Recipinned now supports importing recipes directly from schema.org JSON data. This is a powerful feature for developers, data enthusiasts, and anyone who has recipe data in a structured format from other sources.

Go to JSON Import →

What is Schema.org JSON?

Schema.org is a standard format that websites use to describe their content to search engines. Many recipe websites embed their recipe data in this format, which includes structured information like ingredients, instructions, cooking times, and nutritional information.

When you find a recipe on a website, the underlying data often looks something like this:

{
  "@type": "Recipe",
  "name": "Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies",
  "recipeIngredient": [
    "2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour",
    "1 cup butter, softened",
    "3/4 cup sugar",
    "2 cups chocolate chips"
  ],
  "recipeInstructions": [
    "Preheat oven to 375°F",
    "Mix flour and butter until smooth",
    "Fold in chocolate chips",
    "Bake for 9-11 minutes"
  ]
}

When to Use JSON Import

This feature is particularly useful when:

• You have recipe exports from other apps that provide data in JSON format
• You’re a developer who has scraped or collected recipe data
• You want to bulk import multiple recipes at once (up to 25 recipes per import)
• URL scraping isn’t working for a particular website and you can extract the JSON manually
• You’re migrating from another system that exports in schema.org format

How to Import from JSON

1. Navigate to the Import Page

   • Go to your collection where you want to add recipes
   • Click on the “Import” option
   • Select “Import from JSON” from the available import methods

2. Paste Your JSON Data

   • Paste your schema.org recipe JSON into the editor
   • You can paste a single recipe object or an array of up to 25 recipes

3. Validate Your Data

   • The validator will automatically check your JSON for errors
   • Required fields include: name, recipeIngredient, and recipeInstructions
   • Warnings will appear for missing recommended fields like description or recipeYield

4. Review and Import

   • Once validation passes, click “Import Recipes”
   • Review each imported recipe in the interactive editor
   • Make any adjustments to ingredients or instructions as needed

![PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot showing the JSON editor with validation warnings]

Supported Fields

The importer recognizes all standard schema.org Recipe properties:

Field	Description	Required
name	Recipe title	Yes
recipeIngredient	Array of ingredient strings	Yes
recipeInstructions	Cooking steps	Yes
description	Recipe summary	Recommended
recipeYield	Number of servings	Recommended
prepTime	Preparation time (ISO 8601 duration)	No
cookTime	Cooking time (ISO 8601 duration)	No
totalTime	Total time (ISO 8601 duration)	No
image	Recipe photo URL	No
nutrition	Nutritional information	No
recipeCategory	Category (e.g., “Dessert”)	No
recipeCuisine	Cuisine type (e.g., “Italian”)	No

Importing Multiple Recipes

To import multiple recipes at once, wrap them in an array:

[
  {
    "name": "Recipe One",
    "recipeIngredient": ["1 cup flour"],
    "recipeInstructions": ["Mix well"]
  },
  {
    "name": "Recipe Two",
    "recipeIngredient": ["2 cups sugar"],
    "recipeInstructions": ["Stir gently"]
  }
]

You can import up to 25 recipes in a single batch.

![PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot showing successful import of multiple recipes with status indicators]

Converting Other Formats with AI

Have recipes in a Word document, PDF, text file, or export from another app? You can use an AI assistant like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to convert them to schema.org JSON format.

Copy and paste this prompt along with your recipe text:

Convert the following recipe(s) to schema.org JSON format. Return valid JSON only, no explanations. Use this structure:

{
  "name": "Recipe Title",
  "description": "Brief description",
  "recipeYield": "4 servings",
  "prepTime": "PT15M",
  "cookTime": "PT30M",
  "recipeIngredient": [
    "1 cup ingredient one",
    "2 tbsp ingredient two"
  ],
  "recipeInstructions": [
    "Step one instructions.",
    "Step two instructions."
  ]
}

For multiple recipes, return a JSON array. Here are my recipes:

[PASTE YOUR RECIPES HERE]

This works well for:

• Word documents or PDFs - Copy the text and paste it into the prompt
• Handwritten recipe cards - Take a photo and use an AI with vision capabilities
• Exports from other recipe apps - Even if the format is unfamiliar, AI can usually parse it
• Recipes from emails or messages - Forward or copy the text

Tip: If the AI returns recipes with missing fields, ask it to fill them in or estimate reasonable values.

Troubleshooting

“Missing required property” error

• Ensure your JSON includes name, recipeIngredient, and recipeInstructions

“Invalid JSON” error

• Check for syntax errors like missing commas, quotes, or brackets
• Use a JSON validator tool to identify the exact issue

“Maximum 25 recipes allowed” error

• Split your import into smaller batches

Some fields aren’t importing

• Unknown schema.org properties are ignored but won’t cause errors
• Check the warnings panel for details on what was skipped

Questions?

If you have recipe data in a format that isn’t working with the JSON importer, reach out to our support team at [email protected]. We’re always looking to expand our import capabilities.