User Manual

QR-Carta is a digital menu management system for restaurants. It allows you to create and publish interactive menus accessible via QR code, with multi-language support, allergen information, multiple design templates, and PDF export.

What can you do with QR-Carta?

• Create digital menus with categories, products, prices, and images
• Generate customized QR codes with your restaurant's logo
• Publish menus in multiple languages (Spanish, English, etc.)
• Display allergen information per product with custom icons
• Customize the public menu header and footer with images, rich HTML, and colors
• Export any menu as a professional two-column PDF with photos
• Manage multiple restaurants from a single account
• Import menus from a website or XML file
• Use artificial intelligence to detect allergens and translate content

Accessing the admin panel

The administration panel is available at:

Public menu

Each menu's public page is accessible without an account, directly via QR code or the public URL assigned to the menu.

Create a new account

1. Navigate to /admin/register in your browser.
2. Fill in the form: name, email address, password, and password confirmation.
3. Complete the security captcha (checkbox "I'm not a robot").
4. Click "Register". You will be automatically redirected to the main panel.

Log in

1. Navigate to /admin/login.
2. Enter your email and password.
3. Click "Log in".

Change panel language

The panel automatically detects your browser language (Spanish or English). To change it manually, use the ES / EN buttons located in the top-right navigation bar.

The restaurant is the main unit. Every menu, category, and product belongs to a specific restaurant.

Create a restaurant

1. Go to Restaurants in the sidebar menu.
2. Click the "New restaurant" button.
3. Fill in the fields and save.

Form fields

• NameThe restaurant's display name. Required. The slug is auto-generated as you type.
• SlugURL identifier (e.g. my-restaurant). Auto-generated from the name but editable. Must be unique.
• API KeyAuto-generated. Read-only. Use it for external integrations (e.g. WordPress plugin). Copy it with the copy button next to the field.

A restaurant can have multiple menus (main menu, daily specials, wine list, etc.). Each menu has its own QR code, public URL, customizable header, and footer.

Create a menu

1. Go to Menus and click "New menu".
2. Select the restaurant it belongs to.
3. Add name translations in your desired languages (these appear directly below the restaurant selector).
4. Enable "Is public" so the menu is accessible via QR code.
5. Assign a public slug (e.g. main-menu) or leave it blank to auto-generate one.
6. Choose a design template.
7. Optionally configure the header and footer sections.
8. Save.

Basic form fields

• RestaurantThe restaurant this menu belongs to. Required.
• TranslationsMenu name in each active language. Appears below the restaurant selector.
• Is publicWhen enabled, the menu is accessible to anyone with the link or QR code.
• Public slugPart of the public URL: /m/{slug}. Auto-generated if left blank.
• Design templateVisual style of the public menu. Three templates are available.
• ProductsSelect the products that will appear in this menu.

Public menu header NEW

The Public menu header section lets you fully customize the top area of the public menu with a background image, rich HTML text, and colors.

• Header logoLogo image displayed at the top of the public menu. This is separate from the QR code logo.
• Header background imageFull-width image shown as the background of the public menu header.
• Header HTML textRich text editor (RichEditor) supporting H1–H6 headings, bold, italic, links, etc. The text is overlaid on the background image.
• Header heightMinimum height of the header area in pixels (e.g. 300). Controls how tall the header section appears.
• Header text colorColor picker for the header text. Overrides the selected template's default color.

Public menu footer NEW

Similar to the header, the footer lets you add contact information, social media links, allergen notices, or other content at the bottom of the public menu.

• Footer background imageFull-width image as the footer background.
• Footer HTML textRich text editor for footer content (phone, address, legal notice, etc.).
• Footer heightMinimum footer height in pixels.
• Footer text colorColor picker for footer text.

QR code logo and QR customization

The QR code logo section exclusively controls the appearance of the QR code. This logo is different from the menu header logo.

• QR code logoImage overlaid in the center of the QR code. Formats: JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, SVG. Max 2 MB. Only visible on the QR code, not in the public menu.
• QR colorColor picker for the QR code modules. Default is navy blue (#1e2d40).
• QR previewReal-time preview of the generated QR code.
• Download PNG / SVGButtons to download the QR in raster format (PNG, includes logo) or vector format (SVG).

Download menu as PDF NEW

From the menu list (row action) or from the green button in the menu edit form header, you can generate and download the complete menu as a professional PDF.

1. In the menu list, click the "Download PDF" row action button, or open the menu and use the green "Download PDF" button in the form header.
2. In the modal that appears, select the language (ES or EN).
3. The PDF will be generated and downloaded automatically.

Public menu URL

Once saved and marked as public, the menu will be available at:

You can specify the language by appending ?lang=en to the URL.

Translate with AI

Available on the menu edit page. Translates all products and categories to active languages in one click. Requires Pro or Plus plan.

Categories organize products within the menu (e.g. "Starters", "Mains", "Desserts", "Drinks"). They support sub-categories and have full support for background images, navigation icons, and multi-language content.

Create a category

1. Go to Categories and click "New category".
2. Select the restaurant.
3. Optionally choose a parent category if this is a sub-category.
4. Set the order in which it appears in the menu.
5. Add the translated name in each language.
6. Save.

Form fields

• RestaurantRequired.
• Parent categoryOptional. The selector shows all categories for the restaurant (not just root categories), allowing multi-level nested hierarchies.
• OrderNumber determining position in the menu. Lower number = appears first.
• Background image UPDATEDDisplayed at full width for the section in the public menu, with a semi-transparent overlay on top. Visible in all three design templates.
• Navigation image UPDATEDCircular image shown in the sticky navigation bar of the public menu to visually identify the category. Visible in all three templates.
• Emoji iconEmoji or character (max 10) identifying the category in the sticky nav bar when there is no navigation image. Visible in all three templates.
• TranslationsCategory name, header description, and footer description in each active language.

Products are the dishes, drinks, or items that appear on the menu. Each one has a name, description, price, image, and allergens, all in multiple languages.

Create a product

1. Go to Products and click "New product".
2. Select the restaurant and category.
3. Enter the price in euros.
4. Add a product image (optional but recommended).
5. Check the allergens it contains.
6. In the Translations block, add the dish name and description in each language.
7. Save.

Form fields

• RestaurantRequired.
• CategoryThe menu section where the product will appear.
• PricePrice in euros (e.g. 12.50). Required.
• ActiveWhen disabled, the product does not appear on the public menu.
• OrderPosition within the category. Lower = appears first.
• Product imagePhoto of the dish. Shown on the public menu and in the exported PDF.
• AllergensSelect all allergens the dish contains (multi-select). Icons are displayed on the public menu.
• TranslationsProduct name and description in each active language.

Temporarily hide/show a product

Use the "Active" field to deactivate a product without deleting it. Useful when a dish is temporarily unavailable.

Automatic allergen detection with AI

In the product list, select multiple products and use Bulk actions → "Deduce allergens". The AI analyzes each dish's name and description and automatically assigns the most likely allergens.

Each public menu has its own QR code that you can download and print to place on tables, the door, or any physical surface.

Access a menu's QR code

1. Go to Menus and edit the desired menu.
2. Make sure "Is public" is enabled.
3. In the "QR code logo" section you will see a preview of the QR code.
4. Use the "Download PNG" or "Download SVG" buttons.

Customizing the QR code

• QR code logoOverlaid in the center of the QR with a circular white background. Supported formats: JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, SVG.
• QR colorColor picker for the QR modules. Default is navy blue (#1e2d40).

Direct QR URL

You can link directly to the QR image using this URL.

QR-Carta allows you to publish menus in multiple languages. Diners can select their language directly on the public menu.

Available languages

The system supports several active languages, each identified by its ISO code (e.g. es, en, fr). Active languages appear as options in the translation forms and as a switcher on the public menu.

Adding translations to a product

1. Edit the product.
2. Scroll down to the "Translations" section.
3. Click "Add translation".
4. Select the language and enter the name and description.
5. Repeat for each desired language and save.

The same process applies to categories and menus.

Automatic AI translation

If your account has the Pro or Plus plan and the administrator has configured the DeepSeek API, you can use the automatic translation feature on the menu edit page to translate all content at once.

Language switcher on the public menu

The public menu displays a language switcher in the top corner. Changing language appends the parameter ?lang=en (or the relevant code) to the URL.

Default language fallback

If a product has no translation in the requested language, the system displays the content in Spanish (es) as the fallback language.

QR-Carta offers three subscription plans. You can change your plan at any time from the billing dashboard.

Feature comparison

Feature	Free	Pro	Plus
Restaurants	1	3	Unlimited
Menus per restaurant	1	5	Unlimited
Products per menu	20	100	Unlimited
Custom QR code	✓	✓	✓
Public menu	✓	✓	✓
PDF export	✓	✓	✓
AI translations	✗	✓	✓
Custom templates	✗	✓	✓
Priority support	✗	✗	✓

How to subscribe

1. Go to /billing/plans or click "View plans" from the panel.
2. Choose your plan and billing cycle (monthly or annual).
3. Click "Subscribe".
4. Complete the payment in Stripe's secure checkout. You can enter a promo code if you have one.
5. You will be redirected to the confirmation page and receive a confirmation email.

The billing dashboard lets you view your subscription status, check resource usage, and download invoices.

Available information

• Current plan and subscription status (active, trialing, past due, canceled)
• Usage bars: restaurants, menus, and products used vs. plan limit
• Invoice history with PDF download option
• Renewal date or cancellation date

Change plan

1. Go to /billing and click "Change plan", or navigate directly to /billing/plans.
2. Select the new plan and billing cycle.
3. Confirm the change. The new plan takes effect immediately.

Cancel subscription

1. Go to /billing and click "Cancel subscription".
2. The subscription remains active until the end of the already-paid period.
3. After that date, the account automatically drops to the Free plan.

Reactivate a canceled subscription

If you canceled but are still within the active paid period, you can click "Reactivate" to resume the subscription without interruption.

Stripe portal

From /billing/portal you can manage your payment method, download past invoices, and review your billing history directly within Stripe's secure platform.

QR-Carta lets you generate a professional PDF of any menu with a single click. The PDF includes a category hierarchy, products in a two-column layout, circular photos, prices, and allergen icons.

How to generate the PDF

1. In the menu list, click the "Download PDF" row action button.
2. Or open the menu for editing and use the green "Download PDF" button in the form header.
3. In the download modal, select the language (ES or EN).
4. The PDF is generated automatically and downloaded to your device.

PDF contents

• Customizable header and footer (text and full-width A4 images)
• Categories with background images (if configured)
• Products in a two-column layout with circular photo
• Price displayed per product
• Allergen icons alongside each product
• Allergen table in each page footer (optional)

If you already have your menu elsewhere, you can import it automatically instead of creating products one by one.

Import from a website

Extracts categories and products directly from your restaurant's existing website. Enter the URL, select the target restaurant, and the system will analyze the page to create the categories and products automatically.

Import from XML

Imports a menu from an XML file exported from another system (for example, a WordPress export). Upload the file, review the preview, and confirm the import.