Sharing parts of the menu

Most parts of the hierarchy can be used in more than one place. You add an existing one instead of building a copy, so there is a single item to keep up to date.

* **A section can appear in more than one menu.** House Drinks can sit on both the All-day and Dinner menus.
* **A modifier group can be attached to more than one product.** Burger add-ons can apply to both the Classic burger and the Chicken burger.
* **A product can also be used as a modifier.** Fries can sell as a side and appear inside Choice of side.

Because it is the same item, editing it updates every place it appears. If you want a different price when a product is used as a modifier, set a **price override** on the modifier rather than creating a new product.

<Info>
  Products also carry **Printer / KDS / Dispatch tags**. These decide which printer or kitchen screen an item prints on. They do not change what the customer sees. See [Item routing and printers](/menu-builder/printer-routing).
</Info>

## Where to go next

<CardGroup cols="2">
  <Card title="Create and configure menus" icon="list" href="/menu-builder/create-menus">
    Build a menu from scratch with sections, products, and modifier groups.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Update prices" icon="tag" href="/menu-builder/draft-update-prices">
    Change a single price or update prices in bulk by CSV.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Pricing rules" icon="sliders" href="/menu-builder/pricing-rules">
    Set different prices by channel or outlet, such as higher prices on delivery apps.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Aggregator menus" icon="motorcycle" href="/menu-builder/aggregator-menus">
    Set up and sync your menu on GrabFood and Foodpanda.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Set availability conditions" icon="clock" href="/menu-builder/availability-conditions">
    Show or hide items by time, day, or other rules.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reporting categories" icon="chart-pie" href="/menu-builder/reporting-categories">
    Group products so they roll up correctly in your reports.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Set up POS layouts" icon="grip" href="/menu-builder/pos-layout">
    Arrange how items appear on the POS screen for your staff.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Item routing and printers" icon="print" href="/menu-builder/printer-routing">
    Route each item to the right printer or kitchen screen using tags.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>
