Shopping
The /shopping page — collaborative real-time shopping list with cross-device sync and offline support out of the box. No third-party account required.
For families that already use Bring!, the Bring integration is optional — connect it and Kinboard will keep its list and your Bring list in two-way sync. But the built-in shopping list works fully on its own and is the recommended path for new users (one less account, one less moving part).
TODO: offline-mode banner variant
There's also a legacy /einkaufen route for German URL muscle-memory; both render the same page.
The built-in list runs entirely on your Kinboard instance — no external service:
- Real-time across devices — adding "milk" on the kitchen kiosk shows up on every family phone within ~1 s, and vice versa
- Offline-tolerant — runs as a PWA with a service worker + IndexedDB queue. When the supermarket has no cell reception (basement Lidl, anyone?), you can still add items, tap items off the list, and check items as bought. Changes queue locally and replay automatically when the device gets connectivity back.
- Conflict-free — items have stable IDs; two phones checking off the same item simultaneously both succeed without "lost update" weirdness
Kinboard ships with a dedicated PWA just for the shopping list, separate from the main Kinboard PWA. Installing it gives you:
- A separate home-screen icon (shopping logo, distinct from the main Kinboard icon)
- A scoped install — opens directly to the shopping list every time, no nav drawer, no other surfaces
- Its own splash screen and green theme color (
#22c55e) - A "Quick add item" home-screen shortcut (long-press the icon on Android) that jumps straight to the add field
- Full offline support out of the gate
This is the recommended phone install for any family member whose only need on their phone is the shopping list. Power user pattern: parents who do the shopping install just the shopping PWA, kids install the full Kinboard PWA.
When you open /shopping on a phone, a green banner appears after ~2 seconds offering install. Tap it:
-
iOS: it deep-links to
/einkaufen(the route with the shopping-only manifest), then walk through Safari Share → Add to Home Screen. The icon that lands on your home screen is the shopping logo, scoped to the shopping page only. -
Android: same deep-link, then accept the browser's install prompt. Browser auto-detects the shopping manifest at the
/einkaufenURL and installs the scoped PWA.
Why is the dedicated manifest served from
/einkaufen? Historic — that's the original German URL where this feature shipped. Both/einkaufenand/shoppingrender the same UI, but only/einkaufenexposes the shopping-specific manifest. The install prompt automatically routes you there.
If you've already installed the main Kinboard PWA and want the shopping one too: open /einkaufen directly in your browser (not via the existing PWA icon), then install — both icons coexist on the home screen.
| Main Kinboard PWA | Shopping-only PWA | |
|---|---|---|
| Install from | Anywhere in Kinboard |
/einkaufen (banner deep-links you there) |
| Manifest | /manifest.json |
/manifest-shopping.json |
| Icon | Kinboard logo | Shopping logo |
| Scope | Whole app | Just the shopping page |
| Push notifications | Yes (all types) | Yes (shopping notifications still work) |
| Offline shopping | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Daily-driver phone, kitchen kiosk | "I just want the shopping list on my phone" |
Both can be installed on the same device.
For the general PWA install how-to (iOS quirks, Android variations), see Notifications#installing-as-a-pwa.
The text input at the top is a smart adder:
- Just type a name → category auto-detected from the keyword list (e.g. "Apfel" → Obst & Gemüse)
-
Quantity prefix →
2 Milchadds two milks,500g Butterparses the unit -
Multiple items at once → comma-separated:
Brot, Butter, Käse - From history → starts a dropdown of recent items as you type; tap to re-add
Items appear instantly for everyone in the family thanks to real-time sync — a mom adding "milk" from her phone while shopping shows up on the kitchen wall in <1 s.
Items are grouped by category for supermarket-aisle order. The default categories:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Fruits & vegetables | Apples, salad, tomatoes |
| Dairy | Milk, cheese, yogurt |
| Bakery | Bread, rolls, croissants |
| Meat & fish | Chicken, beef, salmon |
| Drinks | Water, juice, beer, wine |
| Frozen | Pizza, ice cream |
| Breakfast & spreads | Cereal, jam, peanut butter |
| Sweets & snacks | Chocolate, chips, cookies |
| Pantry & canned | Pasta, rice, canned tomato |
| Household | Detergent, toilet paper |
| Drugstore | Toothpaste, shampoo |
| Pet supplies | Cat food, dog treats |
| Other | Anything that doesn't match |
Auto-categorization uses a German keyword list (~2000 entries) — works great in German, partial in English. To override an item's category, tap the item, change category in the dropdown.
Themes-and-Locales in EN + DE.
[+ Add] → unchecked → ☑ checked → (auto-removed after N hours)
- Newly added items appear at the top of their category
- Tap the checkbox to mark as bought (item moves to the bottom, struck through)
- Checked items auto-remove after 24 hours (configurable per family — coming v1.1)
- Manually clear all checked at any time via the "Clear checked" button
You don't need Bring at all — the built-in shopping list is fully featured on its own. Connect Bring only if your family already uses Bring as their phone shopping app and you want a single list that works in both places.
If you've connected Bring, items sync two-way every 2 minutes:
- Add in Kinboard → appears in Bring! on family members' phones
- Add in Bring! on a phone → appears in Kinboard
- Check off in either → marks bought in both
The sync indicator in the page header shows last-sync time + status. Tap to force-sync.
Below the input field, the most-frequently-added items show as one-tap chips. The list adapts to your family's habits:
- First 30 days: shows a default chip set (milk, bread, butter, eggs, ...)
- After 30 days: shows your top 12 by add-frequency
- Per-family — kids' shopping habits influence the chips alongside adults'
TODO: screenshot of the quick-add chips row
Kinboard remembers items per family in public.item_catalog. When you add "Müsli," Kinboard offers the suggestion next time without recomputing the keyword match. Edits to category / unit / preferred brand stick across re-additions.
Shopping list pushes (per Notifications):
- New item added → notify other devices (configurable per device)
- Reminder for open list → notify if the list is non-empty for >24 h (configurable)
Tweak in Settings → Notifications.
- The wall display is the family checklist. Mom adds milk while cooking; the kid checks it off when he opens the fridge and sees only one bottle left.
- Phone PWA in the supermarket: install the Kinboard PWA on your phone, walk the aisles ticking items as you grab them. Works offline, syncs as soon as you're back in range.
- Bring on-top (only if you already use it): families that prefer Bring's mature mobile UX can connect it and have items round-trip both ways. Otherwise stick with the built-in.
- Recipe-driven shopping: from a recipe page, tap "Add ingredients to shopping list" — adds all required ingredients in one go (with quantities).
- Multiple lists per family. One active list. Bring! integration mirrors only one Bring list.
- Per-store partitioning. No "Lidl items" vs "Rewe items" split — items just have categories.
- Recurring shopping items. No "auto re-add coffee every Monday." Workaround: keep the favorite chips.
- Photo of the receipt. Out of scope.
- Bring — full Bring! sync setup
- Recipes-and-Meals — adding recipe ingredients to the list
- Notifications — push setup for shopping events