Item Shortcuts

Shortcuts are the collection of item buttons that make up the register layout where cashiers tap to ring up inventory items at the register. Customize the item shortcuts layout panel by adding shortcuts for items, moving and removing shortcuts, creating, renaming, and deleting pages, and changing shortcut colors, text, and sizes.

Table of Contents

Add Shortcuts

The drag-and-drop interface makes adding and arranging shortcuts on the item shortcuts setup page in BackOffice quick and easy. Employees with the relevant BackOffice permissions also have the ability to create item shortcuts from the ShopKeep Register app.

  1. Visit the Item Shortcuts page in BackOffice or from the ShopKeep Register app (employees with BackOffice permissions only).
    • In BackOffice, click ‘Items’ and select ‘Item Shortcuts’.
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    iOS ShopKeep Register App

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    Android ShopKeep Register App

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  2. Find an item by typing its name in the search box or scrolling through the list.

    Can’t find an item on the list? Visit our troubleshooting guide for help.

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  3. If the layout has multiple pages, first select a page to add the shortcut to.
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  4. Drag an item from the list to a position on the shortcuts layout panel.

    If an item is made inactive after being added to the shortcuts layout panel, its shortcut will remain on the BackOffice item shortcuts setup page until manually removed.

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  5. (Optional) Repeat steps 2 - 4 to add shortcuts for additional items to the shortcuts panel.
  6. If adding item shortcuts from BackOffice, get updates on the iOS or Android register to sync the changes to the register.

If you have questions about adding shortcuts to the shortcuts panel, visit our Setup FAQ for answers.

Move & Remove Shortcuts

Move shortcuts on the item shortcuts setup page to change their position on the sale screen at the register. Remove shortcuts to prevent them from appearing on the layout at the register.

*Removing shortcuts from the shortcuts panel does not stop items from being sold at the register as items can be rung up by searching or scanning barcodes.

Move Shortcuts

  1. To move a shortcut to a new position on the same page, drag the shortcut across the shortcuts panel.
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  2. To move a shortcut to a different page, drag the shortcut from the panel and hold it over the tab of the page it is to be moved to. The new page will open and the shortcut can be placed.


  3. (Optional) Repeat steps 1 - 2 to move additional shortcuts around the shortcuts panel.
  4. If moving shortcuts in BackOffice, get updates on the iOS or Android register to sync the changes made to the register.

Remove Shortcuts

  1. Drag a shortcut up to the list to stop it from appearing on the shortcuts panel.
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  2. (Optional) Repeat step 1 to remove additional shortcuts from appearing on the shortcuts panel.
  3. If removing shortcuts in BackOffice, get updates on the iOS or Android register to sync the changes made to the register.

Manage Pages

Create additional pages to make room for more shortcuts or to separate shortcuts into specific groups of your choosing. Change the order in which pages appear, rename pages, and delete pages to further organize the item shortcuts.

  1. Click the '+' to add a new page.
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  2. Click the new page name to edit it.
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  3. Enter a name for the new page.

    The name saves automatically after navigating away from the text field.

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  4. (Optional) Drag a page to change the order in which it appears.
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  5. To rename a page, follow steps a - c below.
    a Select a page to rename.
    b Click to edit the page name.
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    c Enter a new name for the page.
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  6. To delete a page, click the 'X' next to its name and 'Continue' to confirm.

    Deleting a page will automatically remove shortcuts from the shortcuts panel, returning those items to the list.

  7. (Optional) Repeat steps 1 - 6 to add, rename, and delete additional pages.
  8. If managing pages in BackOffice, get updates on the iOS or Android register to sync the changes made to the register.

Shortcut Customization

Change the colors, labels, and sizes of shortcuts to customize how shortcuts appear on the sale and return screens at the register for added visibility and extra flair.

Change Shortcut Colors and Labels

  1. Click a shortcut on the layout.
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  2. (Optional) Select a shortcut color.
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  3. (Optional) Enter text in the 'Customized Button Name' to relabel the shortcut.

    This text appears ONLY on the item shortcut panel, NOT in BackOffice reporting, on kitchen tickets, or on receipts.

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  4. (Optional) Repeat steps 1 - 3 to customize additional shortcuts.
  5. If customizing shortcuts in BackOffice, get updates on the iOS or Android register to sync the changes to the register.

Resize Shortcuts

This feature is compatible with the latest versions of ShopKeep Register for iOS and Android. For help updating the ShopKeep app, visit our Introduction to the iPad or Introduction to Android articles.

  1. Click and hold any corner of a shortcut on the layout panel.
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  2. Drag the shortcut to the desired size.

    Shortcuts can be resized to fit any number of empty spaces on the panel, from 1 to all 30. If an existing shortcut is in the way, move or remove that shortcut before resizing.

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  3. (Optional) Repeat steps 1 - 2 to resize additional shortcuts.
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  4. If customizing shortcuts in BackOffice, get updates on the iOS or Android register to sync the changes to the register.

Copy Shortcuts to Linked Locations

Businesses with multiple linked locations can automatically copy, or apply, the item shortcuts layout from one location to the others. The copied layout will replace the existing shortcuts layout in all linked locations.

This feature is available for merchants with linked locations and is only visible to the Business Owner in BackOffice.

  1. Make sure items on the layout of the current store exist in each linked location.

    Items missing from inventory in other locations will not be added to the layouts of those stores. For help identifying missing items, visit our troubleshooting guide.

  2. From the BackOffice item shortcuts setup page, click ‘Apply to linked locations’.

    This will overwrite the existing layout in all linked locations with the layout from the current store.

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  3. Review the message box and click ‘Apply’ to confirm.
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  4. Switch to another location and visit the ‘Item Shortcuts’ page to check the status of the layout being copied to that location.

    Once finished copying to this location, the ‘Work in progress’ notification will disappear. If necessary, switch to other linked locations to see the progress there as well.

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  5. Get updates on the iOS or Android register to sync the changes to the register.

At the Register

After setting up or modifying item shortcuts in BackOffice, update the register to apply the changes. When setting up or modifying item shortcuts in the ShopKeep Register App, updates occur automatically when navigating away from ‘Edit Shortcuts’.

  1. Sign into the register as a manager.
  2. Open a new register shift or get updates on the iOS or Android register.
    The changes made in BackOffice are applied to the register’s sale screen.
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    Navigate item shortcuts by: