> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.qomeet.com/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# Meal allocation rules

Once you have [created your meals](https://help.qomeet.com/en/article/catering-locations-and-meal-options-3qvwl2/), define your allocation rules to automatically assign meals to your participants. To do this, go to **Services > Catering** in the tab **Allocation Rules** and click on **Add** to create a new rule.


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/c/d/0/9/cd093f68934ed800/image_bq5fdc.png =884xauto)

| It is also possible to allocate meals to a participant [manually](https://help.qomeet.com/en/article/assign-a-meal-to-a-participant-manually-1yp1vm9/)

### Configure a meal allocation rule

###### Meal

Select from the list the meal for which you wish to create an allocation rule. You can also [create a new meal](https://help.qomeet.com/en/article/catering-locations-and-meal-options-3qvwl2/#3-add-a-meal).

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/c/d/0/9/cd093f68934ed800/image_1i4fkxv.png =525xauto)

###### Availability dates

Select the dates on which the meal is available.


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/c/d/0/9/cd093f68934ed800/image_ypuqcn.png)

###### Description

You can add a short description to help you identify your rule among others in the [list of meal allocation rules](#6-list-of-meal-allocation-rules).


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/c/d/0/9/cd093f68934ed800/image_tb9uv5.png)

###### Attendance days

If you take into account the participant's attendance days, they will only be able to have meals on days when they are indicated as present in their [participant sheet](https://help.qomeet.com/en/article/organize-the-participant-sheet-10a61tf/).

| Disregarding days of attendance can be useful if your participants have access to meals even on days when they are not indicated as present (a volunteer who has a day off, for example), or if you don't ask your participants their days of attendance in the registration form.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/cd093f68934ed800/image_y8vo09.png)

###### Limit access to specific dates

If your participant sheet contains a [selection of dates](https://help.qomeet.com/en/article/types-of-information-t6rp8i/#3-selection-of-dates) information field, you can use this information in your meal allocation rules. In this case, the participant will have access to a meal only on the selected dates.

| To allow participants to choose the days on which they wish to have a meal, simply add a question to the registration form using a "selection of dates" field, and take this information into account in the meal allocation rules.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/cd093f68934ed800/image_icfwql.png)

###### Conditions

You can specify the conditions that must be met for a meal to be assigned to a participant: these conditions can relate to the different tags, or to the information recorded in the participant sheet.

You can take into account the tags of **participants**, tags of their [category ](https://help.qomeet.com/en/article/categories-of-participants-1plxls1/)or tags of their [structure](https://help.qomeet.com/en/article/managing-structures-nv3063/). For example, you can assign a specific tag to the structures for which you provide meals, so as to assign all participants linked to these structures to a particular catering venue. Or you can assign a tag to all press-related categories (journalists, photographers, cameramen...) to assign them a catering venue close to your event's Press Center.

Regarding participant information, you can use any[ drop-down list](https://help.qomeet.com/en/article/types-of-information-t6rp8i/#3-drop-down-list) or [checkbox](https://help.qomeet.com/en/article/types-of-information-t6rp8i/#3-checkbox) information as a condition for meal allocation. This allows you to take into account, for example, participants' preferences (choice of menu, diet, etc.) that you have previously requested in the [registration form](https://help.qomeet.com/en/article/registration-forms-56ov8q/).

To add a new condition, click on **Add a condition** and choose the type of tag (category, structure, or participant) or the desired information field. The information fields are organized into [groups](https://help.qomeet.com/en/article/organize-the-participant-sheet-10a61tf/#3-information-groups), just like in the participant sheet.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/c/d/0/9/cd093f68934ed800/image_1vdzo42.png)

For each type of tag or information field that you use as a condition for allocating a meal, specify what information the participant must have in order to receive the relevant meal.

For example, if you want to allocate a lunch box to participants who prefer vegetarian meals, you could create an information field called “Diet” to ask participants about their menu preferences, then use “Diet = vegetarian” in the lunch box allocation rules.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/c/d/0/9/cd093f68934ed800/image_7a00e.png)


###### List of meal allocation rules

As you create your meal allocation rules, they are displayed in the list of rules, grouped by meal type: breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can then define the [priority of each rule](https://help.qomeet.com/en/article/priority-order-of-meal-allocation-rules-1hjqhyx/) within these three groups.


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/c/d/0/9/cd093f68934ed800/image_1lv12dh.png =1050xauto)