Import a photo or PDF
Upload one or more images or PDFs of recipes and let AI turn them into recipes in your recipe book, step by step.
This is the main Import recipes flow: you upload files and AI extracts the recipe. It lives in the Photo or PDF (with AI) card on the Upload new tab, at https://app.areacacao.com/import-recipe.
Before you start: credits
Importing uses credits, and there are two different rates depending on the file type:
- Photo (JPG, PNG, WebP): 15 credits.
- PDF: 25 credits.
At the top of the tab you'll see your balance (for example, "120 of 300 available (Pro plan)") and, next to it, both rates: "15 credits per photo · 25 per PDF". The figure on screen is the one that counts.
If your balance isn't enough to import a photo, a "Get more credits" button appears next to the rates; it opens the flow to buy a credit pack or upgrade your plan. The same button is offered in the batch notice when your balance doesn't cover all the files you dropped, and when a file fails because you ran out of credits during processing.
If the importer is down, you'll see the notice "The importer isn't available right now. Please try again later." and the upload won't be processed until it's available again.
On the older free accounts (created before sign-up required choosing a plan), every imported recipe counts toward the 5-recipe cap. If you have no room left, dropping files shows the notice "Your free account holds up to 5 recipes. A plan removes the limit." with the See plans button, and nothing is uploaded.
Step by step
- Open Import recipes. Sidebar → FORMULATION → Import recipes, Upload new tab.
- Upload the files. In the Photo or PDF (with AI) card, drag one or more onto the area that says "Drag one or more images/PDFs here", or click to select them. "Each image or PDF becomes its own recipe. You can upload up to 10 at a time." If you drop several, a notice sums up how many recipes will be created and the total cost (for example, "We'll create 3 recipes, one per image. It'll cost ~45 credits (3 × 15). You have 120 available."); if you drop more than 10, the first 10 are processed.
- Wait for processing. Each file appears under Imports in progress as a card that moves through its states: Compressing → Uploading → Queued → Processing → Ready. Once queued, you'll see how many credits were reserved (for example, "15 credits reserved" for a photo; 25 for a PDF).
- Check the summary. When the card reaches Ready, it says "Recipe imported and saved." and how many lines are worth reviewing ("2 lines to review" or "No lines to review"). If it recognizes the filling type, it says so ("Filling type: Ganache"); if the recipe has neither a filling type nor a chocolate type, it asks "What are you formulating?" with five buttons (Ganache, Soft caramel, Fruit jelly, Creamy praline, Truffle) and saves the one you pick, so validation has ranges when you open it.
- Open the recipe. Click Open recipe: it opens in the recipe editor with the validation panel expanded, so you can review the flagged lines.
The recipe is saved in My recipes as soon as the import finishes; there's no "Save recipe" button on this screen. What you do in the editor is review and correct it, and the editor saves on its own.
If the file isn't a recipe
Before extracting anything, AI checks what type of document it is. If it's sure the file is an invoice, a packing slip, or some other document that isn't a recipe, the card shows "This doesn't look like a recipe" with the reason (for example, "We detected it's an invoice. We didn't import it and you weren't charged any credits.") and the Upload another file button. The reserved credits are returned in full.
A list of ingredients with no steps does get imported: it counts as a recipe.
If the file contains several recipes
If AI finds several recipes in the same file, it doesn't mix them: the card switches to Choose recipe and shows "This file contains N recipes", with each recipe's name and how many ingredients and steps it has. You can:
- Pick one and click Import this recipe: only that one is created.
- Pick The whole document as one recipe and click Import the document: each recipe in the file becomes its own part.
- Click Discard if you don't want any of them.
The file has already been read, so the credits are charged even if you discard. If the file has more recipes than can be read at once, the list says so: upload the missing one in a separate file.
File formats and limits
- Accepted formats: JPG, PNG, WebP, and PDF.
- Maximum size: 20 MB per file.
- Several at once: up to 10 files per batch and, at most, 10 imports in progress at the same time.
Images are compressed in your browser before they're uploaded, so if your file is on the heavy side, the card may show "→ compressed to [size]". This is normal and doesn't affect how the recipe is read.
Status of each import
| Status | What's happening |
|---|---|
| Waiting | The file is in the local queue and processing hasn't started yet. |
| Compressing | The image size is being reduced in your browser. |
| Uploading | The file is being sent to the server. |
| Queued | Uploaded and waiting for AI to read it. |
| Processing | AI is checking the document and extracting the recipe. |
| Choose recipe | The file contains several recipes and you need to pick which one to import. |
| Ready | Recipe created and saved; you can now click Open recipe. |
| Not a recipe | The document wasn't a recipe; it wasn't imported and no credits were charged. |
| Failed | Something went wrong; check the error message on the card and click Retry. |
| Canceled | You canceled it; the credits are refunded. |
While imports are queued or processing, the screen checks their status automatically every few seconds, so you don't need to reload. If a line needs attention, the card says so after "warnings:" (for example, "warnings: Sheets to pick or create, Unit needs review"); what each warning means is explained in Import history.
Cancel, retry, or remove
- Cancel — appears while a card is Queued or Processing. When you cancel, the reserved credits are refunded automatically.
- Retry — appears on Failed cards. It processes the same file again without uploading it a second time and reserves its credits again (the ones from the failed attempt were already returned).
- Remove (the card's X) — only takes it off the on-screen list; on its own, it doesn't cancel or refund anything. The import stays in History.
To prevent abuse, once 10 imports have been refunded to you on the same day (files that weren't recipes, that failed, or that you canceled), new imports and retries are blocked until the next day (UTC), with a message explaining why.
Tips for a good extraction
- A sharp, well-lit photo without glare: AI reads legible text better.
- Frame the whole recipe—name, ingredients with amounts, and steps—in the same file or in a multi-page PDF.
- Avoid backgrounds with text that isn't part of the recipe: it can confuse the extraction.
- One recipe per file gives the cleanest result; if the file contains several, you'll have to choose.
Common errors
- "Unsupported format. Use JPG, PNG, WebP, or PDF." — The file isn't an accepted type. Convert it or take a photo.
- "Couldn't upload the image (HTTP [code])" — Network failure during upload. Try again.
- "You have too many imports in progress (max 10). Wait for the current ones to finish and try again." — There are already 10 imports queued or processing.
- "The importer isn't available right now. Please try again later." — The service is temporarily down; wait and try again.