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User Guide Overview

Welcome to the Pantrie user guide! This section covers everything you need to know about using Pantrie effectively.

What is Pantrie?

Pantrie is a household inventory management system that helps you:

  • Track food and household items
  • Monitor expiration dates
  • Reduce food waste
  • Manage multiple households
  • Track custom allergens
  • Scan barcodes for quick entry

Core Concepts

Households

A household is a shared inventory space. You can:

  • Create multiple households (e.g., "Home", "Vacation House")
  • Invite members with different permission levels
  • Manage settings per household

Inventory Items

Items are what you track in Pantrie. Each item has:

  • Name: What the item is
  • Location: Where it's stored
  • Quantity: How much you have
  • Expiration Date: When it expires (optional)
  • Barcode: For quick identification (optional)
  • Nutrition Info: From Open Food Facts (optional)

Locations

Locations organize your items by where they're stored:

  • Refrigerator
  • Freezer
  • Pantry
  • Cabinets
  • Custom locations

Custom Allergens

Define allergens specific to your household:

  • Automatically checked against item ingredients
  • Visual warnings on items containing allergens
  • Works with Open Food Facts allergen data

User Roles

Viewer

  • View all household items
  • Search and filter inventory
  • View item details
  • Cannot add or modify items

Editor

  • All Viewer permissions
  • Add new items
  • Edit existing items
  • Delete items
  • Cannot modify household settings

Admin

  • All Editor permissions
  • Manage household settings
  • Manage locations
  • Invite/remove members
  • Manage custom allergens
  • Transfer household ownership

Main Dashboard

The dashboard shows:

  • Recently added items
  • Items expiring soon
  • Quick stats
  • Quick actions

Inventory Page

View and manage all items:

  • Filter by location
  • Search by name
  • Sort by various fields
  • Add new items
  • Bulk actions

Settings

Configure your household:

  • Household information
  • Locations management
  • Custom allergens
  • Member management
  • Personal settings

Quick Actions

Adding Items

Two methods:

  1. Barcode Scan: Fast, auto-fills data
  2. Manual Entry: Full control over details

Finding Items

Multiple ways to search:

  • Text search by name
  • Filter by location
  • Sort by expiration date
  • View by category

Managing Expiration

Color-coded indicators:

  • 🟢 Green: Fresh (7+ days)
  • 🟡 Yellow: Use soon (3-7 days)
  • 🔴 Red: Urgent (< 3 days)
  • âš« Gray: Expired

Best Practices

Regular Updates

Update quantities as you use items. This keeps your inventory accurate.

Scan Barcodes

Use barcode scanning whenever possible. It's faster and more accurate.

Set Expiration Dates

Even rough estimates help reduce waste. You'll get warnings as items age.

Organize Locations

Mirror your actual storage setup. Makes finding items easier.

Allergen Accuracy

Custom allergen matching is text-based. Review ingredient lists for accuracy.

Mobile Usage

Pantrie is mobile-responsive:

  • Works in any modern browser
  • Add to home screen for app-like experience
  • Scan barcodes using phone camera
  • Quick add items while shopping

Data and Privacy

  • Data is stored securely
  • Only household members can see your inventory
  • You can export your data at any time
  • Deletion removes all your data

Detailed Guides

Getting Help

If you need assistance:

  1. Check this user guide
  2. Review the Quick Start
  3. Open an issue on GitHub