SETUP GUIDE · RESTAURANT ORDER & RESERVATION

Set it up in plain language.

The workflows and table booking are already built. Setup connects them to your restaurant: your settings and menu, your Stripe prices, key and webhook, your booking hours and your messaging. Run the acceptance tests in Stripe test mode, then switch to live keys and activate.

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01 · REQUIREDPrepare 02 · REQUIREDRestaurant settings 03 · REQUIREDMenu prices 04 · REQUIREDStripe payments 05 · REQUIREDTable booking 06 · REQUIREDSMS, email and channels 07 · REQUIREDTest and activate

Before you start

The 5 business settings you'll add

Find each one in Votel under Global Variables and fill in your restaurant's value.

Setting	What it holds
restaurant_business_name	Name used in the greeting, texts and emails
restaurant_timezone	Your time zone, for reservations
restaurant_team_email	The inbox your kitchen or host stand watches for order and reservation notices
restaurant_review_url	Your review page link, for review requests
restaurant_menu_price_catalog	JSON map of item name to Stripe Price ID; only these items can be paid by link

Settings > Global Variables: Settings, Global Variables filtered to restaurant_: each setting shows its demo value until you replace it. — Settings, Global Variables filtered to restaurant_: each setting shows its demo value until you replace it.

01 · Required

Prepare

Confirm the install before changing anything.

Open the right sub-accountInstall into the restaurant's own account, not a shared agency workspace.

Agency > Sub-Accounts: Open the restaurant's own sub-account with the access icon on its row. — Open the restaurant's own sub-account with the access icon on its row.Example screen from a demo account. Yours shows your own names.

Check the installed assetsLook for the assistant, the three workflows and the Table Reservation booking.

Agent > Restaurant Order & Reservation > Agent Workflows: The assistant after install, with its three workflows in the left panel. — The assistant after install, with its three workflows in the left panel.

Keep the agent offIt stays off until every step below is done and tested.

Agent > Restaurant Order & Reservation: The Active switch stays off until every acceptance test passes. — The Active switch stays off until every acceptance test passes.

Done when: Everything is installed and the agent is still off.

02 · Required

Restaurant settings

Tell the assistant about your restaurant.

Set the restaurant globalsName, timezone, the team email your kitchen or host stand watches, and your review link.

Settings > Global Variables > restaurant_business_name: Edit restaurant_business_name and type your restaurant’s name in Value. — Edit restaurant_business_name and type your restaurant’s name in Value.

Add your menu to the knowledge baseMenu items, prices, options, hours, pickup and delivery area. Anything not listed, the assistant says the restaurant will confirm.

Done when: The greeting uses your name, notices go to your inbox and menu questions are answered from your own menu.

03 · Required

Menu prices

Only catalog items can be paid by link.

Create a Stripe price for each itemIn Stripe, one Price per orderable item or option. Start in test mode.

Fill the Menu Price CatalogA JSON map of item name to Stripe Price ID. Anything not in it goes to staff.

Settings > Global Variables > restaurant_menu_price_catalog: The Menu Price Catalog ships with placeholder Price IDs; replace them with your Stripe test Price IDs. — The Menu Price Catalog ships with placeholder Price IDs; replace them with your Stripe test Price IDs.

Done when: Every orderable item has a test Price ID in the catalog.

04 · Required

Stripe payments

Get paid by link and hear when payment clears.

Paste a restricted keyReplace [Stripe Restricted Key] on the Create Stripe Payment Link step with a restricted key allowed to write Payment Links only. Start with a test-mode key.

Agent > Restaurant Order & Reservation > Agent Workflows > Restaurant Conversations: Orders, Reservations and Questions > Create Stripe Payment Link: The Authorization header on Create Stripe Payment Link holds a placeholder until you paste your restricted key. — The Authorization header on Create Stripe Payment Link holds a placeholder until you paste your restricted key.

Copy the Payment Confirmations URLFrom the Stripe Payment Event trigger. Keep the URL private.

Agent > Restaurant Order & Reservation > Agent Workflows > Payment Confirmations > Stripe Payment Event: Copy the Stripe Payment Event URL (blurred here) with the copy button and add it as a Stripe webhook. — Copy the Stripe Payment Event URL (blurred here) with the copy button and add it as a Stripe webhook.

Add the webhook in StripeSend the checkout.session.completed event to that URL.

Done when: A test-mode link can be created and a completed test checkout reaches Payment Confirmations.

05 · Required

Table booking

Make tables bookable.

Assign staff and hoursThe snapshot ships with a Host Stand placeholder. Replace it with your own staff and hours.

WHERE IN VOTELScheduling › Table Reservation

Table Reservation with its staff member and time zone. Weekly hours come from the staff profile.

Set booking rulesNotice, maximum bookings per slot and how far ahead guests can book.

Publish Table ReservationIt ships as a draft and cannot take bookings until published.

Done when: Table Reservation is published with your staff, hours and limits.

06 · Required

SMS, email and channels

Reach guests and the kitchen.

Connect an SMS numberUsed for payment links, order confirmations and review requests.

Select an email sender on every email stepFrom name, reply-to address and domain authentication.

Settings > Integrations > Sender Identities: Add and verify the email sender under Sender Identities, then select it on each email step. — Add and verify the email sender under Sender Identities, then select it on each email step.Example screen from a demo account. Yours shows your own names.

Assign the agentTo your phone number and website chat widget.

Agent > Channels: Open Channels in the agent header and add your phone line and chat widget. — Open Channels in the agent header and add your phone line and chat widget.Example screen from a demo account. Yours shows your own names.

Done when: Test texts and emails reach the guest, and notices reach the restaurant inbox.

07 · Required

Test and activate

Prove it in Stripe test mode, then go live.

Run the acceptance testsPickup order, paying the test link, an item not on the menu, a delivery order, a shellfish allergy and a table booking.

Agent > Header: Run the conversations with the Test button; keep the Active switch off until every test passes. — Run the conversations with the Test button; keep the Active switch off until every test passes.Example screen from a demo account. Yours shows your own names.

Swap in live Stripe keysReplace the test key and the test webhook with live ones only after every test passes.

Activate the agentTurn on the Active switch as the very last step.

Done when: All six acceptance tests passed in test mode, live keys are in place and activation was the last step.

Ready for your restaurant.

Switch to live Stripe keys and activate only after every acceptance test passes on your installed copy.

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