Platform 2 Guide — This article applies to the new platform. Looking for classic platform docs? Browse the Platform 1 collection.
Why: Streamline your recipe creation process by effectively managing ingredients. This ensures your members have access to accurate nutrition information and a seamless cooking experience.
Navigate: App Station > Settings > Content Settings > Ingredients
Quick Start
Go to the Ingredients settings page in App Station.
Review the list of app default and custom ingredients.
To create a new ingredient, click Add Ingredient.
Edit existing ingredients by selecting one and clicking Edit.
Use the Bulk Import feature to upload ingredients from an Excel file.
Understanding Ingredients
The ingredient management system allows you to work with both app-wide default ingredients and custom ingredients specific to your app. Here’s how it works:
App Default Ingredients vs. Custom Ingredients
App Default Ingredients: These are pre-populated ingredients available to all apps. You can customize their names and properties for your app.
Custom Ingredients: These are specific to your app and can be created by admins, owners, or superadmins. Members cannot create new ingredients.
Managing the Ingredient Library
You can manage your ingredient library by renaming ingredients, setting preferred units, and organizing them into aisles.
Optional Ingredients
You can mark any ingredient in a recipe as optional. Optional ingredients will appear dimmed with an "Optional" badge and will be excluded from shopping lists and nutrition calculations until a member chooses to include them. Members can include or remove each optional ingredient individually, and their choices will persist for that member and recipe.
Who Can Create Ingredients
Only users with the ADMIN, OWNER, or SUPERADMIN roles can add new ingredients to the ingredient library. Members can only attach existing library ingredients to their recipes or recipe customizations.
Serving Size
When creating or editing a custom ingredient, you can specify the serving size and unit (e.g., per 100g, per 1 oz, per 1 cup). The default serving size is 100 grams, but you can change it to any unit available in the system. The platform will automatically convert between units when calculating recipe nutrition.
Ingredient Editor Layout
The ingredient editor uses a 5-tab layout:
Basics: Contains the ingredient name, aisle, and preferred toggle.
Nutrition: Displays serving size and nutritional values.
Density: Shows density (g/mL) and wet/dry classification for volume-to-gram conversion.
Portions: Allows you to add per-count portion entries (e.g., '1 medium banana = 118 g').
Allergens: Lists allergen tags.
Each tab shows a dot indicator when there is an active override.
Portion Overrides
You can add per-count portion entries to any ingredient, including app-default library ingredients. These overrides do not modify the shared library but allow you to customize how ingredients are used in your app.
Bulk Importing Ingredients via Excel
To bulk import ingredients:
Download a pre-filled Excel template from App Station > Settings > Content Settings > Ingredients.
Fill in the spreadsheet with your ingredients.
Upload it back to create all ingredients at once. Duplicates will be automatically skipped.
Bulk Replacing an Ingredient Across Recipes
From the Content Library, you can filter recipes by ingredient, select multiple recipes, and use the Actions > Ingredients > Replace Ingredient option to swap one ingredient for another across all selected recipes. This updates ingredient references, recalculates nutrition, and refreshes shopping lists automatically.
Global Replace from Ingredients Settings
In App Station > Settings > Content Settings > Ingredients, you can click Replace Ingredient to swap one ingredient for another across all recipes without needing to select individual recipes. This action preserves amounts, units, and notes while recalculating nutrition and shopping lists.
Uncurated Ingredients
Ingredients that are auto-created during platform migrations or bulk imports are marked as 'uncurated' and hidden from member-facing interfaces by default. You can review them in two places:
The Migration Review tool for P1 to P2 migrations.
The Import Ingredient Review tab on the Ingredients page.
You can approve mappings, search, and bulk-accept ingredients to make them available in pickers.