Unlocking an imported recipe is the process of proving you visited the original recipe at least once before you can reference the instructions on RecipeBranch.
Why We Use Recipe Unlocking
Recipe unlocking is an ethical solution to a unique problem that RecipeBranch has. Because we allow users to see what other users are importing, we have to be careful about copyright. Other recipe import apps are personal in that you cannot see what others are importing. One exception is Pinterest but they don’t show instructions due to copyright laws.
RecipeBranch aims to be the best of both worlds… we want a collaborative app that shows the instructions. We need instructions because our most powerful features (branches and the ai assistant) rely on them. And without collaboration, users would only be able to see their own branches, which is a waste of potential.
We came up with the unlocking idea in order to (a) show imported instructions (b) have collaborative imports and (c) make publishers happy by directing traffic to their websites. If you are a publisher and you want to opt out, email [email protected] to initiate the blacklisting process for your domain.
How Recipe Unlocking Works
When you import recipes from external websites, the full recipe instructions are initially locked. To unlock the instructions and access advanced features, you'll need to complete the following process:
- Visit the Original Recipe: Click the link to view the recipe on its original website
- Answer a Quiz Question: Prove you've scrolled the recipe by answering "How many instruction steps are there?"
- Alternative Verification: If the instruction count is unclear, you can instead copy and paste one complete instruction step (or at least 50 characters from an instruction step)
Why This Approach Matters
The unlocking process ensures that:
- Original publishers receive traffic when you visit their websites
- Content creators earn ad revenue as you browse their pages
- Copyright law is respected through proper attribution and engagement
By requiring users to visit original recipe sources, we help ensure that food bloggers, chefs, and recipe developers are properly credited and compensated for their creative work. This sustainable approach allows us to provide powerful recipe management tools while supporting the broader cooking community.
Feedback
Unlocking recipes is still a somewhat brittle process that we will continue to iterate on. Please email us as [email protected] if you encounter issues unlocking a recipe or have any feedback or concerns on our approach.