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

# Connect NowOS

> The full procedure to link your NowOS till to EatNow: get the credentials on the NowOS side, enter them in EatNow, and check that everything works.

Connecting happens in **two moves**: you first collect two credentials in the NowOS back office, then you paste them into EatNow. Allow 10 minutes.

<Note>
  This is a **one-time** setup, usually done with EatNow support. Once connected, the integration runs without anyone touching it.
</Note>

***

## Before you start

<Steps>
  <Step title="Publish your floor plan in NowOS">
    In the NowOS back office, open **Tables → Floor plan**, draw your rooms and tables, then tap **Publish all changes**. Until the plan is published, EatNow will see no tables to pair.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check your permissions in EatNow">
    You need permission to **create an integration**. If the button reads **Not authorized**, ask an administrator of your restaurant. See [Permissions](/collaborators/permissions).
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Step 1 — Get the credentials from NowOS

In the NowOS back office, open **Integrations → Reservations**.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create the connection">
    Give the connection a name (for example *EatNow*) and confirm.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the two credentials">
    NowOS shows an **API key** and a **webhook secret**.

    <Warning>
      Both values are shown **only once**. Copy them somewhere safe straight away. If you lose them, you'll have to rotate the key to generate new ones.
    </Warning>
  </Step>
</Steps>

| NowOS credential   | What it does                                                                                     |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **API key**        | Lets EatNow send your reservations to the till.                                                  |
| **Webhook secret** | Lets EatNow verify that incoming messages really come from your till, and not from someone else. |

***

## Step 2 — Enter the credentials in EatNow

In EatNow, go to **Settings → Integrations → Integrations list**.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find the NowOS card">
    Scroll down to the **Point of sale (POS)** section. The **NowOS** card is the first one. Click **Connect**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the EatNow webhook URL">
    At the top of the **Connect NowOS** window, the **EatNow webhook URL** field holds an address unique to your restaurant. Click **Copy**.

    Paste that address into the NowOS back office, on the **Integrations → Reservations** page, where it asks for the webhook URL. That's how the till will tell EatNow about everything happening on the floor.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in the API key">
    Paste the key from step 1 into the **API key** field. It starts with `nowos_sk_live_`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in the signing secret">
    Paste the webhook secret from step 1 into the **Webhook signing secret** field.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Leave the base URL empty">
    The **Base URL (optional)** field is only used for test environments. Leave it blank and EatNow will use the standard NowOS environment.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Connect">
    The message *NowOS connected successfully* confirms it. A green check appears on the NowOS card.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  For security, the API key and secret are **never shown again** in EatNow after they're saved. The fields look empty when you reopen the window — that's expected.
</Note>

***

## Step 3 — Pair your tables

The connection is live, but **seating will not work** until every EatNow table is linked to its twin in NowOS.

<Card title="Pair your tables" icon="layout-grid" href="/nowos/table-mapping">
  The next step, and a required one. A few minutes depending on the size of your room.
</Card>

***

## Step 4 — Check that it works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a test reservation">
    In EatNow, create a reservation for today with the status **Confirmed** and assign it a table.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Look at the till">
    On the NowOS till, open the **Tables** tab. A **Reservations** button should appear at the top-right of the floor plan, and your test reservation should be in it. The assigned table carries an **amber ring** with the guest's name.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Seat the reservation from the till">
    Tap the line, then the seat button. The order opens.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go back to EatNow">
    Your test reservation should now be **Seated**, on the right table. If it is, the integration works both ways.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Remember to delete the test reservation afterwards — or let it run to the end so you also test the cash-out path.
</Tip>

***

## Update or rotate the credentials

If you regenerated the API key or the secret on the NowOS side:

1. Go to **Settings → Integrations → Integrations list**.
2. On the **NowOS** card, click **Connect** (the window opens in edit mode).
3. Enter the **new** credentials.
4. Click **Update**.

<Warning>
  Rotating the key on the NowOS side kills the old one immediately. Update EatNow right away, or reservations will stop reaching the till.
</Warning>

***

## Disconnect NowOS

On the **NowOS** card, click **Disconnect**, then confirm.

<Warning>
  Disconnecting stops the exchange in both directions immediately. Reservations already sent stay visible on the till, but they will no longer be updated, and seatings made on the floor will no longer come back to EatNow.
</Warning>

Your table pairings are kept: if you later reconnect the **same** NowOS location, you won't have to redo them.

***

## Common problems at this stage

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The Connect button reads “Not authorized”">
    Your role doesn't have permission to create an integration. Ask an administrator of the restaurant, or have the right granted to you. See [Permissions](/collaborators/permissions).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I can't find my NowOS API key">
    It's only shown once. Go back to **Integrations → Reservations** in the NowOS back office and rotate the key to generate a new one, then update EatNow.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The connection is saved but nothing reaches the till">
    Three causes, in order of frequency:

    1. **The NowOS floor plan isn't published** — reservations without tables still arrive, but nothing shows on the plan.
    2. **Tables aren't paired** — see [Pair your tables](/nowos/table-mapping).
    3. **The reservations are still pending** — a reservation with the status *Pending* or *Pending payment* is deliberately not sent to the till. Only **confirmed** reservations (and beyond) are pushed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The till sends events but EatNow doesn't move">
    Check that the **EatNow webhook URL** was actually pasted into NowOS, and that the **signing secret** entered in EatNow matches the one NowOS displayed. A wrong secret makes every incoming message get rejected.

    The **Webhook deliveries** tab in the NowOS back office shows whether deliveries are failing.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>