---
slug: capturing-recipes
title: "Capturing and Importing Recipes"
summary: "How to save recipes into Cook:RE from Safari, cooking apps, cookbook photos, PDFs, and pasted text."
watches:
  - apple/CookRE/Sources/RecipeApp/ContentView.swift
  - apple/CookRE/Sources/ShareExtension
  - worker/src/broker.ts
---

# Capturing and Importing Recipes

Cook:RE turns web pages, printed cookbook photos, PDFs, and pasted text into structured, machine-readable recipes saved locally to your iPhone. There are no accounts to create, no ads, and no tracking.

## Importing from Safari and Cooking Apps

The fastest way to save a recipe from the web or supported cooking apps is using the iOS Share Sheet:

1. In Safari or recipe apps, navigate to any recipe page.
2. Tap the **Share** button.
3. Tap **Cook:RE** in the list of share extensions.
4. Cook:RE extracts the recipe title, ingredient quantities, and cooking steps.
5. The recipe appears immediately in your library.

> **Tip:** If Cook:RE does not appear in your primary Share list, swipe to the right on the app row, tap **More**, and add Cook:RE to your Favorites.

## Scanning Cookbook Pages and PDFs

Cook:RE can digitize printed cookbook pages and digital recipe PDFs:

1. Tap **+** and choose **Photo, Image, or PDF**.
2. Take a photo of the cookbook page with your camera, or select an image or PDF from your Files or Photos.
3. For best accuracy, ensure good lighting and keep the page flat without heavy curvature.
4. Cook:RE extracts the printed text, reconstructs ingredient lines and steps, and assigns culinary units and densities.

> **Note:** Cook:RE currently processes a single image at a time. Multi-page recipes spanning across page turns are not yet supported.

## Pasting Recipe Text or URLs

If you cannot share directly or have copied recipe text from an email, message, or notes, you can paste it directly into the app:

1. Open Cook:RE.
2. Tap the **+** (Add) button in the upper corner of your recipe library.
3. Choose **Paste text** or **Import from URL**.
4. Paste the text or web link.
5. Cook:RE parses the ingredients, amounts, units, and sequential instructions into a clean recipe format.

## What Cook:RE Extracts

When a recipe is imported, Cook:RE normalizes:
- **Title and Yield:** Servings and batch counts.
- **Ingredients:** Structured quantities, units, preparation notes, and food substance identities.
- **Instructions:** Chronological steps with identified temperatures and durations.
- **Source Attributions:** The original web link or document name is preserved so you can always reference the original source.

Your recipes are stored locally on your iPhone and sync through your personal iCloud storage.