Use this page as your at-a-glance reference while setting up SmartPrep, plus quick fixes for the snags you might encounter. For the full setup walkthrough, see the Admin Setup Guide.
Confirm your setup is complete
SmartPrep is only doing its job once these are all done. The first three (★) are what officially count as "activated" and unlock predictions:
- ★ Shared device activated — a tablet is registered and your team can log in with the PIN
- ★ Prep list scheduled with pars added — not just created; it must be on a schedule and have pars
- ★ Label printer connected
- Employees confirmed (so "Counted By" / label names are correct)
- Recipes have yields set (required for counting + labels)
- At least one checklist scheduled in the product
- Team has completed one real prep list on the tablet
Why pars matter so much: SmartPrep requires that you have manually entered two days of pars, entered your on-hand counts for at least two days, and completed your prep based on its recommendations for two days before it can predict what you will need according to your sales forecast. If you create a prep list but never add pars, you'll never see the predictions that make SmartPrep worth it — this is the single most common reason setup can get frustrating.
Please note that you also must have a point of sale connected for this to work - or, at minimum, you must have a sales forecast that you uploaded into MarginEdge.
Common setup snags & fixes
Symptom |
Likely cause |
Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Tablet won't turn on / screen is black | Not charged | Plug it into its charger and confirm the cable is fully seated. Keep it on the charger between uses so it's never far from a full battery. |
I don't see SmartPrep / Prep List in the menu |
Your role isn't admin |
SmartPrep setup is visible only to MarginEdge Admins and Restaurant Admins. Have an admin grant the role or do the setup. |
I created a prep list but I'm not getting predictions |
No pars entered yet, or not enough days of data |
Add pars on the Manage pars grid (use "Add all missing pars to start predictions") and keep completing on-hand counts for ~2–3 days. Predictions appear with a ✨ icon. |
| My predictive pars look weird and/or too big. | Your count by that you selected is confusing to your team | The on hand count by that you set at the template level is recommended to be however your team actually preps and counts the item. Instead of using a yield in grams (IE 4000 grams) we recommend converting that into how it's stored (IE 1 quart) using the custom count by setting. |
My prep list never shows up for staff |
It was created but not scheduled, or scheduled for a different store |
Open the template → Schedule → confirm Days to Display, Time to Display, and the correct Assigned Stores. |
A pasted recipe didn't get added |
The entry wasn’t recognized as a new or existing recipe |
When AI matching doesn't recognize a name, make sure you select "Create new" for it — otherwise the row won't become a real recipe. |
Staff can't find the prep list on the tablet |
Looking in the wrong place |
On mobile, prep lists and checklists both live under Complete tasks. |
Labels won't print |
Printer not connected or not ready |
Confirm the printer's status light is green, if orange then hit the pause button. Then try printing from a recipe; if prompted go to Settings → Printers, wait for discovery, and click Connect. |
Expiration date on labels looks wrong |
Recipe shelf life not set |
Set the recipe's Shelf life; the label expiration is calculated from it. |
Wrong staff names in "Counted By" |
Employee list not curated |
In Labor → Employees, add missing names and set departed staff to Inactive. |
Still stuck? Reach out through the in-app help. If a setup step is confusing in the product itself, that's worth flagging - we’d love to improve SmartPrep for you!
Related articles
What is SmartPrep? (overview)
Setting Up SmartPrep (Admin Guide)
Using SmartPrep Every Day (Staff Guide)