Menu Errors & Warnings

3 min

Submission Errors

These errors are returned immediately to the API User, and prevent a Menu Creation Request from being created.

Error Type	Example Responses	Description	Recommended Actions
Required Fields	{"errors": [ ... Field \"locationId\" of required type \"UUID!\" was not provided.", ...]} {"errors": [ ... message": "Variable $menu of type MenuInput! was provided invalid value for locationId (\"\" is not a valid UUID)", ...]}	Fields that cannot be blank/null: • location_id (UUID format required) • pos_id (string) • name (string) • start_date (date format, cannot be blank) • categories (array, minimum 1 required) • items (array, minimum 1 required)	Ensure all required fields are provided Verify UUID format for location_id Use proper date format for start_date
Collection Length	{"errors": [ ... "message": "items is too short (minimum is 1)", ...]} {"errors": [ ... "message": "selections is too short (minimum is 1)", ...]}	• Categories and items arrays must have at least 1 element • Item selections must have 1-5 elements • Choice selections must have 1-5 elements	Provide at least one category and one item Ensure each item has 1-5 selections Ensure each choice has 1-5 selections
Item Type Tag	{"errors": [ ... "message": "The 'individuallyPackagedRelishSide' tag is only valid for choices, not for items", ...]}	Specific business rule validation - this tag can only be applied to choices.	Remove 'individuallyPackagedRelishSide' from item item_type_tags Apply this tag to appropriate choices instead

Runtime Errors

These errors are aggregated throughout the course of the Menu Creation, and are returned when the API user queries the Status of a Menu Creation. If any of these errors are returned, the menu is not created

Error Type	Example Responses	Description	Recommended Actions
Duplicate Property	{ "data": { "menuCreationRequest": { "status": "completed", "outcome": "failure", ... "errors": [ { "message": "Each member of the 'items' collection must have a unique 'pos_id'", "details": { "count": 2, "pos_id": "item-1" } } ...	Applies to categories, items, options, choices pos_id must be unique within each collection	Ensure each pos_id is unique within categories, items, options, choices Use consistent ID naming scheme (e.g., CAT001, CAT002 for categories) Validate uniqueness before submission
Reference Validation	{ "data": { "menuCreationRequest": { "status": "completed", "outcome": "failure", ... "errors": [ { "message": "Referenced entity is not defined", "details": { "source": "categories", "source_name": "Catering Packages", "source_pos_id": "category-1", "reference_type": "items", "referenced_pos_id": "item-2" } } ...	• Items referenced by categories must exist (item_pos_ids) • Options referenced by items must exist (option_pos_ids) • Choices referenced by options must exist (choice_pos_ids)	Verify all referenced pos_id values exist in their collections
Selection Size	{ "data": { "menuCreationRequest": { "status": "completed", "outcome": "failure", ... "errors": [ { "message": "Entity has duplicate selection sizes", "details": { "size": "1-5", "entity_name": "XL Deep Dish Pizza", "entity_pos_id": "item-1" } } ]...	Items cannot have multiple selections with the same size name	Use distinct size names for item selections Consider using size codes instead of names if needed
Choice Selection Logic	"menuCreationRequest": { "status": "completed", "outcome": "failure", "menuUuid": null, "errors": [ { "message": "maxChoiceSelections must be greater than or equal to minChoiceSelections", "details": { "maxchoices": 1, "minchoices": 5, "entity_name": "Taco Bar", "entity_pos_id": "option-2" } }, { "message": "minChoiceSelections must be less than or equal to count of Choices", "details": { "minchoices": 5, "entity_name": "Taco Bar", "entity_pos_id": "option-2", "choices_present": 3 } } ],	For an Option Group The Maximum number of choices must be greater than or equal to the required minimum A minimum choices requirement must be less than or equal to the total number of choices available	Ensure max_choice_selections >= min_choice_selections Set min_choice_selections = 0 if selections are optional Reduce min_choice_selections to match available choices Add more choices to the option Review option design for usability
Item-Choice Selection Mismatch	{ "data": { "menuCreationRequest": { "status": "completed", "outcome": "failure", "menuUuid": null, "errors": [ { "message": "Choice must have either 1 selection, or >= selections than associated item", "details": { "item_pos_id": "item-1", "choice_pos_id": "choice-1", "option_pod_id": "option-1" } } ],	To ensure pricing structure is consistent between items and choices, a choice must have either 1 selection, or greater than or equal to the number of selections of the associated item	Standardize selection structures across items and choices Use single-selection choices when possible
Zero Priced Items	{ "data": { "menuCreationRequest": { "status": "completed", "outcome": "failure", "menuUuid": null, "errors": [ { "message": "Too many zero priced items", "details": { "threshold": 100, "zero_price_percentage": 100 } } ],	This error is returned when no menu items have a price	Review pricing strategy Ensure at least some items have prices > 0 Consider if zero-priced items are intentional
Meal Program Channel	{ "data": { "menuCreationRequest": { "status": "completed", "outcome": "failure", "menuUuid": null, "errors": [ { "message": "Item must have quantityOptions of '>1'", "details": { "item_pos_id": "item-1", "quantity_options": ">5" } }, { "message": "Selection must have serves = 1", "details": { "serves": 5, "item_pos_id": "item-1", "selection_pos_id": null } }, { "message": "Item cannot have a choice with enableSubQuantities = true", "details": { "item_pos_id": "item-1", "choice_pos_id": "choice-1", "option_pos_id": "option-1" } } ],	If an item services the “Meal Program” channel It must be available to the customer in quantities of 1 All selection sizes within the item must serve 1 It cannot have a choice with sub quantities enabled	Set quantity_options: ">1" for Meal Program items Review channel-specific requirements Set serves: 1 for all selections on Meal Program items Review serving size logic Remove enable_sub_quantities from choices on Meal Program items Review choice configuration for Meal Program compatibility
Utensils	{ "data": { "menuCreationRequest": { "status": "completed", "outcome": "failure", "menuUuid": null, "errors": [ { "message": "Option 'Toppings Deep Dish Catering' mixes utensil and non-utensil choices.", "details": { "option_name": "Toppings Deep Dish Catering", "option_pos_id": "option-1" } }, { "message": "Option 'Utensils' with utensil choices must not have min_choice_selections > 0.", "details": { "option_name": "Utensils", "option_pos_id": "utensils-1" } } ],	An Option Group cannot mix utensil and non utensil choices A Utensil Option Group cannot have required choices, utensils should always be optional	Separate utensil choices into dedicated options Review utensil choice categorization Use choice_type_tags properly Set min_choice_selections: 0 for utensil options Make utensil selection customer-optional

Runtime Warnings

These are warnings that are aggregated during the course of Menu Creation. They do not prevent the menu from being created but are intended to highlight what we consider menu deficiencies. These are also returned as an array within the Status of a Menu Creation

Warning Type	Example Responses	Description	Recommended Actions
Image Extension	{ "data": { "menuCreationRequest": { "status": "completed", "outcome": "success_with_warnings", "menuUuid": "8eedb10c-8766-4241-9b66-cf471ad73534", "warnings": [ { "message": "Invalid extension for file referenced by imageUrl. Image will not be displayed.", "details": { "imageUrl": "test_image.xml", "entityType": "item", "entityPosId": "item-1" } },	Acceptable Image Extensions gif jpg jpeg png	Convert images to supported formats Update image URLs to point to supported formats Verify image URLs are accessible
Mutually Exclusive Fields	{ "data": { "menuCreationRequest": { "status": "completed", "outcome": "success_with_warnings", "menuUuid": "0c44976c-cef3-436c-96d3-91d470a8decf", "errors": [], "warnings": [ { "message": "Item 'item-1' has both 'lead_time' and 'day_before_cutoff_time' defined, please provide only one.", "details": {} },	Items with both lead_time and day_before_cutoff_time will default to lead_time	Choose appropriate timing method for your business model Remove one of the conflicting fields Review timing logic consistency
Missing Utensils	{ "data": { "menuCreationRequest": { "status": "completed", "outcome": "success_with_warnings", "menuUuid": "0c44976c-cef3-436c-96d3-91d470a8decf", "warnings": [ { "message": "Item does not have a utensil choice mapped", "details": { "item_name": "Taco Bar", "item_pos_id": "item-2" } },	ezCater encourages all Items have a utensils option associated with it.	Add utensil options to items Create utensil choices with proper choice_type_tags Review if utensils are required for specific items
Zero Priced Item	{ "data": { "menuCreationRequest": { "status": "completed", "outcome": "success_with_warnings", "menuUuid": "0c44976c-cef3-436c-96d3-91d470a8decf", "errors": [], "warnings": [ { "message": "Item with pos_id item-2-sel-1 has a price of $0.00. It will not be displayed.", "details": {} }	We do not support $0 Items on the Marketplace, they will be created but not shown to customers