Import by Pasting Text

Got a recipe in an email, a text message, a PDF, or a document? Just copy the text and paste it into Cookonut. The app will identify the ingredients, instructions, and other details and organize them into a clean recipe. Paste text is for the recipe text itself — if all you have is a web link, use Search the web instead.

How to Import by Pasting Text

1. Copy the recipe text from wherever you found it — an email, a message thread, a notes app, a PDF, or any other source
2. Open Cookonut and go to the Recipes tab
3. Tap the + button
4. Choose Paste text
5. Paste the copied text into the text field
6. Tap Import
7. Wait while Cookonut analyzes and structures the text

What Cookonut Does with Your Text

Cookonut reads through the pasted text and automatically identifies:

• The recipe name
• Ingredients — including quantities, units, and item names
• Instructions — broken into numbered steps
• Prep time, cook time, and servings — if mentioned in the text
• Tags — meal type, cuisine, and other categorizations

You don’t need to format the text in any special way. Cookonut can handle:

• Recipes with ingredients listed at the top and steps below
• Recipes written as flowing paragraphs
• Recipes with bullet points, numbered lists, or no formatting at all
• Text in any of the 8 supported languages

Common Sources for Paste Text

This method is especially useful when you have recipe text that isn’t on a web page:

• Emails — a friend sent you their recipe
• Text messages or chat apps — recipes shared over WhatsApp, iMessage, Messenger, etc.
• Notes apps — recipes you jotted down previously
• PDFs or documents — cooking class handouts, ebooks
• Social media comments — recipes posted in comment threads
• Forums and discussion boards — recipes from Reddit, Facebook groups, etc.

Tips for Better Results

• Include as much detail as possible — the more text you provide, the better Cookonut can structure the recipe
• Include the recipe title in the text if possible
• Don’t worry about formatting — Cookonut handles messy text well
• Remove non-recipe content if convenient — advertisements, personal stories, and unrelated text won’t break the import, but removing them can improve accuracy
• Quantities help — “2 cups flour” imports better than “flour”

When to Use Paste Text vs. Other Methods

Situation	Best choice
Recipe on a web page	Use Search the web
Recipe in a text message or email	Use Paste text
Recipe in a screenshot or photo	Use Scan recipe
Recipe someone is telling you	Use Dictate recipe

Review and Save

After processing, the import preview shows the structured recipe. Check:

• All ingredients are captured with correct amounts
• Steps are in the right order and make sense
• Times and servings are accurate
• Nothing important was missed

Edit anything that needs fixing, then tap Save.

Credit Usage

Each paste text import uses 1 credit from your monthly pool. Free plan users get 10 credits per month; Premium users have unlimited imports.