Publishing updates to back-end configuration

To make configuration changes available to the Toast API and Toast platform, you might need to publish them after you save them.

For example, you add a new item to a menu, or change menu prices. When you save those changes, they are not reflected on Toast POS devices or in Toast API results until you publish them.

If you manage multiple locations, then you need to make sure that you publish changes to all of the locations where the change applies.

Which changes require publishing?

In the Toast administration back-end, most configuration changes require publishing, including the following:

• Menu items and prices

• Takeout and delivery

• Payments

• Guest engagement

• Front of house

The following changes do not require publishing. When you save these changes, they are published immediately:

• Under Employees > Employee management

  • Employees

  • Jobs

  • Overtime rules

• Menu inventory

Deciding when to publish changes

You publish your changes when you are ready for those changes to be visible to restaurant employees and guests.

For example, if you are making a large number of changes to your menu, you might not want to publish those changes one at a time as you save them. Instead, you would complete all of the changes, then use the Publish Config page to publish them.

How to publish changes

When you save changes that require publishing, the Toast administration back-end prompts you to publish the changes immediately.

There is also a dedicated Publish Config page. You can make and save multiple changes. When you are ready to publish, you can use the Publish Config page to publish the changes to a single location or to selected locations.

Using the publish prompt

When you save a change that requires publishing, the Toast administration back-end displays a Publish Now prompt to allow you to publish that change immediately.

For restaurants with multiple locations, the Publish Now link only publishes the change to the current restaurant. It does not publish the change to all of the restaurant locations. To publish changes across multiple locations, you must use the Publish Config page.

Using the Publish Config page

The Publish Config page displays a publication history for your restaurant. It also allows you to publish changes that are not yet published.

You should always use the Publish Config page to publish changes to multiple restaurant locations. For more information about publishing to multiple locations, see Publishing changes for multiple locations.

To display the Publish Config page:

1. On the Toast administration back-end, select Toast account.

2. Select Internal Tools, then select Publish Config.

For a restaurant with a single location, if you have saved changes that need to be published, then the Publish Changes button is enabled. To publish all of your pending changes, select Publish Changes.

For a restaurant with multiple locations, you can choose which locations to publish the changes to. See Publishing changes for multiple locations.