Save recipes · 4 min read
Save a recipe from Instagram, YouTube, TikTok or any website
Save recipes from Instagram, YouTube Shorts, TikTok and recipe websites. Paste the link, let AI pull out the ingredients and steps, then check and save.
In short
- ✦Copy the link in the app you found the recipe in, then paste it on the Add tab and tap Get recipe.
- ✦MagicMeals reads the caption, video description or recipe page and fills in ingredients, steps, times, servings, tags and creator credit.
- ✦You always get to check the draft before you tap Save recipe.
- ✦If a caption can't be read, paste the recipe text instead and the link is kept as the source.
Save a recipe from a link
- 1Copy the link. In Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, tap Share and then Copy link. On a website, copy the address from your browser.
- 2Paste it in. In MagicMeals tap Add at the bottom, paste the link into Paste a link and tap Get recipe. It takes a few seconds.
- 3Check the draft. Fix anything that looks off: title, servings, times, ingredients, steps, tags, and the creator's name.
- 4Save. Tap Save recipe. It's now in your cookbook, and nutrition facts are looked up for you.
Where each kind of link gets its recipe
Every recipe source works a little differently. Here's what MagicMeals reads:
- Instagram posts and reels: the caption, from Instagram's public embed. The reel is shown on your recipe.
- YouTube videos, Shorts and youtu.be links: the title and description. The video plays at the top of the recipe.
- TikTok: the caption. The TikTok is shown on your recipe.
- Recipe websites and blogs: the site's built-in recipe data when it has it (fast and exact), otherwise the page text, with ads and life stories left behind.
When the caption doesn't load
Instagram and TikTok sometimes hide captions, and some creators put the recipe in the comments or only say it out loud. When MagicMeals can't find a recipe it says so and opens a box to paste the recipe text. Paste the caption, the comment, or type out what you heard, and tap Get recipe again. Keep the link in the box so the video and credit stay attached.
Tip: You can tap Paste recipe text instead any time, for a recipe from a text message, an email or a note on your phone.
Checking the draft
The line under Check and save tells you how the recipe was read: Read straight from the recipe page means the site's own data, Extracted by AI means AI wrote it from the text. It's worth a quick look either way.
- Ingredients are one per line. A line starting with ## makes a section, like ## Sauce.
- Directions are one step per line.
- Tags are comma separated, like dinner, high protein, air fryer.
- Under Source and credit you'll see the original link, creator, platform and video link.
- Tick Show in my public cookbook only if you want anyone with the link to see it.
Daily import limit
Imports that need AI count toward a daily limit (25 a day by default) to keep the app affordable. Recipe websites that publish their own recipe data are read directly, so they rarely run into it. If you hit the limit you can still type recipes in by hand, and it resets the next day.
Questions
How do I save a recipe from Instagram, TikTok or YouTube?
Tap Share on the post or video and copy the link. In MagicMeals tap Add, paste the link and tap Get recipe. Check the draft and tap Save recipe. The creator is credited and the video is shown on the recipe.
Why did my import say it couldn't find a recipe?
The caption was hidden or didn't include the recipe. Paste the recipe text into the box that appears, keeping the link, and tap Get recipe again.
Does MagicMeals copy the creator's video?
No. The original video is embedded from Instagram, YouTube or TikTok and the creator is credited with a link back, so views still go to them.
Learn more
Updated October 16, 2026 · All 14 guide chapters