THE COOKBOOK NOTES
How to save website recipes on your iPhone
Keep the ingredients, directions and original source, not just another open browser tab. Here’s how to save a recipe you can find and cook from later.
Coming soon to iPhone & iPad.
Start with the full recipe
Open the page containing the complete recipe, rather than a search result or a social post linking to it. Check that the ingredients, quantities and directions are visible. In Cookleaf, choose Website, add the recipe’s address and review the result before saving. Supported pages can provide structured recipe information or clearly marked text sections; if several recipes are found, choose the one you intended to keep. A bookmark remembers a page, while a personal recipe collection gives you a recipe you can find, edit and cook from. If a site requires a subscription or sign-in, use its permitted options. Cookleaf does not bypass access restrictions.
Check the details before saving
Compare the draft with the original. Confirm quantities and units, every direction, temperatures and resting or cooking times. “One onion, chopped” and “one cup chopped onion” mean different things. Keep ingredient groups together when a recipe has several components, such as a cake and its frosting. Retain the original source link so you can return to the author’s context. An imported draft is a starting point, not a reason to skip a quick check. If an amount is missing or unclear, leave it unresolved and check the source rather than guessing.
When a page does not import cleanly
Some pages do not provide structured recipe information, and unusual layouts can leave an incomplete draft. Keep the source open and paste the recipe text you are permitted to save into Cookleaf’s Text option. Use clear ingredient and direction sections, review the result and correct anything incomplete before saving. Cookleaf does not promise to import every website or extract recipes from every social video. For a recipe found in a video, look for the creator’s written recipe or use your own notes where permitted. Keep the original link even when you add the text yourself. Website photos are not copied automatically. Public social-caption import is not yet available.
Use a photo, screenshot or PDF
Choose a clear image with readable quantities and all the directions visible. Text recognition runs on your device; check fractions and similar-looking characters carefully. Handwriting and every page layout are not reliably recognized. For a PDF, select up to six pages and put them in reading order. Current limits are 25 MiB per PDF and 12 MiB per image; image format and resolution are also checked. A smaller, sharp image may help. No online analysis starts automatically. Review the draft against the original before saving.
Make it easy to find again
Use a recognizable title, mark a tried-and-loved favourite and keep untried ideas in Cook Next. Add labels you would actually use when choosing dinner. Keep adaptations in your personal notes so “less chilli next time” stays separate from the original instructions. A bookmark may be enough if you only want to revisit a page; a recipe organizer becomes useful when you want your own collection, serving adjustments, meal plans and shopping lists. Saving for personal use is different from publishing someone else’s work. Keep attribution, follow the source’s terms and only share text or images you have permission to share.