Import recipes

Spiceful offers multiple ways to save recipes to your collection. Whether you found a recipe online, have it in a cookbook, or are switching from another app, we've got you covered.

Import methods

From a URL

Save a recipe from any website by pasting its URL. Spiceful uses AI to extract the ingredients, steps, and other details automatically.

When you'd use this:

• You found a recipe online and want to save it to your collection
• You want to stop bookmarking recipes in your browser
• You want to easily add recipe ingredients to your grocery list

How it works:

On web:

1. Copy the URL of the recipe you want to save
2. Click Add Recipe in Spiceful
3. Select Import from URL
4. Paste the recipe URL into the text field
5. Click Extract Recipe
6. Wait for the AI to analyze the page (usually 15–30 seconds)
7. Review the extracted recipe and make any edits if needed
8. Click Save Recipe

On mobile:

1. Copy the recipe URL from your browser or another app
2. Open Spiceful and tap the Recipes tab
3. Tap Add (top-right)
4. Select Import from URL
5. Paste the URL and tap Extract Recipe
6. Wait for extraction (usually 15–30 seconds)
7. Review the result and tap Save Recipe

Tips:

• Most recipe websites work great. Popular sites like AllRecipes, Serious Eats, NYT Cooking, and food blogs are well-supported
• If a recipe is in another language, Spiceful will offer to translate it to English
• The source URL is saved with your recipe so you can always go back to the original
• Each URL import uses one of your monthly AI imports (Free: 10/month, Premium: 200/month)

From a photo

Take a photo of a recipe from a cookbook, magazine, or recipe card, and let Spiceful's AI extract the ingredients and steps.

When you'd use this:

• You have a favorite recipe in a cookbook and want a digital copy
• Someone shared a handwritten or printed recipe card with you
• You see a recipe in a magazine and want to save it quickly

How it works (mobile only):

1. Open the Spiceful app and tap the Recipes tab
2. Tap Add (top-right)
3. Select Scan with Camera
4. Grant camera permission if prompted
5. Position the recipe in the camera frame—make sure the text is clearly visible and in focus
6. Tap Take Photo (or select Gallery to choose an existing photo)
7. Review the captured image. If it's blurry, tap Retake
8. Tap Extract Recipe
9. Wait for the AI to process the image (may take 15–30 seconds)
10. Review the extracted recipe and make any corrections
11. Tap Save Recipe

Tips:

• Best results: Flat, well-lit pages with clear printed text work best
• Handwritten recipes: These can work, but clear handwriting is important
• Multiple pages: If your recipe spans multiple pages, take separate photos and combine them manually, or use the paste text method below
• Each photo import uses one of your monthly AI imports (Free: 10/month, Premium: 200/month)
• Photo import requires camera access, which is only available in the mobile app

By pasting text

Copy and paste recipe text from anywhere—websites, messages, notes, or documents—and let Spiceful format it into a proper recipe.

When you'd use this:

• A website has a paywall or blocks automated imports
• Someone sent you a recipe in a text message or email
• You have recipe text in a document or note
• URL import isn't working for a specific site

How it works:

On web:

1. Copy the recipe text from your source (select all the text including title, ingredients, and instructions)
2. Click Add Recipe in Spiceful
3. Select Paste text
4. Paste the recipe text into the large text box
5. Click Extract Recipe
6. Wait for the AI to process the text
7. Review the extracted recipe—check that ingredients and steps are correct
8. Click Save Recipe

On mobile:

1. Copy the recipe text from your source
2. Open Spiceful and tap the Recipes tab
3. Tap Add (top-right)
4. Select Paste Text
5. Paste the text into the text box
6. Tap Extract Recipe
7. Review the result and tap Save Recipe

Tips for best results:

Include in your pasted text:

• Recipe title at the top
• Ingredients listed with quantities (e.g., "2 cups flour", "1 lb chicken")
• Instructions or steps
• Prep/cook times if you have them

The more complete the text, the better the extraction.

More tips:

• This is a great fallback when URL import fails due to paywalls or blocked sites
• You can paste text in any format—the AI will figure out what's what
• Each text import uses one of your monthly AI imports (Free: 10/month, Premium: 200/month)

Bulk import from Paprika or Mela (Premium)

Import your entire recipe collection from Paprika, Mela, or other recipe apps in one step. This feature requires Premium.

When you'd use this:

• You're switching to Spiceful from another recipe app
• You have hundreds of recipes and don't want to import them one by one
• You want to consolidate recipes from multiple apps

Supported formats:

• Paprika (.paprikarecipes files)
• Mela (.melarecipes files)

How it works:

Step 1: Export from your current app

From Paprika:

1. Open Paprika on your computer (macOS or Windows)
2. Go to File → Export
3. Choose Paprika Recipe Format
4. Select the recipes you want to export (or "Select All")
5. Save the .paprikarecipes file

From Mela:

1. Open Mela on your Mac or iOS device
2. Go to Settings → Export
3. Choose Mela Archive
4. Save the .melarecipes file

Step 2: Import into Spiceful

1. Open Spiceful on web (bulk import is web-only)
2. Click Add Recipe
3. Select Import from App (shows "Premium" badge)
4. Click Choose file and select your export file
5. Wait for Spiceful to process your recipes
6. Review the import summary
7. Click Import to add all recipes

Tips:

• Large imports may take a few minutes. Don't close the browser tab
• Recipe images from your export will be imported along with the recipes
• Imported recipes count toward your storage quota (Premium: 1 GB)
• You can run multiple imports if you have recipes in different apps
• Bulk import is currently only available on the web app

Common issues

"This site appears to block automated access"

• Some sites have paywalls or anti-bot measures. Try pasting the recipe text instead

Import is taking too long

• If it's been more than a minute, the site may be slow or blocking access. Cancel and try pasting the recipe text

Recipe extracted incorrectly

• AI extraction isn't perfect. You can edit the recipe after saving, or make corrections during the review step
• For better results with URLs, make sure the URL goes directly to a recipe page (not a search results or category page)

Camera access denied (photo import)

• Go to your phone's Settings → Spiceful → Enable Camera access

"AI import limit reached"

• Free accounts get 10 AI imports per month. Upgrade to Premium for 200/month

"Premium required" (bulk import)

• Bulk import is a Premium feature. Upgrade to Premium to use it

Some recipes missing after bulk import

• Check that the recipes were properly exported from the source app
• Recipes that failed to parse will be skipped—you can import them manually later

Related articles

• Troubleshoot recipe imports
• Manage your recipes
• Understanding Free vs Premium
• Upgrade to Premium