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Diner Preferences

Diner Preferences represent an individual user’s dietary needs, restrictions, and nutritional goals. Pass these with your queries to get personalized results and match status calculations.

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The Two-Layer Model

EveryBite uses a two-layer approach to personalization:

Menu Key

App-level, staticIdentifies which brand’s menu data your app can access. Stored in your app configuration.

Diner Preferences

User-level, dynamicThe individual diner’s dietary needs. Passed per-request or loaded from Passport.

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Preference Types

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Dietary Preferences (Diets)

What type of diet does the diner follow? 
dinerPreferences: {
  diets: [Vegan, GlutenFree]
}
DietDescription
VeganNo animal products
VegetarianNo meat, may include dairy/eggs
PescatarianNo meat except fish/seafood
GlutenFreeNo gluten-containing ingredients
DairyFreeNo dairy products

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Allergen Exclusions

What allergens must be avoided? 
dinerPreferences: {
  excludeAllergens: [Peanut, Dairy, Egg, Shellfish]
}
AllergenDescription
DairyMilk and milk products
EggEggs and egg products
FishFish
ShellfishShrimp, crab, lobster, etc.
WheatWheat and wheat products
TreeNutAlmonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.
PeanutPeanuts and peanut products
SesameSesame seeds and sesame oil
SoySoybeans and soy products
GlutenGluten proteins
Allergen exclusion is critical for diner safety. Our system flags allergens with a confidence score. Always display appropriate warnings and encourage diners to verify with restaurant staff.

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Nutrient Targets

What nutritional goals does the diner have? 
dinerPreferences: {
  calorieRange: { min: 300, max: 600 },
  nutrientTargets: {
    protein: { min: 20 },        # At least 20g protein
    carbohydrates: { max: 50 },  # No more than 50g carbs
    sodium: { max: 800 }         # Under 800mg sodium
  }
}

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Passing Preferences

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Option 1: Per-Request (Anonymous)

Pass preferences directly with each query. Good for anonymous users or simple implementations. 
query {
  dishes(
    menuKey: "your_menu_key",
    dinerPreferences: {
      diets: [Vegan],
      excludeAllergens: [Peanut, Dairy],
      calorieRange: { max: 600 }
    }
  ) {
    results {
      dish { name }
      matchStatus
    }
  }
}

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Option 2: From Passport (Authenticated)

Load preferences from the diner’s EveryBite Passport. Preferences are stored and applied automatically. 
query {
  dishes(
    menuKey: "your_menu_key",
    passportToken: "diner_token_abc123"
  ) {
    results {
      dish { name }
      matchStatus  # Based on their saved Passport preferences
    }
  }
}
With Passport, preferences are set once and work everywhere. A diner sets “I’m allergic to peanuts” in their Passport, and it’s applied at every participating restaurant.

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Option 3: Combined (Passport + Overrides)

Start with Passport preferences but add request-specific filters. 
query {
  dishes(
    menuKey: "your_menu_key",
    passportToken: "diner_token_abc123",
    dinerPreferences: {
      # These override/extend Passport preferences for this request
      calorieRange: { max: 400 }  # Stricter than usual today
    }
  ) {
    results {
      dish { name }
      matchStatus
    }
  }
}

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How Preferences Affect Results

When you pass preferences, two things happen:

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1. Filtering

Dishes that don’t meet criteria are filtered out or flagged: 
# With excludeAllergens: [Peanut]
# Dishes containing peanuts are marked as NOT_A_MATCH

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2. Match Status Calculation

Every dish gets a matchStatus based on how well it fits the preferences:
StatusMeaning
MATCHFully compatible with all preferences
PARTIAL_MATCHCan be modified to become compatible
NOT_A_MATCHContains excluded allergens or incompatible
See Match Status for details.

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Building a Preferences UI

Use the filterOptions query to build your preferences UI dynamically: 
query {
  filterOptions(menuKey: "your_key") {
    diets {
      type
      displayName
      isEnabled  # Is this filter available for this menu?
    }
    allergens {
      type
      displayName
      icon       # Icon URL for UI
      isEnabled
    }
    nutrients {
      type
      displayName
      unit           # "g", "mg", "%DV"
      defaultMin
      defaultMax
      recommendedMin # Suggested healthy range
      recommendedMax
    }
  }
}

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Example UI Pattern

Based on our SmartMenu implementation:
Preferences UI
Components:
  • Diet toggles - Buttons for Vegan, Vegetarian, etc.
  • Allergen checkboxes - Multi-select for allergens to exclude
  • Nutrient sliders - Range inputs for calories, protein, etc.
  • Active filter chips - Show selected filters with remove buttons

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Preferences in Passport

For a deeper integration, use EveryBite Passport to:
  • Store preferences - Diners set once, applies everywhere
  • Sync across devices - Preferences follow the diner
  • Track history - See how preferences evolve over time

Learn More About Passport

The universal dining identity