Support
Email recipes@greyledger.co.uk. Say which iPhone and iOS version you have. If a recipe did not import, send the link, or the screenshot, and say what Cookfile showed.
Common questions
What can I import?
- Web pages. Paste a link or browse to the recipe in Cookfile, then tap "Save this recipe".
- Screenshots and photos. Choose up to four pictures of one recipe, in order.
- Cookbook pages and recipe cards. Scan them with the camera.
- Pasted text. From Notes, a message or an email. Put the title first.
- Other apps' files. Paprika, Mela, Crouton, Recipe Keeper, Copy Me That and Plan to Eat. See below.
Every recipe from a page, a picture or pasted text opens a review screen that says what was found, what was not and how it was read. Nothing is saved until you tap Save recipe. A library file shows a summary first and is added when you tap Import.
A web page would not import. What do I do?
Some pages have no recipe Cookfile can read, or they load slowly. Two things work:
- Wait until the page has finished loading, scroll to the recipe itself (not a list of recipes), then tap "Save this recipe" again.
- Copy the recipe's text, then use "Paste recipe text".
If the page has no recipe data, Cookfile reads the page's text and warns you to check that nothing from around the recipe got in.
Why can I not import from Instagram or TikTok videos?
Cookfile reads text. It does not watch or listen to videos. If the recipe is in the caption, take a screenshot of the caption (two, if it runs long) and add them with "From screenshots or photos".
How does the free limit work?
Cookfile keeps up to 30 recipes for free, with every feature. Once you have 30, saving another asks you to get Cookfile Pro, a one-time purchase that removes the limit. Export is free at any number.
If you import a library file with more recipes than you have room for, Cookfile adds as many as fit and tells you how many it left out. Get Cookfile Pro and choose the same file again to add the rest. Recipes already in Cookfile are skipped, so nothing is added twice.
How do I restore my purchase?
Open Settings in Cookfile and tap Restore purchase, under Cookfile Pro. Use the same Apple Account you bought with. If no purchase is found, Cookfile says so. Family Sharing is on, so a purchase can cover your family's iPhones.
How do I export everything?
Open Settings, then Export all recipes, and choose Paprika file (.paprikarecipes) or Mela file (.melarecipes). Cookfile builds the file and opens the share sheet, so you can save it to Files, AirDrop it or send it by email. Export is free.
Does Cookfile have an account or sync?
No. Your recipes are on your iPhone. If you change phone, export a file from the old one and import it on the new one. Favourites and the shopping list do not carry over; restore Cookfile Pro first if you have more than 30 recipes.
Bringing a library from another app
Export your library from the other app, save the file to Files, then choose it in Cookfile (Settings, Import from another app, Choose file). Cookfile reads all of it and tells you what it found before it adds anything.
| Paprika | Settings > Export Recipes, then choose Paprika Recipe Format. |
|---|---|
| Mela | Export your recipes to a .melarecipes file. |
| Crouton | Use the export option in Crouton's Settings. |
| Recipe Keeper | Settings > Import/Export, then export to a Recipe Keeper .zip file. |
| Copy Me That | On the website, download your recipes as HTML. |
| Plan to Eat | On the website: My Account > Export My Recipes, as .csv. |
Menu names can differ by version.
Coming from Paprika? Read Moving from Paprika.
Is Cookfile always right?
No. Cookfile copies what the source shows and may make mistakes. Check amounts, allergens and cooking times against the source. If Cookfile gets a recipe wrong, email us with the link or picture.
Cookfile is not affiliated with Paprika, Mela, Crouton, Recipe Keeper, Copy Me That or Plan to Eat.