Help & Getting Started
Everything you need to know about using Silo - from your first scan to your first saved trip.
Last updated: May 5, 2026
5-Minute Quickstart
Silo is built so you can be useful immediately - no setup required beyond creating an account. Here's what to do first:
- Create an account.Open Silo and sign up with your email. Verify your email to unlock price logging (this protects data quality - verified submissions only).
- Add your preferred stores.Go to Profile → tap the + next to Preferred Stores. Pick the grocery stores you shop at regularly - Silo will show prices from those stores first and use them for best-store calculations.
- Add a few items to your list.Tap the Trip tab. Type an item name in the "Add item…" bar at the top, or scan a barcode using the blue scan button (bottom right). Start with the things you buy every week - milk, eggs, bread, etc.
- See your best store.Once you have a few product-linked items, the "Best Store" card appears automatically above your list. It shows the cheapest store for your exact list, plus comparison bars for all stores we track. If you haven't added preferred stores yet, Best Store considers all stores in your area.
- Start a trip.When you head to the store, tap "Start Trip" and select the store you're in. Your list reorganises to show what's priced at that store first.
- Confirm prices as you shop.As you pick up each item, scan the barcode and Confirm or Update the price for this store. Tap Got It to continue to the next item. These quick updates from real shoppers are what keep Silo accurate for everyone.
Startup Tips
These habits will make Silo dramatically more useful within a few weeks:
1. Scan everything while you shop
The blue barcode button on the Trip, Browse, and Pantry tabs opens a full-screen scanner. Every time you pick up a new product at the store, scan it and log the price. Only takes few seconds. This is how the database gets built for you and every other shopper.
2. Use the search suggestions when typing
When you type in the "Add item…" bar on the Trip tab, Silo searches the product database as you type and shows matching products in a dropdown. Tap a result to add it already linked to price history and best-store data. If nothing matches or you'd prefer to keep it simple, tap the + button to add it as a free-text item - you can always link it later.
3. Add your pantry staples
The Pantry tab tracks what you have at home. Add your regularly purchased items, set a typical restock frequency (e.g. "every 14 days"), and Silo will show a "Running Low" strip when items are due. You can also set a target price - Silo will highlight when a product is at or below it.
4. Use "Any brand" for flexibility
Each product-linked item on your shopping list has an "Any brand" toggle. Turn it on for items where you don't care about the specific brand (pasta, canned tomatoes, frozen peas) - Silo will include equivalent products from other brands when calculating your best store, often saving more.
5. Add your household
If you shop with a partner or family member, create a household in the Profile tab and share the invite code. Now you share a single shopping list and pantry, and both of you contribute price data when you shop. More scanners = better data for everyone.
6. Set a store search radius
In Profile, under Store search radius, you can limit the Best Store finder to stores within a set distance. Without this, Silo might suggest a store across the city that saves $1.50 - not worth the trip.
Scanning Barcodes
The barcode scanner is the fastest way to add products. Every barcode scan opens a chooser with four options:
- Log price - go straight to the price entry screen for this product
- Add to list - add to your current shopping list
- Add to pantry - track this product in your pantry
- View product - see full price history, best price, size comparison
If a barcode isn't in our database yet, you'll see a "New product" screen where you can fill in the product name, brand, and package size. Once created, it's in the system for every Silo user.
Supported barcode types: EAN-13, UPC-A, PLU codes (loose produce), and random-weight EAN-13 barcodes (used for deli and meat counter items sold by weight).
Building Your List
Your shopping list lives on the Trip tab. Items can be:
- Free-text - just a name, no price data. Useful when you don't know the specific product yet.
- Product-linked - connected to a product in the database. Has price history, best store, and sparkline data.
Adding items
- Type it: Use the "Add item…" bar. Type "3 milk" or "2x eggs" to set quantity at the same time.
- Scan it: Tap the blue FAB button (bottom right) and scan a barcode.
- From Browse: Find a product in the Browse tab and tap "Add to list."
- From Pantry: Running Low items have a quick "Add to list" button.
Organising your list
- Reorder - tap the ≡ icon (top right) to enter reorder mode, then use the ↑↓ buttons next to each item to move it up or down. Tap ≡ again to exit.
- Group by category - tap the grid icon (top right) to group items by produce, dairy, frozen, etc.
- Group by store - tap the store icon to group by cheapest store per item.
Best Store Finder
The "Best Store for Your List" card appears above your list whenever you have product-linked items. It shows:
- The BEST store - the one with the lowest estimated total for your list
- How much you'd save vs the most expensive option (e.g. "Save 13%")
- Comparison bars for all stores - green for best, purple for others
- Coverage: how many of your items each store has prices for
Tap any store row to start a trip at that store.
Split & Save: Sometimes buying from two stores saves more than one. When the math works out, a "Split & Save" card appears below the Best Store card showing exactly which items to buy where and how much you'd save.
⚠️ Estimated totals are only as good as the data. If a product hasn't been priced at a specific store recently, Silo uses the nearest location of the same chain as a similar-store estimate, labelled so you know it's not a direct observation. Log prices when you shop to keep everyone's estimates accurate. If you are the only Silo user in your area, Best Store still works using prices you have logged yourself. Community comparisons sharpen as neighbours join.
Shopping Trips
Starting a trip unlocks extra features tied to a specific store:
- Your list shows what's available at this store first
- Items show the store's specific price (not just the best-anywhere price)
- A running cart total tracks your spend as you tick items off
Ending a trip
Tap "End Trip" in the trip banner. Your cart clears and the trip is saved to your history.
Pantry Tracking
The Pantry tab lets you track what you have at home - stock levels, expiry dates, and restock frequency. Items are grouped by category and sorted by urgency.
Adding to your pantry
- Scan a barcode from the Pantry tab → "Add to pantry"
- From a product page → tap "Add to pantry"
Editing a pantry item
Tap any pantry item to open the edit sheet. You can set:
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Quantity in stock | How many you currently have |
| Expiry date | Shows an "Expiring soon" badge when close |
| In freezer | Marks the item as frozen (extends expected life) |
| Buy every N days | Predicts when you'll need to restock - drives the Running Low strip |
| Target price | Highlights the product when its best price is at or below this amount |
| Accept substitutes | On by default - allows Silo to suggest equivalent products in best basket. Turn off for brand-specific items. |
Running Low Alerts
The "Running Low" strip at the top of the Pantry tab shows items that are due for restocking based on your set frequency. If you buy milk every 7 days and it's been 6, milk appears in the strip.
Tap "Add all to list" to add every running-low item to your shopping list in one tap.
Price History
Tap any product on the Browse or Pantry tabs to open its product page. The price history section shows:
- Current best price across all stores we track
- Per-store price list with how recently the price was logged
- Size comparison - if the same product comes in multiple sizes, see which offers the best value per 100g/100mL
Price confidence: Each price entry shows when it was last submitted, so you can judge the freshness yourself. More recent entries from stores you shop at regularly are the most reliable.
Sparklines & Year-Over-Year
On your shopping list, each product-linked item shows a small bar chart (sparkline) below the price - this is the last 12 months of average prices, one bar per month. The rightmost bar (darkest blue) is the current month.
Next to the sparkline is a YoY% pill:
- +8% in red - this product is more expensive than it was a year ago
- -4% in green - this product is cheaper than it was a year ago
Use this to spot shrinkflation (price up, package smaller) and decide whether to stock up now or wait.
Logging Prices
Logging prices is how you contribute to the community database and keep your own estimates accurate. You need a verified email to submit prices.
- Scan a barcode or open a product page.
- Tap "Log Price" (or scan → "Log price" from the scanner chooser).
- Enter the shelf price and select the store.
- Choose the aisle (optional but useful - helps you find it next time).
- Mark "On Sale" if it's a sale price, and add an end date if you know it.
- Tap Submit. Done.
Silo verifies you're at the store when you log a price -this keeps community data accurate. Make sure location services are enabled for Silo. We only check your location at the moment of submission and never track it in the background. Trusted contributors are exempt from this check.
If the price you enter matches the current logged price exactly, Silo treats it as a confirmation (no duplicate entry is created). Silo limits submissions to 3 per product per store per day to prevent spam.
Households
A household lets you share a shopping list and pantry with your family or partner. One account creates the household, others join with an invite code.
Creating a household
- Go to Profile → Household.
- Tap "Create Household" and give it a name.
- Share the 8-character invite code with your household members.
Joining a household
- Go to Profile → Household.
- Tap "Join a Household" and enter the invite code.
- Your list and pantry immediately merge with the household's shared list.
Household = more data. Every member who scans prices contributes to the shared database. The more people in your household who use Silo actively, the better everyone's data gets.
Silo Pro
Silo Pro is available now. The free version includes everything you need for daily shopping: best store finder, pantry tracking, household sharing, and 90 days of personal price history from day one. Pro deepens the personal layer: 12+ months of history, the Trends tab (your personal grocery inflation chart, biggest movers, and Canada CPI comparison), and price alerts when items hit your target (coming in the next update). Pro also adds two-store basket optimization and aisle-sorted shopping when local community data is available.
Details on pricing and Pro features will be announced at launch.
FAQ
Price data affects every Silo user's shopping decisions. Requiring email verification makes it significantly harder to submit false or spam prices. We verify once and you're good forever.
You'll see a "New product" screen where you can add the product name, brand, category, and package size. Once you create it, it's in the system for all Silo users. Since you're holding it in your hand, it's a great time to log the shelf price too.
Best store estimates are based on the most recent logged price for each product at each store. If a product hasn't been priced at a specific store recently, Silo uses the nearest location of the same chain as a similar-store estimate - labelled so you know it's not a direct observation. Logging prices when you shop helps everyone get more accurate estimates.
Just scan the product and log the correct price - that's exactly what the app is for. The new entry becomes the most recent price. Price actions are only available when you're at the store, verified by GPS or an active shopping session.
Any brand is per trip-list item - turn it on when you don't care which brand, so Silo can include cheaper alternatives in its best-basket calculation.
Accept substitutes is per pantry item - it controls whether Silo considers equivalent products from your pantry alternatives list when optimising a shopping trip.
More questions? See the full FAQ for everything including account setup, points, and privacy.
Contact Support
Can't find what you're looking for? We're here to help.
Email: [email protected]
We aim to respond within 2 business days.
Report a bug: Use the feedback form to tell us what happened and what device you're using. For incorrect prices, just scan the product and log the correct one - no need to contact us.
Privacy concerns: [email protected]
Account deletion: Go to Profile → Delete Account. Your personal information (email, name, lists, pantry, and history) is permanently removed. Price submissions you've made remain as anonymous community data. Alternatively, email [email protected] and we'll handle it within 30 days.
Full legal documents: Privacy Policy · Terms of Service