Based on day-to-day operational signals from your store that you directly manage, your status updates monthly and gives you a clear view of where you stand in the road to Most Loved , the highest recognition on DoorDash, that comes with certain benefits.
You can check your status anytime in the Merchant Portal under Insights › Most Loved.
Your merchant status is private unless you reach Most Loved status, that's the only one customers can see. Everything else is just for you, in your Merchant Portal. |
|---|
The Signals That Shape Your Merchant Status
Four operational signals determine your merchant status. Each reflects something you can directly control, and your Merchant Portal highlights which one to prioritize first.
Missing & Incorrect Items | The percentage of orders reported with a missing or wrong item. Accuracy builds trust and reduces refunds. Learn how to improve. |
Avoidable Cancellations | Orders cancelled for reasons within your control, like outdated hours or out-of-stock items still listed. Every avoided cancellation protects revenue. |
Photo Coverage | The percentage of menu items with images. Menus with photos see stronger engagement and higher conversion. Learn how to improve |
Menu Markup | How much your DoorDash prices differ from in-store. Customers are more likely to order when pricing feels fair. Learn how to improve. |
Most Loved Status
Most Loved is the highest Merchant Status, recognizing stores that consistently deliver a strong customer experience: accurate orders, minimal cancellations, quality photos, fair pricing, and satisfied customers. It’s the only status visible to customers and carries real weight as both a trust signal and a competitive advantage.
Most Loved Benefits
Dedicated Homepage Carousel : Exclusive placement in a carousel highlighting top-performing restaurants, putting your store in front of customers actively looking for the best options nearby.
Increased Homepage Visibility : Stronger performance can help your store appear more frequently in homepage recommendations.
Higher Store Page Conversion : The Most Loved badge, combined with quality photos and consistent pricing, signals reliability and can improve your conversion rate.
Customer-Facing Badge : A Most Loved banner and icon on your store page help you stand out, especially in competitive markets.
What Changed: From the Most Loved Program to Merchant Status
Most Loved previously operated as a standalone, binary badge: you either had it or you didn’t. There was no way to see how close you were to qualifying, and no clear guidance on what to improve. Separately, DoorDash used an Optimization Score (Optiscore), but most merchants didn’t find it intuitive.
Merchant Status replaces both with a single system. Instead of pass/fail, you now see where you stand across four statuses, which signals are on track, and a recommended next action. Benchmarks are transparent, applied equally to every store, and refreshed monthly. What hasn’t changed: Most Loved recognition is still customer-facing, and your store continues to appear in search and discovery regardless of status.
Understanding Each Status in The Road to Most Loved
Each status reflects your store’s recent performance. Here’s what each one means and where to direct your energy.
Almost There
Your store is performing well and may already benefit from improved homepage visibility and stronger store page conversion. You’re close to Most Loved, and closing the gap often comes down to one or two targeted improvements—like tightening order accuracy during peak hours, adding a few more menu photos, or reviewing recent cancellations to fix the most common cause.
Needs Work
One or more signals fall below benchmarks, but you’re not far off. Identify the signal that’s most off track in your portal and focus there. If cancellations are the issue, check whether your store hours are current and whether you’re using the Busy Kitchen feature during rushes. If photo coverage is low, start with your bestselling items, they’ll have the highest impact on customer confidence.
Poor
Multiple operational areas would benefit from updates. This doesn’t mean DoorDash is penalizing your store, it just means there are clear opportunities to strengthen your setup. Start with the single recommended action in your portal. Common first steps include making sure your menu matches what’s actually available in store, marking out-of-stock items promptly, and adding photos to your top sellers. Even one change can help stabilize orders and reduce cancellations.
How to Earn and Maintain Most Loved
Most Loved reflects sustained performance across all five signals. You don’t need to be perfect, you need to be consistently strong. Here’s a practical approach:
Checking your portal. Go to Insights › Most Loved to see where you stand across each signal. The portal shows what’s on track and what needs attention.
Focusing on the recommended next action. You don’t need to fix everything at once. Start with the priority area your portal highlights.
Building consistent habits. The stores that earn Most Loved consistently are the ones that build quality into their daily routine: double-checking orders before handoff, keeping the menu current, and adjusting prep times based on kitchen capacity.
Involving your team. When your staff understands what drives performance, accurate orders, fast confirmations, up-to-date menus, the improvements stick.
Since status refreshes monthly, maintaining Most Loved means checking your portal regularly, especially at the start of each month when your updated status appears. If a signal dips, you have the full month to course-correct before the next evaluation. Keep photos and descriptions current, monitor your pricing, and treat quality as an ongoing priority rather than a one-time project.
How to Check Your Status
Log in to the Merchant Portal and navigate to Insights › Most Loved. You’ll see your current status, how you’re performing across each signal, and your recommended next action. Use the “This Month” dropdown to compare with your previous month’s performance. For more detail on individual signals, check Insights › Operations Quality for cancellations, missing items, and wait times, or Insights › Pricing for your markup rate. You can also receive status notifications through the Business Manager App if you manage your store on the go.
