How to add your café menu to Google: items, photos or a PDF

Open your Business Profile and select Edit menu. From there you can type in sections and items with descriptions and prices, upload a photo or PDF of your menu, or add menu photos. Google's help page says changes can take 24 to 48 hours to show on Google Maps and Search. Turning a photo or PDF into a menu with AI is marked experimental, so check the result before you publish it. If Google finds more than one menu for you, you choose which one to show.

How do I add a menu to my Google Business Profile?

Go to your Business Profile and select Edit menu, above the search results. Google's help page says the menu editor is for food and drink businesses, so a café qualifies. It also warns that if your menu is provided through the Business Profile API, you may not have this feature.

To add by hand, select Add menu section, enter the section name and one item, then select Save. To add an item, select Add menu item, enter the details and select Save. Items can carry a description and a price, and Google suggests grouping them into sections such as desserts or main courses. A café might use coffee, tea, cakes and toasties. Customers then find the items under "Menu".

To change something, select it, make the edit and save. To delete an item or a whole section, use Delete at the bottom of its info. Deleting a section removes all its items, and Google asks you to confirm. When you finish, Google shows a notification. If it says "Something went wrong", the help page says to make your updates again and wait 24 hours. If the same error comes back, contact Google's Support team.

How long does a menu take to show on Google?

Google's help page says it can take 24 to 48 hours for your changes to display on Google Maps and Search. A success message after saving says the updates "will be published shortly", so do not expect them on the listing the same minute. Check again the next day before you edit it a second time.

Can Google read my menu from a photo or PDF?

Yes, but Google calls it experimental. The help page says you must agree to the Google Generative AI Additional Terms of Service to use it. The AI picks out section names, item names, descriptions and prices.

1. Go to your Business Profile and select Edit menu.
2. At the top, select Photos of menu, then Select photos. You can take a photo with your device's camera or use one you already have, or upload a PDF.
3. Select Generate a menu, then review it for accuracy.
4. Select Publish and edit.

Google's tips: use a high-quality photo, because blurry or low-contrast photos may not work well, and the full menu must fit on one page and be captured in one photo. Once published, you can edit it and add photos of items. Read every price, because the review step is yours.

What if a customer uploaded an old menu photo?

Flag it for removal and upload an accurate one yourself. That is what Google's help page says to do with a customer photo that is obsolete or inaccurate. The page says customers can add menu photos, so an old one can sit on your listing without you having put it there.

To add your own, select Edit menu, then Photos of menu, then Select photos or a PDF. You can drag and drop. To remove a photo you uploaded yourself, find it and select Delete.

Does Google take the menu from my website?

It may. Google's help page says Google may transcribe menu data from your business website so it appears on your Business Profile. If the transcribed data is wrong, you can edit or delete the item or section in the menu editor. If you do not want menu data copied from your website, the page says you can opt out of menu transcription.

Our view, not Google's: if Google may copy your menu from your website, keep prices the same everywhere they appear, on the site, on the profile and on the board in the shop. For what the menu itself has to say about allergens, see the allergen rules for an Irish café menu.

Which menu does Google show if there is more than one?

The one you pick. The help page says that when Google finds multiple menu sources for your business, you will see the options, and when each was last updated, in the Menu tab. To choose, select Edit menu, open the Full menu tab, select your preferred menu source and select Save. Google says your preferred menu appears as public info on your profile.

Sources

• Google Business Profile Help, About the menu editor, read 4 October 2026.

A summary of Google's help page, which can change, not legal or tax advice. Cupán Studio builds websites for Dublin cafés.