DoorDash launches AI tools to streamline merchant onboarding

On Monday, DoorDash added new AI-powered tools that let merchants speed up merchant onboarding—the process of setting up a new business on the platform—as well as edit photos of dishes and create websites based on their app listings.

The onboarding tool functions similarly to the one Amazon launched in 2024. To use it, merchants can point the tool to their existing website, from which it will automatically fetch information such as photos, store hours, and menu items to create a listing on the app. Merchants can review and edit all of this information before publishing the listing.

Beyond onboarding, the platform is rolling out specific photo-editing tools for restaurants. These include AI Retouch, which replaces backgrounds, sharpens images, and optimizes lighting without changing the dish itself. Another tool, AI Replate, manipulates pictures of dishes so they look like they are plated professionally by changing lighting and color. Merchants can also provide a reference image to apply a particular style to an existing image. Additionally, DoorDash is adding features to its commerce platform that allow restaurant owners to spin up a website based on existing DoorDash content, such as menu items and photos. During a test of this website feature, merchants saw order conversion rates—the percentage of users who complete an order after viewing content—of nearly 10% on average.

The company’s strategic focus with these releases centers on reducing operational complexity for its restaurant partners. “At DoorDash, we’re constantly building tools to help merchants succeed, from their very first day on the platform, to every order after,” said Brian Tolkin, head of merchant product at DoorDash, in a statement. “These new tools reflect our belief that the right technology should remove friction, not add it, so merchants can focus on what they do best: making great food and delivering incredible customer experiences.”

Why it matters

DoorDash is expanding its merchant-facing AI capabilities to streamline onboarding, content creation, and marketing, aiming to reduce operational friction for restaurant owners on its platform.