How to rank higher on Uber Eats, DoorDash and SkipTheDishes

Uber Eats, DoorDash and SkipTheDishes work a lot like search engines. When a customer opens the app, the platform decides which restaurants to show first, which to feature in carousels and which to push down the list. Two restaurants serving the same food a block apart can see very different order volumes because of how their listings perform.

The platforms don't publish their full ranking formulas. But Uber Eats and DoorDash do publish the performance programs they use to reward stores, and those tell you a lot about what they value.

What Uber Eats measures

Uber Eats gives stores a monthly success score that places each one in a tier from Excellent to Poor. According to Uber, it's based on operational excellence, menu markup, menu details, ratings and, where applicable, sustainable packaging (Uber Eats).

Higher tiers unlock benefits such as placement in special carousels in the app and eligibility for programs like Top Eats. Stores in the Poor tier lose access to those benefits, and Uber says stores that stay there for several months may risk removal from the marketplace. Program details vary by market, so check what's shown in your own Uber Eats Manager.

What DoorDash measures

DoorDash's Most Loved program looks at four signals: missing and incorrect items, cancellations, photo coverage (the share of menu items with photos) and menu markup compared with your in-store prices (DoorDash). DoorDash says Most Loved stores can get more homepage visibility, a dedicated carousel and a badge customers can see.

Notice the overlap. Both platforms reward the same things: accurate orders, few cancellations, complete menus with photos, fair pricing and good ratings. SkipTheDishes doesn't publish an equivalent program, but those same fundamentals are what customers on any app respond to.

The ranking checklist

1. Get your operations right first

• Keep hours accurate on every app, including holidays. Orders placed while you're closed turn into cancellations.
• Mark sold-out items immediately. Out-of-stock items that stay listed are a common cause of cancellations and missing items.
• Double-check bags before handoff. Missing and incorrect items are tracked directly by DoorDash and drag down ratings everywhere.
• Set realistic prep times so orders are ready when the courier arrives.

2. Build a menu that sells

• Put best sellers and signature dishes first. Most customers never scroll past the first few categories.
• Add a photo to every item you can, starting with your top sellers. DoorDash explicitly measures photo coverage.
• Write short, specific descriptions: main ingredients, portion size and spice level.
• Use modifiers and combos to make add-ons easy, which raises average order value.

3. Price fairly

Both Uber Eats and DoorDash factor in menu markup, meaning how far your app prices sit above your in-store prices. Many restaurants mark up delivery prices to offset commission, but a large markup can cost you visibility. Find the balance that protects your margin without hurting your standing in the app.

4. Protect your ratings

• Package food so it travels well. Soggy fries and spilled curry hurt ratings more than slow delivery does.
• Respond to issues quickly in your merchant portal and dispute order problems that weren't your fault.
• Watch for patterns. If several reviews mention the same dish arriving cold, fix the dish or the packaging.

5. Use promotions with a goal

Promotions and sponsored listings can lift visibility quickly, but they eat into margin. Run them with a clear goal, like new customers, bigger orders or filling quiet hours, and measure whether each one pays back. Turn off what doesn't.

Don't rely on the apps alone

Delivery apps are great for reaching new customers, but every order costs you commission. The restaurants that do best use the apps for discovery and give their regulars a reason to order directly, through ordering on their own website.

If you're on Clover, we can build commission-free online ordering on your own website that prints straight to your kitchen, and manage your Uber Eats, DoorDash and SkipTheDishes listings alongside it.