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If you run a restaurant, this week brought a small update that can make a real difference. Google has added four new dietary tags you can put on dishes in your Business Profile menu: gluten free, dairy free, halal and kosher. Until now, the only options were vegetarian and vegan.
The change was reported on October 13, 2026 by Search Engine Roundtable (Search Engine Roundtable), after Lisa Landsman from Google shared it on LinkedIn (LinkedIn). In her words, tagged dishes help your items stand out on your profile, “answering their biggest question before they even ask.”
I think that line is exactly right. Anyone who eats halal, keeps kosher, has celiac disease or avoids dairy spends a lot of time checking menus before they leave home. If your profile answers that question clearly, you are the easier choice.
What changed
| Before | Now |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian | Vegetarian |
| Vegan | Vegan |
| Gluten free (new) | |
| Dairy free (new) | |
| Halal (new) | |
| Kosher (new) |
The tags go on individual menu items, not on the business as a whole. So you are saying “this dish is gluten free”, not “this restaurant is gluten free”. Google has not said which countries have the new tags yet, so if you do not see them, give it a little time.
How to add the tags
Based on how the menu editor works, as described in the report above:
- Open your Business Profile on Google Search or Google Maps.
- Choose Edit menu.
- Open the dish you want to tag.
- Tick the dietary tags that are true for it, then save.
If you manage many locations through the Business Profile API, the food menu data already has a dietary field that lists halal, kosher, organic, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free as examples (Google for Developers). Your developer can set these per item instead of clicking through every location.
Be accurate, especially with halal, kosher and gluten free
This is the part I want restaurant owners to take seriously. These are not marketing words. For many people they are religious requirements or medical needs.
- Gluten free should mean the dish is safe for someone avoiding gluten, not just “made without bread”. If you share a fryer or prep surface, think hard before tagging.
- Halal and kosher mean something specific to the people searching for them. Search Engine Roundtable pointed out that Google does not appear to verify kosher claims, so diners have to trust what you say (Search Engine Roundtable). That trust is your responsibility. If you are certified, say so in the dish description too.
- Dairy free should cover hidden dairy like butter, ghee and cream in sauces.
Wrong tags lead to unhappy customers, bad reviews and, for allergies, real harm. One honest tag beats ten optimistic ones. Google’s guidelines also expect the information on your profile to be accurate and represent your business as it is in the real world (Google).
My quick checklist for restaurant profiles
- Make sure your menu on Google matches the menu you actually serve today.
- Tag only the dishes you are confident about.
- Add a clear photo for your most popular tagged dishes.
- Mention certification (halal, kosher) in the dish description where you have it.
- Ask your staff to check the tags once a month, especially after a menu change.
- Reply to reviews that mention dietary needs. It shows you care, and other diners notice.
Why this matters for local search
Google has not said these tags change rankings, and I would not promise that. What they do is make your profile more useful at the exact moment someone is deciding where to eat. A complete, accurate profile with clear answers is what wins the click and the visit, and that is what local SEO is really about.
Quick FAQ
Which new dietary tags did Google add? Gluten free, dairy free, halal and kosher, alongside the existing vegetarian and vegan tags.
Do I tag the whole restaurant or each dish? Each dish, in your Business Profile menu.
Does Google check halal or kosher claims? There is no sign that it does, so only tag what is genuinely true for the dish.
If your restaurant profile needs a proper cleanup, or something is stuck or suspended, feel free to reach out through ayushmauryavanshi.com and I will take a look.
Sources
- New Google Local Dietary Attributes: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Halal and Kosher, Search Engine Roundtable, October 13, 2026
- Lisa Landsman’s announcement on LinkedIn
- Google adds dietary filters to local restaurant profiles, Optimixed, October 13, 2026
- Update food menus, Google Business Profile APIs
- Guidelines for representing your business on Google, Google Business Profile Help
