# Recipe Extractor: Ingredients, Steps & Nutrition from Any Site (`shawndunn/recipe-extractor`) Actor

Turn recipe pages from most food blogs and recipe sites into clean JSON: ingredients, step-by-step instructions, times in minutes, yield, cuisine, nutrition and ratings, from schema.org Recipe markup. Extracts fields: url, name, description, image, author, yield, prepMinutes, cookMinutes.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/shawndunn/recipe-extractor.md
- **Developed by:** [CarrierDaily](https://apify.com/shawndunn) (community)
- **Categories:** Other
- **Security:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$2.00 / 1,000 recipes

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Recipe Extractor: Ingredients, Steps & Nutrition from Any Site

Turn recipe pages from most food blogs and recipe sites into clean JSON: ingredients, step-by-step instructions, times in minutes, yield, cuisine, nutrition and ratings, from schema.org Recipe markup.

### Why this actor

- Normalizes ISO durations and nested HowTo sections; works across sites without custom code.
- Pay only for results: **$2.00 per 1,000 recipes**, no start fee, failed lookups are free.
- Robust: automatic retries with exponential backoff, respects `Retry-After`, per-item error rows instead of crashed runs.
- Clean, flat JSON/CSV/Excel output ready for Google Sheets, Make, Zapier, n8n, Clay, or the Apify API.

### Use cases

- Meal-planning and grocery apps
- Nutrition datasets
- Recipe aggregation for LLM training/RAG (respect site terms)
- Food content analysis

### How to use Recipe Extractor

1. Configure `urls` in the Input tab (or leave the prefilled sample values to test immediately).
2. Optionally set `maxItems` to cap the number of results and control spend.
3. Click **Start** and export structured results as JSON, CSV, Excel, or connect directly via API / MCP / n8n / Make.

### Input

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `urls` | array | Recipe pages from most food blogs and recipe sites (schema.org Recipe). |
| `maxItems` | integer | 0 = no limit. Caps cost. |

Example input:

```json
{
  "urls": [
    "https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-pancakes"
  ]
}
```

### Output

Each dataset item looks like this (real sample from a test run, long fields trimmed):

```json
{
  "url": "https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-pancakes",
  "name": "Easy pancakes",
  "description": "Learn how to make the perfect pancakes every time with our foolproof easy cr\u00eape recipe \u2013 elaborate flip optional",
  "image": "https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/30/2020/08/recipe-image-legacy-id-1273477_8-ad36e3b.jpg?resize=440,400",
  "author": "Cassie Best",
  "yield": "Makes 12",
  "prepMinutes": 10,
  "cookMinutes": 20,
  "totalMinutes": 30,
  "category": "Breakfast, Brunch, Main course",
  "cuisine": "British",
  "keywords": "Cassie Best, Cook school, Crepe, Cr\u00eapes, easy pancakes, Flip, Flipping, healthy pancakes, How to make pancakes, Make ahead, Pancake day, Pancake filling, Shrove Tuesday, Skills, thin pancakes",
  "ingredients": [
    "100g plain flour",
    "2 large eggs",
    "300ml milk",
    "\u2026"
  ],
  "instructions": [
    "Put 100g plain flour, 2 large eggs, 300ml milk, 1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil and a pinch of salt into a bowl or large jug, then whisk to a smooth batter. This should be similar in consistency to single cream.",
    "Set aside for 30 mins to rest if you have time, or start cooking straight away.",
    "Set a medium frying pan or cr\u00eape pan over a medium heat and carefully wipe it with some oiled kitchen paper.",
    "\u2026"
  ],
  "calories": "61 calories",
  "nutrition": {
    "calories": "61 calories",
    "fatContent": "2 grams fat",
    "saturatedFatContent": "1 grams saturated fat",
    "carbohydrateContent": "7 grams carbohydrates",
    "sugarContent": "1 grams sugar",
    "proteinContent": "3 grams protein",
    "sodiumContent": "0.1 milligram of sodium"
  },
  "ratingValue": null,
  "ratingCount": null,
  "datePublished": "2025-03-31T17:35:17+01:00",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-14T23:42:40+00:00"
}
```

Rows that could not be processed contain an `error` field and are **not charged**.

### Extracted output fields

Every dataset row includes structured fields ready for spreadsheets, CRMs, and AI pipelines:

- **Fields**: `url`, `name`, `description`, `image`, `author`, `yield`, `prepMinutes`, `cookMinutes`, `totalMinutes`, `category`, `cuisine`, `keywords`, `ingredients`, `instructions`, `calories`, `nutrition`, `ratingValue`, `ratingCount`, `datePublished`, `scrapedAt`

### Comparison: Recipe Extractor vs alternatives

| Feature | This Actor (`shawndunn/recipe-extractor`) | Typical alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | **$2 / 1,000 results**, $0.00 start fee | $20–$49/mo subscription or per-run start fees |
| Failed / error lookups | **$0.00 (never charged)** | Often billed by compute time even on failures |
| API keys / proxies required | **None** (works out of the box) | Often requires paid third-party keys or residential proxies |
| AI Agent & MCP ready | **Yes** (`mcp.apify.com` compatible, optional defaults) | Strict required schemas that reject agent calls |

### Pricing

Pay-per-event: **$0.002** per recipe (= $2.00 / 1,000). Use **Max results** to cap spend. Apify's free plan credit covers thousands of results per month.

### Integrations & API

Run on a schedule in Apify Console, call via the Apify API / Python & JS clients, or connect to Make, Zapier, n8n, Google Sheets, Slack and webhooks. Works as a tool for AI agents via Apify MCP.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Recipe Extractor is configured for zero-config AI agent tool use via the Apify MCP Server (no required-field blocking on defaulted inputs).

Streamable HTTP endpoint:

```text
https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=shawndunn/recipe-extractor
```

Claude Desktop / Cursor / Windsurf `mcpServers` config:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify-recipe-extractor": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=shawndunn/recipe-extractor",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Direct synchronous API call:

```text
POST https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/shawndunn~recipe-extractor/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>
```

### FAQ

**Is this an official tool?** No. It is an independent actor and is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by the data source or any trademark owner named here.

**Is it legal?** The actor only reads publicly available data from public endpoints, without logins, and does not bypass paywalls or access controls. You are responsible for using the data in line with applicable laws (e.g. GDPR) and the source sites' terms.

**Something broke?** Open an issue in the Issues tab; we typically respond within 24 hours and ship fixes fast.

### More tools by shawndunn

- [Steam Store Game Details, Prices & Review Scores (Bulk)](https://apify.com/shawndunn/steam-game-store-details) — Bulk Steam game data: price and discount per country, developers, publishers, release date, genres, categories, platforms ($1.
- [Wikipedia Pageviews: Article Traffic Time Series & Daily Top 1000](https://apify.com/shawndunn/wikipedia-pageviews) — Daily or monthly pageviews for any Wikipedia article in any language (Wikimedia API), bot-filtered, by device, or one summary ($0.
- [Wikipedia Article Extractor: Clean Text, Categories, Wikidata ID](https://apify.com/shawndunn/wikipedia-article-text) — Get clean plain text (intro or full article) for Wikipedia articles in any language, plus categories, Wikidata ID, short ($0.
- [Wikidata Entity Lookup & SPARQL Runner](https://apify.com/shawndunn/wikidata-entity-lookup-sparql) — Look up entities by name or Q-id and get every property with human-readable labels (not raw P/Q codes), or run any SPARQL SELECT ($0.
- [Open Library Books Search & ISBN Lookup](https://apify.com/shawndunn/open-library-books) — Search 30M+ books on Open Library or bulk-lookup ISBNs: title, authors, first publish year, editions, ISBNs, publishers ($0.

# Actor input Schema

## `urls` (type: `array`):

Recipe pages from most food blogs and recipe sites (schema.org Recipe).

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

0 = no limit. Caps cost.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "urls": [
    "https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-pancakes"
  ],
  "maxItems": 0
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

No description

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "urls": [
        "https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-pancakes"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("shawndunn/recipe-extractor").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "urls": ["https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-pancakes"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("shawndunn/recipe-extractor").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "urls": [
    "https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-pancakes"
  ]
}' |
apify call shawndunn/recipe-extractor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,shawndunn/recipe-extractor"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/cxG5loPrfm2aRRVed/builds/gR6VmAPke7bTfh0AZ/openapi.json