Setting Up Online Ordering in NX Restaurant
Online ordering in NX lets your guests place pickup and future orders directly from a branded storefront at your own nxorders.com link — no third-party marketplace fees, no extra apps. This guide walks you through every step to get from zero to live.
Before You Start
Online ordering in NX is built around your existing configuration. Before diving in, make sure the following are already set up:
- ✅ Menu Items are created with prices
- ✅ Menu Categories are organized
- ✅ At least one Tender (payment method) exists and is enabled for online use
- ✅ A Time Range exists if you want to limit ordering hours (optional but recommended)
If any of these are missing, set them up first — they feed directly into your online ordering configuration.
How It Works: The Big Picture
NX online ordering is driven by three core building blocks that work together:
| Building Block | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Menu Set | Controls which items and price points appear on the online menu |
| Area | The "brain" — handles order rules, lead times, payments, and hours for online orders |
| Subdomain | Your public-facing storefront URL (e.g., yourrestaurant.nxorders.com) |
Think of it this way: the Menu Set is your online menu, the Area is your online ordering rulebook, and the Subdomain is the front door your guests walk through.
Step 1: Build Your Online Menu Set
A Menu Set is a curated collection of categories and price points. You don't have to create a dedicated one for online ordering — if your existing Menu Set already covers what you want guests to see, you can use it as-is and rely on the Allowed In settings on individual items, categories, and modifier categories to fine-tune visibility.
That said, a dedicated online ordering Menu Set is worth creating if you want tighter control — for example, to offer a different price point for pickup orders, limit the category selection, or keep your online menu completely independent from any in-house POS changes.
Navigate to: Configuration > Menus > Menu Sets
- Click + to create a new Menu Set.
- Give it a clear name like "Online Ordering" or "Pickup Menu."
- In the Categories section, move your desired categories from the Available column to the Selected column.
- In the Price Points section, select the pricing tier(s) you want to use for online orders (e.g., "Online Price" or your standard "Regular" price point).
- Click Save.
💡 Tip: A dedicated Menu Set is a great opportunity to hide items that don't travel well or create an online-exclusive price point with built-in packaging fees.
Fine-Tune Which Items Show Online
You can control visibility at the individual item level using Allowed In settings.
- Go to Menus > Categories, select a category, and find a Menu Item.
- Use the Allowed In dropdown to restrict an item to specific sources (e.g., Online Order only, or POS only).
This means you can have items that are only available online, or items that are hidden from your online guests while still available to in-house staff.
Step 2: Add Photos and Descriptions to Menu Items
A picture is worth a thousand words — and a lot of extra orders. Guests are far more likely to order items they can see.
Navigate to: Menus > Items → Select a Menu Item → Online tab
- Picture: Upload a full image of the item. This is what guests see when browsing your menu.
- Thumbnail: Upload a smaller preview image. Thumbnails help draw attention to items with modifiers or add-ons.
- Description: Write a short, appetizing description of the item.
💡 Tip: Even a quick description ("crispy fried chicken sandwich with house pickles and comeback sauce") increases conversion. Don't skip it.
Step 3: Configure Your Online Ordering Area
The Area is where all the operational rules for online ordering live. You have two valid approaches here — pick the one that fits your operation:
- Reuse an existing Area — If your online ordering menu, pricing, and order handling can match an existing area, you can simply enable the Online Ordering tab on it. Use the Allowed In settings on menu items, categories, and modifier categories to control exactly what guests see online without affecting the in-house POS experience.
- Create a dedicated Area — If you need different workflows for online orders — such as separate printing rules, unique order handling, or distinct POS behavior — a dedicated Online Ordering Area gives you full separation.
Neither approach is wrong. The right choice depends on how different your online ordering operation needs to be from your in-house setup.
Navigate to: Configuration > Areas → Select or create your Online Ordering Area
General Tab
Give the Area a clear name like "Online Ordering" or "Pickup" if creating a new Area.
Menus Tab
Under Menu Set, select the online ordering Menu Set you created in Step 1 if needed.
Online Ordering Tab
This is the most important tab. It's organized into six sections:
1. General Availability
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Enabled | Toggle ON so the system can process online orders for this Area |
| Active | Indicates online ordering is currently live and your storefront URL is accessible |
2. Ordering Times & Logic
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Allow Future/Queued Orders | Toggle ON to let guests place orders for a later time or date |
| Auto-Hold Orders | When ON, orders are held and must be manually "fired" by staff. Keep OFF if you want orders going straight to the kitchen |
| Default Lead Time (mins) | The base prep time shown to guests (e.g., "Ready in 20 minutes") |
| Availability | Select a Time Range to restrict when the ordering page accepts orders |
3. Order Controls & Loyalty
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Order Types | Select which order types are available (e.g., Takeout, Delivery) |
| Revenue Center | Map online orders to a specific revenue center for clean financial reporting |
| Allow Item Notes | Toggle ON to let guests add special requests (e.g., "No onions") |
| Loyalty Plans | Link an NX Loyalty plan so guests can earn or redeem rewards online |
4. Branding & Images
Make your ordering page look like your restaurant, not a generic form.
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Header Logo | Upload your restaurant's logo — it appears at the top of the ordering page |
| Main Image | Upload a high-quality hero image (a signature dish, your dining room, etc.) to serve as the background of your storefront |
💡 Tip: See the Image Best Practices for Online Ordering article for recommended dimensions and file sizes before uploading.
5. Notifications
Never miss an incoming order. Configure both in-store alerts and external notifications here.
In-Store Notifications
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Notification Sound | Choose a distinct alert tone for DSP and standard online orders |
| POS Devices | Select which tablets or terminals should play the alert |
| # of times to play | Set how many times the sound repeats to make sure staff hears it |
External Notifications
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Email Notifications | Enter an email address to receive a summary of every order placed |
| SMS Notifications | Enter a mobile number to receive a text alert the moment a guest submits an order |
6. Printing
Under In-Store Receipt Printing, select which receipt printers should automatically print a physical ticket when a new online order is confirmed.
💡 Heads up: Advanced styling options — including URL customization and subdomain colors — are managed separately under Venue Settings > Subdomain Setup, not here.
Click Save when done.
Receipts Tab
Set up tip suggestions for your online ordering page here.
- Configure Tip Suggestions as percentage-based (e.g., 15%, 18%, 20%) or flat dollar amounts.
- Set a Threshold if you only want tips suggested above a certain order total.
Order Settings Tab
Review payment and accountability settings. For most online ordering setups, defaults work well — but confirm Payment Accountability and Sales Accountability match your reporting needs.
Step 4: Enable Payments for Online Orders
Guests won't see a Pay button unless a tender is explicitly enabled for online use and assigned to your online ordering Area.
Part A — Enable the Tender
Navigate to: Configuration > Tenders → Select your credit card tender (e.g., "Credit Card")
- Toggle Available for Online Order to ON.
- Click Save.
Part B — Assign the Tender to the Area
Navigate to: Configuration > Areas → Your Online Ordering Area → Order Settings tab
- Under the Tenders section, add the online-enabled tender.
- Click Save.
⚠️ Both steps are required. If either is missing, the Pay button will not appear on your online ordering page.
Step 5: Set Up Queued & Future Orders (Optional but Recommended)
By default, online orders come in as live orders. If you want guests to be able to schedule orders in advance, configure queued/future ordering.
Navigate to: Configuration > Areas → Your Online Ordering Area → Online Ordering tab
Look for the Future Orders / Queued Orders settings:
| Option | How It Works |
|---|---|
| At queued time | Order releases at the guest's desired time minus your Default Lead Time (e.g., guest wants 1pm, lead time is 15 min → order fires at 12:45pm) |
| Custom time | All queued orders release at a specific time you set daily (e.g., 9:00am) |
⚠️ KDS Auto-Bump Warning: If your KDS is set to auto-bump orders after a set time, make sure your End of Day settings and release time won't cause queued orders to get bumped before staff can see them.
Step 6: Create Your Subdomain (Your Storefront Link)
The Subdomain is the public URL your guests visit to place orders. It connects directly to the Area you configured above.
Navigate to: Enterprise > Venue > Subdomains (or Enterprise > Subdomains for multi-location)
- Click + to create a new Subdomain.
- Fill in the following:
| Field | What to Enter |
|---|---|
| Name | Internal label, e.g., "Main Online Ordering" |
| Type | Select Online Order |
| Subdomain | The text that becomes your URL prefix, e.g., nxbarandgrill → your link will be https://nxbarandgrill.nxorders.com/ |
| Area | Select your Online Ordering Area from Step 3 |
- Click Save.
Your storefront link is now live. ✅
💡 Tip: You can create multiple Subdomains pointing to different Areas — perfect for a separate Catering link with different pricing and lead times, or a gift card purchase page.
Step 7: Test Before You Go Live
Before sharing the link with guests, walk through this checklist:
Open your subdomain URL in a browser (incognito recommended)
Confirm the correct menu categories and items appear
Verify item photos and descriptions display correctly
Place a test order and complete the payment flow
Confirm the order prints or appears correctly in the kitchen
Check the order shows up correctly in your POS and reports
Confirm lead time shown to guest matches your configuration
Test ordering outside your availability window — it should block orders
Quick Reference: Where Everything Lives
| Task | Navigation Path |
|---|---|
| Create/edit Menu Set | Configuration > Menus > Menu Sets |
| Add item photos & descriptions | Menus > Items > [Item] > Online tab |
| Control item visibility (Allowed In) | Menus > Categories > [Category] > Menu Items |
| Enable/activate online ordering | Configuration > Areas > [Area] > Online Ordering tab > General Availability |
| Set lead time, hours & order types | Configuration > Areas > [Area] > Online Ordering tab > Ordering Times & Logic |
| Enable item notes, loyalty, revenue center | Configuration > Areas > [Area] > Online Ordering tab > Order Controls & Loyalty |
| Add logo & hero image | Configuration > Areas > [Area] > Online Ordering tab > Branding & Images |
| Configure order alerts (sound, email, SMS) | Configuration > Areas > [Area] > Online Ordering tab > Notifications |
| Set receipt printer for online orders | Configuration > Areas > [Area] > Online Ordering tab > Printing |
| Configure future/queued orders | Configuration > Areas > [Area] > Online Ordering tab > Ordering Times & Logic |
| Enable tender for online use | Configuration > Tenders > [Tender] |
| Assign tender to Area | Configuration > Areas > [Area] > Order Settings tab |
| Set up tip suggestions | Configuration > Areas > [Area] > Receipts tab |
| Create your storefront URL | Enterprise > Venue > Subdomains |
Related Articles
- Configuration > Areas > Online Ordering
- Image Best Practices for Online Ordering
- Venue > Subdomains - Online Ordering and Gift Card Links
- Enabling Payments for Online Orders in NX
- Adding Online Ordering Images and Descriptions to a Menu Item
- Controlling Your Menu with "Allowed In" Settings
- Setting Up Queued & Future Orders in NX Online Ordering
- Configuration > Menus > Menu Sets
- Connecting Your Delivery Partners (UberEats, DoorDash, & More)