# Clearer previews and menu retries

October 1, 2026 · MCP

Two changes to what the MCP tools return, both about saying plainly what Layout already knows.

## preview.outcome

A `preview` from the `order` tool now carries `preview.outcome`: `ready`, `needs_location`, `closed`, `closing_soon`, `not_orderable` or `blocked`. Branch on it instead of combining `needsLocation`, `blocked` and the note fields yourself.

```json
{
  "action": "preview",
  "preview": {
    "outcome": "ready",
    "resolved": { "name": "Layout test kitchen", "address": "1 Market St, San Francisco, CA", "placeId": "…" },
    "sayToUser": "On it: Layout test kitchen at 1 Market St, San Francisco."
  }
}
```

When the person names a street and exactly one open branch sits on it, the preview now resolves that branch instead of asking which one. A branch they already picked is never replaced. See [What a preview concluded](https://developer.layout.link/reference/mcp#what-a-preview-concluded).

## When to read a menu again

If your app connects a person over OAuth and calls `menu`, a menu Layout has just read is answered again from that read. When there is nothing to reuse, reading the same menu again within three minutes comes back `limit_reached` with `retryAfterSec`, the seconds until another read is allowed. Relay `sayToUser`, or order the item directly. Once the person's daily menu reads are used up, `menu` answers from general knowledge when it can (`status: "knowledge"`, `live: false`), and otherwise comes back `limit_reached` with no retry time. See [Reading a menu](https://developer.layout.link/reference/mcp#reading-a-menu).

## What to do

Nothing is required. If you branch on preview fields today, switching to `outcome` is simpler and keeps working as fields are added.

## Breaking changes

None. `outcome` and `retryAfterSec` are new fields. A preview that used to ask which branch over a single option now comes back resolved for that branch, usually `ready` (or `closing_soon` when it is near closing).