Features

Import from URL

The fastest way to add recipes is by pasting a URL from a recipe website. Our AI-powered extraction reads the page and pulls out the recipe title, ingredients, instructions, timing, and other details automatically.

How to import from a URL:

1. Find a recipe on any website
2. Copy the URL from your browser's address bar
3. Paste it into Sharp Cooking's "Add Recipe" field
4. Click "Import" and wait a few seconds while our AI extracts the recipe

What to look for: After import, check that the recipe title, ingredient list, and instructions look complete. Occasionally websites use unusual formatting that can confuse the AI—if something looks wrong, you can edit it directly or try one of the other import methods.

Sites that block AI: Some recipe sites actively block automated access to prevent scraping. If you encounter a site that doesn't work, try photographing the recipe or copying and pasting the text instead.

Photograph Cookbook Pages or Printouts

Turn physical recipes into digital ones by taking photos with your phone or tablet camera. Our AI reads the text from your photos using optical character recognition (OCR) and structures it into a proper recipe format.

Best practices: Take clear, well-lit photos with the text in focus. You can photograph multiple pages (like a cookbook recipe that spans two pages), but for best results, import one recipe at a time. Multiple recipes on the same page can confuse the AI about where one recipe ends and another begins.

This works great for old family recipe cards, cookbook pages, magazine clippings, and handwritten recipes (as long as the handwriting is legible).

Upload Images and Documents

Already have recipe photos or documents saved on your device? Upload them directly instead of photographing them again.

Supported formats:

• Images: JPG, PNG, HEIC, WebP
• Documents: PDF

The same AI extraction that works for photos works for uploaded files. Upload a PDF cookbook or a photo from your camera roll, and Sharp Cooking will extract the recipe automatically.

Paste Text

When all else fails, copy and paste works every time. This is your fallback for any recipe that can't be imported by other methods.

Copy the recipe text from anywhere—an email, a PDF, a protected website, a Word document, even a text message—and paste it into Sharp Cooking. The AI will parse the text and structure it into a recipe format automatically.

This method is especially useful for recipes from sites that block URL imports, recipes shared via email or messaging apps, or recipes you've typed up yourself.

Voice Control

Cook hands-free with voice control. When your hands are covered in flour or raw chicken, the last thing you want to do is touch your device. Voice control lets you navigate recipes, hear instructions read aloud, and control playback without touching anything.

What it does: Say "next" to move to the next step, "previous" to go back, "repeat" to hear the current step again, or "pause" to stop playback. It's like having a sous chef who reads the recipe to you while you cook.

Browser permissions: The first time you use voice control, your browser will ask for microphone access. This is required for voice recognition to work. Sharp Cooking processes voice commands locally in your browser—we don't record or store audio.

Voice control works in Chrome, Safari, and Edge on desktop and mobile. Make sure you're in a quiet environment for best recognition accuracy.

Simple Registration

We keep registration simple: just a name and a valid email address. That's it. No phone number required, no credit card, no lengthy forms.

Your email is used for account recovery and important notifications (like shared recipes or security alerts). We won't spam you with marketing emails or sell your email to anyone.

After registering, you can set up a passkey for even easier sign-ins. More on that below.

Passkeys

Passkeys are a modern, passwordless authentication method that's both more secure and more convenient than traditional passwords. Instead of typing a password, you use your device's built-in authentication—Face ID, Touch ID, Windows Hello, or an Android screen lock.

Why passkeys are better: They can't be phished, can't be stolen in a data breach, and can't be weak or reused. They're tied to your device and can't work without your biometric or PIN verification.

How to use passkeys:

• iOS/iPadOS: Passkeys sync across all your Apple devices via iCloud Keychain. Set up once, use everywhere.
• Android: Passkeys sync via Google Password Manager across your Android devices.
• Windows: Use Windows Hello to sign in with your face, fingerprint, or PIN.
• Mac: Passkeys work with Touch ID or your Mac password via iCloud Keychain.

To set up a passkey, sign in to Sharp Cooking and go to your account settings. Learn more about passkeys at passkeys.com.

Automatic Tags

Sharp Cooking automatically assigns basic tags when you import recipes—things like "dinner," "dessert," "vegetarian," "quick," or "chicken." These tags make it easy to find recipes later using filters or search.

You're not stuck with our tags. Add your own tags to organize recipes your way: "family favorites," "meal prep," "date night," "kid-friendly," or whatever makes sense for your collection.

Edit tags anytime by clicking on a recipe and modifying the tag list. Tags sync across all your devices automatically.

Recipe Sharing

Share individual recipes with specific people via QR codes or shareable links. This is perfect for personal sharing—texting your famous chili recipe to a friend, emailing holiday cookies to family, or showing a recipe to your spouse.

How to share: Open any recipe and click the "Share" button. You'll get a QR code that someone can scan with their phone camera, or a link you can copy and send via text, email, or messaging app. The recipient doesn't need a Sharp Cooking account to view the recipe.

Personal use only: Sharing is designed for personal, one-on-one interactions—like giving a recipe to someone who asked for it. It's not for bulk distribution or public sharing.

Usage limits: We have limits on how many times a shared link can be viewed to prevent abuse and copyright violations. Don't post shared links on public websites or social media—they'll stop working if too many people access them. This protects recipe creators and copyright holders while allowing reasonable personal sharing.

Offline Access with PWA

Sharp Cooking works offline as a Progressive Web App (PWA). Once installed, you can access your recipes even without an internet connection—perfect for cooking in areas with spotty WiFi, traveling, or just saving mobile data.

What the PWA does: After installation, Sharp Cooking caches your recipes locally on your device. You can browse, search, and cook from any recipe in your collection offline. When you reconnect to the internet, any changes sync automatically across all your devices.

Installing on iOS (iPhone/iPad):

1. Open Sharp Cooking in Safari (must be Safari, not Chrome)
2. Tap the Share button (the square with an arrow pointing up)
3. Scroll down and tap "Add to Home Screen"
4. Tap "Add" in the top right corner

The Sharp Cooking icon will appear on your home screen like a regular app. Tap it to launch, and it works even when offline.

Installing on Android:

1. Open Sharp Cooking in Chrome
2. Tap the three-dot menu in the top right
3. Tap "Install app" or "Add to Home screen"
4. Tap "Install" when prompted

Sharp Cooking will appear in your app drawer and on your home screen. Learn more about installing PWAs on Android or adding web apps on iOS.