Tokurabo Takeout Order Board: Manual

Basics

1. Requirements and How It Works with Takeout Orders

• WordPress 6.5 or later, PHP 7.4 or later.
• Tokurabo Takeout Orders is required (Requires Plugins), which needs Tokurabo Takeout Menu. Special items (pre-orders) need Takeout Menu 0.3.0 or later and Takeout Orders 0.2.0 or later. With older versions, everything else works, and the Special items part is turned off.
• Order Board reads the orders saved by Takeout Orders, and keeps its own data (status, staff notes, history) in separate tables. It changes an order in Takeout Orders only when the pickup time is changed (Change time, Delay), and when orders are deleted.
• Orders are not sent to Square or to the register, and nothing is paid online. Staff ring up the order in the register at pickup.
• The only outside service it connects to is Freemius, for the license key and updates (see 9. Customer Data and Privacy). Special items are brought in from Square by Takeout Menu.
• Order Board is not on WordPress.org. It is installed from a ZIP file, and the English and Japanese translations are included in the plugin (languages/). The header has an Update URI, so it is never overwritten by a plugin with the same name from WordPress.org.

Access

2. Admin Menu, Roles and Permissions

The plugin adds the capability tokurabo_takeout_order_board (given to administrators on activation) and the role Order board staff (tokurabo_takeout_board_staff, with only read and that capability).

• Users with the staff role see only Dashboard, Order Board and Profile in the admin menu.
• For administrators, the Order Board menu heading opens Settings (WordPress links a heading to its first item). Staff do not have Settings, so for them it opens the board.
• From the admin menu, the board opens in a named window (tokurabo-order-board), so clicking it again reuses the same window. Where windows cannot be opened (tablets, phones, pop-up blockers), it opens in a tab with that name.
• To stop someone using the board, remove the role from their account.

Settings

3. All Settings

Order Board > Settings (administrators only, manage_options). One Save Changes saves the whole page. While there are unsaved changes, a bar with Save Changes sticks to the bottom of the screen, and the browser asks before you leave the page.

Order board

4. Order Statuses and the Order Board

Statuses

• Buttons only move an order forward (New → In progress → Completed). If the order is already at that status or later, nothing happens, and no error is shown (so two staff tapping at the same time is safe). Only Undo cancel and Undo complete move it back.
• Delay, Change time and Ready do not change the status. Delay, Change time and Ready are refused for completed or cancelled orders.
• Delay moves the pickup time by 15, 30 or 45 minutes and saves it in Takeout Orders. An ASAP order becomes an order for the new time. Delay cannot be used on an order marked To be arranged (use Change time).
• Change time saves any date and time from yesterday on, without checking your hours (it was agreed with the customer). The previous time is kept in the board history.
• Every action asks for confirmation on screen. Accept and Ready can be tapped again to resend the email. The server resends only when the request says so, so two staff tapping at once do not send two emails.

Which orders are shown

• Orders with a pickup date of today or later, in pickup time order, grouped by day. Completed and cancelled orders come last in each day.
• Unfinished orders (New or In progress) from up to 30 days ago, behind the "Earlier, not finished" button. Completed and cancelled orders from earlier days are not shown.
• Up to 500 orders at a time.
• "Today" uses the store's time zone: the one Takeout Orders uses (the register location's time zone, or the WordPress time zone if there is none).

Updates, sound and screen

• While the board is visible, it asks the server every 20 seconds (REST). If nothing has changed, the server answers with a short "not modified" reply. When the board is hidden, it stops asking, and asks again as soon as it is shown.
• An order is new if its ID was not on the board before (not by counting). The chime plays once, then every 20 seconds while New orders for today or later remain. It does not play while the board is hidden.
• The chime is made in the browser (Web Audio). No sound file is loaded. Sound is off when the board opens, because browsers need a tap first.
• The board asks the browser to keep the screen on (Screen Wake Lock). This needs https (or localhost) and Chrome or Edge 84, Safari 16.4 or Firefox 126 or later.
• The REST nonce is renewed with every reply, so the board can stay open for days. If the login expires, the board shows "You have been signed out." with a Reload button.
• A staff note being typed is kept when the board refreshes.

History

Status changes, emails (sent, sent again, failed), pickup time changes (before and after), staff notes, busy mode and pausing are recorded with the WordPress user and the time. The board shows the last 50 under History, and each order's history under its staff note. The history of an order is deleted when the order is deleted.

Emails

5. Emails

• Each email is HTML with a plain text version (multipart). The HTML uses tables and inline styles for Gmail and Outlook, up to 560 px wide. The email to the shop stays plain text.
• Content, from the top: logo or shop name, opening text, the message from the shop (Delay only), a status label, the pickup time, the order number, the items and subtotal, closing text, and the shop name and URL. The customer's note is shown only in the Order confirmation email.
• Tags: {customer_name}, {order_number}, {pickup}, {shop_name} (the shop name in Takeout Orders Order settings), and {delay_minutes} (Delayed only).
• Empty boxes use the default text, which is translated into the site language. Text you write is used as it is in every language. If you save the default text unchanged, the box is saved empty, so when a plugin update changes the default text, the new default is used.
• In the opening and closing text, a blank line starts a new paragraph. HTML tags are removed. Up to 200 characters for the subject and 2000 for each text.
• Emails are in the site language. Reply-To is the first address in Takeout Orders' From email address.
• If the Order confirmation email is turned off, the customer still gets the plain text email from Takeout Orders. Other emails that are turned off are not sent.
• If sending fails, the status or pickup time still changes. The board shows a red message, and the history records "email failed".
• Preview uses the text not yet saved, with the newest order (or a sample order). Delayed is previewed with 15 minutes. Nothing is sent.

Emails are sent with wp_mail(). To make sure they arrive, use an SMTP plugin (Takeout Orders guide).

Pickup times

6. Busy Mode, Pausing and Last Order

• Busy mode: Off, May take longer (0 minutes), or +15 / +30 / +45 / +60 minutes. The minutes are added to Takeout Orders' Preparation time (the saved setting is not changed), so the earliest time today and ASAP move later. Later days are not affected. While it is on (including 0 minutes), the order form shows "We are busy right now, so your order may take longer than usual." under the pickup time heading. It stays on until it is turned off.
• Customers see the change the next time they open the order form. A form that is already open is checked again on the server when the order is sent, and a time that is no longer available is refused.
• Stop / resume taking orders on the board is the same switch as in Takeout Orders' Order settings (the whole shop). Switching from the board is recorded in the board history; switching in Order settings is not, but the board picks it up within 20 seconds.
• Last order shortens the end of each period of each day by the set minutes (for example, 11:00–15:00 and 17:00–21:00 with 30 minutes become 11:00–14:30 and 17:00–20:30), including special hours. A period that becomes empty is removed.

Pre-orders

7. Special Items (Pre-orders)

The menu

• Choose one register menu in Menu for special items. Takeout Menu brings it in at each sync (a filter adds it to the menus to sync). Items in this menu are never shown in the usual menu, even if the menu is checked in Menus to show, and they cannot be added to the usual cart.
• Do not put the same items in a usual menu. They would be shown and ordered as usual items, without the rules. Also do not check the special menu in Menus to show: if Order Board is deactivated, the menu would join the usual menu.
• When you change the menu, a sync is requested right away. Rules for items that leave the menu are kept, and come back if you choose the menu again.

Rules for each item (Order Board > Special items)

If a required rule is missing when you save with Show checked, the item is saved hidden, and the missing rules are listed. Values that cannot be used (an impossible date, an end time before the start) are removed when saving, with a notice.

Status

The status is worked out each time the item is shown, in the store's time zone, in this order:

1. Hidden: not shown, or a required rule is missing. Visitors see nothing. Editors see a short notice.
2. Orders closed: no pickup date can be ordered now (dates in the past, or after the deadline).
3. Coming soon: before Orders open on.
4. Sold out: sold out in the register (the item, or all its variations), or the limit is reached.
5. Open (Pre-order): otherwise.

• Reserved quantity: the total quantity in Takeout Orders orders for the item, not cancelled on the board. For Only these dates, only orders for the current dates are counted, so last year's orders do not count against this year.
• In total: sold out when the total reaches the limit. Per day: a pickup day is full when its total reaches the limit, and the item is sold out when all days are full. A day (or the item) whose remaining quantity is below the minimum quantity counts as full.
• Stock in Square: when a variation's stock is tracked in Square (brought in by Takeout Menu at each sync), the quantity left is the Square stock minus pre-orders not yet picked up (not cancelled, not completed on the board, pickup today or later). The smaller of this and the limit is used. Order Board never changes the stock in Square. Ringing up the order at pickup lowers it, so pre-orders must be rung up in the register; otherwise the counts drift.

The block and the cart

• Block Takeout Special Item (takeout-order-board/special-item). Choose one item, and a layout (Cards, Wide or List). There is no shortcode.
• Labels: Coming soon / Pre-order (with the deadline, "Minimum N" when 2 or more, "N left" with a limit in total, and the pickup dates for Only these dates) / Sold out / Orders closed. The item box has the classes is-special is-special--{status}.
• When open, a Pre-order bar is shown under the item. It opens a cart for that item only (a separate cart from Takeout Orders), with only the item's pickup dates and hours. The usual "+" and cart button are not added to this block.
• Convert to regular blocks in the block toolbar replaces it with the usual Takeout Menu blocks, without the labels.
• Before an order is saved, the server counts again and refuses it if the item is no longer open, below the minimum, over the limit (in total or for the day), or over the Square stock. A short database lock per item makes sure two customers cannot both take the last items.
• Page cache plugins may show old labels ("N left"). Orders are still checked on the server.
• Name, contact details, the notes field, saving, emails and the order board work as for usual orders. The orders appear on the board with a Pre-order label.

After the season

• Reset (Only these dates, from the day after the last pickup date): deletes all orders for the item from Takeout Orders (with their board status, notes and history), and clears its rules (hidden, like a new item). The rules cannot be edited until it is reset.
• Delete past reservations (Any day): deletes orders for the item with a pickup date before today, and keeps the rules.
• Both show the number of orders first (and how many are not picked up yet), with CSV downloads. Administrators only.
• If Takeout Orders deletes old orders automatically (Keep orders for), pre-orders are deleted too, and stop being counted. Set it to 0 or to more days than your pre-order season lasts.

Records

8. Reservations, Order History and CSV

Reservations

• A view only: it reads the orders each time and saves nothing. Upcoming (today and later) or Past, and a filter by item. For each pickup day, a table per item with the total to make (cancelled orders not counted).
• Columns can be chosen in Screen Options (saved per user). The order number is always shown. Click it to see the order.
• CSV (administrators, when one item is chosen): Current pickup dates / Other dates (earlier seasons) for Only these dates, or Today and later / Before today for Any day. Cancelled orders are not included. Columns: pickup date, time, order, name, phone, email, item, variation, options, notes, quantity, picked up.

Order history

• All orders from Takeout Orders, with the board status. Period (by pickup date, default Last 7 days), status, search (order number, name, email, phone), and sorting by pickup or received time. Filters are kept in the URL.
• Shown by default: order, status, pickup, items, subtotal. Optional (Screen Options): received, phone, email, customer notes, staff note, pre-order, completed at.
• Bulk actions: Print selected (everyone), Export selected (CSV) and Delete permanently (administrators).
• CSV: one row per item, UTF-8 with BOM, values starting with = + - @ escaped, oldest pickup first. Columns: order, status, pre-order, received, pickup, ASAP, completed at, name, email, phone, customer notes, staff note, item, variation, options, notes, quantity, unit price, line total, order subtotal, currency, prices.
• The total under the list excludes cancelled orders and orders with variable prices. It is an estimate; the register has the final amounts.

Privacy

9. Customer Data and Privacy

• Order Board uses Freemius (freemius.com) for the license key and updates. When the license is activated, Freemius receives the site URL, the WordPress and PHP versions, and the name and email address of the WordPress user who activates it. Freemius checks the license about once a day. Orders and customer data are not sent (Freemius privacy policy). Nothing is sent to any other outside service.
• Saved by Order Board: the status of each order, staff notes, and a history of actions with the WordPress user ID of the staff member.
• The customer's note is saved with the order by Takeout Orders, and sent to the customer in the Order confirmation email.
• Status emails are sent to the customer's email address from the order, only when a staff member taps a button.
• Staff with the Order board staff role can see customer names, phone numbers and emails on the board, in Order history and in Reservations.
• When Takeout Orders deletes orders, Order Board deletes their status, notes and history too.

Add these points to your site's privacy policy as needed.

Design

10. Changing the Look

The order board and the admin pages have their own design and cannot be changed in the settings. What you can style is on your site: the Takeout Special Item block and its Pre-order bar.

• The item box comes from Takeout Menu, so Takeout Menu's styles apply. The status adds is-special and is-special--{status} (for example is-special--open).
• The cart that opens is Takeout Orders' cart, so it follows Takeout Orders' styles and settings.

Writing all the CSS yourself

Turn off Use the plugin styles in Order Board > Settings > Styles. The stylesheet for the Pre-order bar and labels is no longer loaded (in the editor too). A one-line stylesheet with zero specificity (:where()) is still loaded to size the icons. To do the same in code, return false from the tokurabo_takeout_order_board_load_css filter.

Developers

11. For Developers: REST API and Data

REST API (namespace tokurabo-takeout-order-board/v1)

The board endpoints need the tokurabo_takeout_order_board capability and return Cache-Control: no-store.

Filters

• tokurabo_takeout_order_board_load_css: return false to stop loading the plugin styles on the front end.
• Order Board itself uses Takeout Orders' and Takeout Menu's hooks (see the Takeout Orders manual).

Database tables and options

• {prefix}tokurabo_takeout_board_orders: one row per order with a status (status, status before cancel, accepted / completed / cancelled times, staff note). Times are UTC.
• {prefix}tokurabo_takeout_board_log: history (time, user, order, action, details as JSON).
• {prefix}tokurabo_takeout_board_specials: rules of special items, by the register's item ID.
• Takeout Orders' tables are read directly and never changed, except the pickup time (through Takeout Orders) and deletion.
• Options start with tokurabo_takeout_order_board_ (email, busy, pickup, note, special, load_css, db_version).

Help

12. Troubleshooting, Logs and Uninstalling

Detailed errors (for example, email sending errors) are written to wp-content/debug.log only when WP_DEBUG_LOG is enabled in wp-config.php.

When you deactivate or delete the plugin

Deactivating keeps everything. The special items menu is no longer brought in at the next sync, and the Special Item blocks show nothing. Deleting the plugin removes the order statuses, staff notes, history, rules of special items, settings, the capability and the Order board staff role. Users with that role are left with no role. The orders themselves and the customer notes stay in Takeout Orders.