Why did my recipe link fail to import?

On the rare occasion a link does not import, it is usually because CookEase could not read the page. The most common causes are a page that requires a login or subscription, a private or deleted video, a link that goes to a profile or feed rather than a single recipe, and a post that shows the recipe only in the video itself with no caption or description.

What should I do if a link will not import?

Use a method that does not depend on reading the page. Screenshot the recipe and import the image, photograph the page if it is printed, or copy the recipe text and paste it in. All three are read the same way and produce the same kind of recipe card.

What if an ingredient amount in a video import looks off?

For YouTube, CookEase reads the description, the creator comments where the ingredient list often lives, and the spoken transcript. For TikTok and Instagram it reads the caption and watches the video itself. In the rare case a creator only shows an amount on screen and never says or writes it, CookEase fills in its best estimate. If one looks off, it takes seconds to correct in Edit.

Can I change the ingredients on an imported recipe?

Yes. Open the recipe and choose Edit. You can adjust quantities, units, and ingredient names, reorder or delete rows, and add anything you like. Your edits are kept and are never overwritten later.

I hit my daily import limit. What now?

Daily limits reset each day, so you can import again tomorrow, or upgrade to CookEase Pro for a much higher limit. Reaching a limit never affects recipes you have already saved.

The voice assistant is not responding. How do I fix it?

Check three things: that CookEase has permission to use your microphone, that you have an internet connection since the assistant does its listening over the internet, and that background noise is not drowning you out. A kitchen fan or music playing nearby is the usual reason it misses something.

When a Recipe Import Fails

Nearly every import comes through complete on the first try. On the rare occasion one does not, the cause is almost always something about the page itself rather than anything wrong on your end. This article covers what to check and what to do instead.

Why a link fails

To import from a link, CookEase has to be able to read that page. It cannot when:

The page requires a login or subscription. Paywalled recipe sites and members-only posts are closed to us in the same way they are closed to anyone not signed in.
The video is private, unlisted, or deleted. If you cannot open the link in a fresh browser window, neither can we.
The link is not a single recipe. A profile page, a hashtag feed, or a search result has no one recipe to import.
The recipe exists only inside the video. Some creators show quantities on screen and never write them anywhere.

What to do instead

You are not stuck. Three other routes skip the page entirely and end up at the same recipe card:

Screenshot it. Capture the recipe on your phone and import the image. This works well for Instagram and TikTok captions.
Photograph it. For a printed page or a cookbook, take a photo and upload that.
Paste it. Select the recipe text, copy it, and paste it into the paste tool. This one works every time, because CookEase reads exactly the text you give it.

The Paste tab with recipe text ready to import

If a link does not come through, pasting the text is usually faster than fiddling with the link.

Diagram: a failed link falls back to screenshot, photo, or paste, all reaching the same recipe card

If an amount looks off

Video recipes are where CookEase does the most work for you. For YouTube, CookEase reads the description, the creator's own comments, which is where a pinned ingredient list usually lives, and the spoken transcript. For TikTok and Instagram it reads the caption and watches the video itself.

That covers nearly every post completely. In the rare case a creator only shows a measurement on screen and never says or writes it, CookEase fills in its best estimate. It is worth a quick glance over the ingredient list of a video import before you shop from it - if anything looks off, it takes seconds to fix in Edit.

Adjusting an imported recipe

Open the recipe and choose Edit.
Change any quantity, unit, or ingredient name directly in the row.
Add ingredients, delete anything that does not belong, and reorder rows with the up and down arrows.
Adjust the servings count if you like, since nutrition per serving is calculated from it.
Save.

The ingredient editor with quantity, unit, and name fields per row

Your edits are permanent. CookEase never re-imports over your changes.

Hitting a daily limit

If you see a message about reaching your limit, you have used the day's limit for that action. Limits reset daily, and CookEase Pro raises them substantially. Reaching a limit never touches recipes you have already saved.

When the voice assistant does not respond

Three things to check, in order:

Microphone permission. CookEase needs access to your microphone. On iPhone this is in Settings under CookEase.
Internet connection. The assistant does its listening over the internet, so it cannot work offline.
Background noise. A kitchen fan, running tap, or music is the usual reason the assistant misses something. Pause it and try again.

If all three are fine and it still will not respond, leave a slightly longer pause after speaking. The assistant waits for a gap before it acts on what it heard.