Frequently Asked Questions

What is CookbookSocial?

CookbookSocial is a social recipe platform. You can create and save your own recipes, import them from videos and websites using AI, translate them, find them with smart search, and share them in the community feed.

Is it free to use?

Yes. The free plan includes up to 50 saved recipes (expandable), the community feed, and viewing translations that already exist. On the free plan, AI imports and translations work on a pay-per-use basis (credits).

Where can I import recipes from?

The AI can import recipes from YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Threads, and public recipe websites. Paste a link and CookbookSocial extracts the ingredients and cooking steps.

Why might a recipe import fail?

An import can fail for several reasons, and the app always shows a clear explanation in the notification:

• No recipe found at the link — the post has no ingredients or steps (for example, it is just a photo of the dish without a description).
• Not a culinary recipe — the content did not pass the safety/quality check.
• The post is private or unavailable — a private account, a deleted post, or a page only for signed-in users.
• The link is not supported — the source is not in the supported list.
• The service is temporarily busy — try again a bit later.

A special case: the text is in the post, but it cannot be extracted. Some platforms publicly expose only a shortened start of the caption and load the full text only after you sign in. So you see the whole recipe, but the import only gets the beginning (for example, without the steps). This is a platform limitation, not an app bug — copy the text manually or import it from another source.

Content safety: why might a recipe be blocked?

Every recipe — whether AI-imported or created manually — passes an automatic safety check. It confirms the content is a real, edible food or drink recipe with plausible ingredients and steps, and blocks non-food or dangerous content (cosmetics, cleaners, medicines, supplements, drugs, weapons, harmful chemicals) as well as gibberish or incomplete entries. Normal cooking — including culinary alcohol, fermentation and everyday kitchen ingredients — is always allowed.

What are credits and pay-per-use?

On the free plan, each AI import or new translation uses credits that you can buy as needed. Import credits and translation credits are separate. Premium plans include unlimited imports and translations.

What paid plans are there?

CookbookSocial Premium — unlimited recipes, unlimited AI imports and unlimited translations; no credits needed.

Your first subscription gets a −30% discount, then it renews at the regular price. Current amounts are on the Pricing page.

How does recipe translation work?

Viewing a translation that already exists is free. Creating a new translation (the "Translate" button) is a paid AI operation: on the free plan it spends translation credits, and with Premium it is unlimited. The interface is available in 20 languages.

What is smart search?

Smart search understands the meaning of your query, not just the exact words, so it finds recipes by meaning and by related ingredients or dishes. This feature is available with Premium.

How many recipes can I save?

The free plan includes up to 50 saved recipes, and you can purchase additional storage. Premium plans include unlimited recipe storage.

Can I save other people's recipes?

Yes. You can copy a public recipe into your own collection, with a link back to the original author.

What languages is the app available in?

Twenty: English, Ukrainian, Chinese, Portuguese (Portugal), Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, German, Spanish, French, Polish, Japanese, Hindi, Arabic, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Czech, Finnish, and Turkish.

Metric or imperial units?

Both. In Settings, choose metric units (grams and liters) or imperial units (ounces and cups). The default is based on your region.

How do I register and sign in?

You can use an email address and password, Google, or Sign in with Apple on supported devices. Email registrations require verification, and you can change or reset your password at any time.

How do I delete my account?

In Settings. Deletion is deferred: you can restore the account within 14 days simply by signing in again.

Push notifications

You can turn push notifications on or off in Settings.

Do you show ads?

CookbookSocial may show clearly labeled sponsored placements in the feed or desktop side rails. They are selected by page context, recipe category, and interface language, not by cross-site tracking or behavioral ad profiles.

How are payments handled, and is it safe?

Payments are processed through secure payment services. All purchases are for digital app features only — no physical goods are sold.