> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://storekit.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Menu Stories

> Add full-screen vertical video stories to your storekit menu page. Drive engagement and sales with Instagram-style content featuring your dishes and offers.

Stories are full-screen vertical video content displayed on your menu page. They're part of your **Content** toolkit alongside [Promotional Banners](/guides/marketing/promotional-banners), designed to influence guest behavior and drive action.

For content strategy and best practices, see the [Stories guide](/guides/menu-engineering/stories) in Menu Engineering.

<video autoPlay muted loop playsInline className="w-full rounded-xl shadow-lg" src="https://ucarecdn.com/87409ef0-c71a-4419-9b43-67f245349b01/storeis.mp4" />

## Creating a Story

1. Go to **Menu** → **Stories** in your dashboard
2. Click **Create Story**
3. Enter a **title** (displayed in the viewer)
4. Add one or more **pages** (videos)
5. Configure CTAs for each page
6. Set the display order
7. Click **Publish**

## Story Structure

Each story consists of:

| Element       | Description                                     |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| **Title**     | Name shown in the story viewer                  |
| **Pages**     | One or more video pages within the story        |
| **Thumbnail** | First frame of the first video (auto-generated) |
| **Order**     | Position in the carousel                        |

## Pages

Each page within a story contains:

| Element       | Description                                |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| **Video**     | Vertical video content (uploaded to Mux)   |
| **CTA Type**  | Action triggered when the button is tapped |
| **CTA Label** | Custom button text (optional)              |
| **CTA Data**  | Target product, category, or URL           |

### Video Requirements

| Specification   | Requirement                  |
| --------------- | ---------------------------- |
| **Orientation** | Vertical (9:16 aspect ratio) |
| **Format**      | MP4, MOV, or WebM            |
| **Duration**    | 5-60 seconds recommended     |
| **Resolution**  | 1080x1920 or higher          |

Videos are processed through Mux for optimised streaming across all devices.

## Call-to-Action Types

### Add to Basket

Adds the linked product directly to the customer's basket.

* Best for simple items without required modifiers
* If the product has modifiers, the item modal opens instead
* Highest conversion CTA type

### View Item

Opens the product detail modal.

* Use when products have modifiers to configure
* Allows customers to see full details before adding

### View Category

Scrolls the menu to the selected category.

* Closes the story viewer
* Useful for promoting entire menu sections

### External URL

Opens an external link in a new tab.

* Track clicks before the user leaves
* Use for bookings, events, or external content

### None

No CTA button displayed.

* Use for brand content or announcements
* Video plays without prompting action

## Viewer Behavior

When a customer opens a story:

| Interaction     | Behavior                    |
| --------------- | --------------------------- |
| **Tap right**   | Next page or next story     |
| **Tap left**    | Previous page               |
| **Hold**        | Pause video                 |
| **Swipe up**    | Trigger CTA (if configured) |
| **X button**    | Close viewer                |
| **Escape key**  | Close viewer (desktop)      |
| **Back button** | Close viewer (mobile)       |

Videos start **muted** by default. Customers can tap the volume icon to unmute.

### Progress Indicator

A progress bar at the top shows:

* Current position within the story
* Number of pages in the current story
* Auto-advances when video completes

## Metrics & Tracking

storekit tracks comprehensive story engagement:

| Event               | Data Captured                                              |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Viewer Opened**   | Story ID, source location                                  |
| **Story Viewed**    | Story ID, page index, has video, has CTA                   |
| **Navigation**      | Direction (next/prev), method (tap/auto)                   |
| **CTA Clicked**     | CTA type, target, video progress %                         |
| **Story Completed** | Time spent, pages viewed                                   |
| **Viewer Closed**   | Close method, total stories/pages viewed, session duration |

### Key Metrics

| Metric              | Description                         |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| **Open rate**       | % of menu views that opened stories |
| **Completion rate** | % of stories watched to the end     |
| **CTA click rate**  | % of views that clicked the CTA     |
| **Avg. time spent** | Average seconds in the story viewer |

## Display Settings

### Carousel Position

Stories appear in a horizontal carousel at the top of the menu page, above categories.

### Thumbnail Preview

Each story shows a looping video preview in the carousel. Customers tap to enter the full-screen viewer.

### Loading States

* Skeleton placeholders show while stories load
* Blur hash previews display before video is ready
* Spinner indicates video is buffering

## Managing Stories

### Reordering

Drag and drop stories to change their position in the carousel. First story appears on the left.

### Editing

Click a story to edit its pages, CTAs, or settings. Changes are saved immediately.

### Deleting

Delete stories to remove them permanently. This cannot be undone.

### Archiving

Toggle stories off to hide them without deleting. Useful for seasonal content you'll reuse.

## Tips

* **First frame matters** - The thumbnail is auto-generated from the first frame
* **Keep it short** - 5-15 seconds per page performs best
* **Sound optional** - Design for muted viewing since videos start muted
* **Rotate content** - Fresh stories drive repeat engagement
* **Match CTAs** - Use "Add to Basket" for simple items, "View Item" for complex ones
* **Track performance** - Review metrics to optimize underperforming stories

## Related Content

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Stories Guide" icon="lightbulb" href="/guides/menu-engineering/stories">
    Content strategy and best practices
  </Card>

  <Card title="Promotional Banners" icon="image" href="/guides/marketing/promotional-banners">
    Static visual content for the menu
  </Card>

  <Card title="Videos" icon="video" href="/guides/menu-engineering/videos">
    Adding video to products
  </Card>
</CardGroup>