Back to What's Cooking?

Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 2026

Who we are

What's Cooking? (“we”, “our”, “us”) is a web application that helps you find recipes based on ingredients you already have at home. The service is available at whats-cooking-app.com.

For any privacy questions, contact us at: privacy@whatscooking.app

What data we collect

Stored on our servers

Account details: When you create an account, we store your full name, email address, and a one-way bcrypt hash of your password. We cannot retrieve your plain-text password. Your marketing email preference is also stored alongside your account.

Ingredients and recipe data (signed-in users): When you are signed in, your pantry ingredients, saved recipes, cook history, and dietary preferences are stored on our servers so they sync across your devices.

Stored locally in your browser only

Guest users: If you use the app without creating an account, all data (name, pantry, saved recipes) is stored only in your browser's local storage. It never leaves your device and is deleted when you clear your browser data.

Cook logs and photos: Cook ratings, notes, and any photos you take are currently stored in your browser's local storage only. We plan to offer cloud sync in a future update — we will update this policy before that feature launches.

Collected automatically

Usage data: We collect anonymised usage events (such as which features you use and how often) via analytics. This data does not identify you personally.

Server logs: Standard web server logs may include your IP address and browser type. These are retained for up to 30 days for security and debugging purposes only.

How we use your data

  • To provide the recipe search, cookbook, and account functionality
  • To send you a welcome email when you create an account
  • To send recipe inspiration and updates if you have opted in to marketing emails
  • To improve the product based on anonymised usage patterns
  • To detect and prevent abuse of the service

We do not sell your data to third parties. We do not use your data for advertising.

Marketing emails are only sent to users who have explicitly opted in. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email or by updating your preferences in the Profile tab.

Third-party services

Edamam API: Your ingredient searches are sent to Edamam's servers to return recipe results. See Edamam's terms.

Resend: We use Resend to send transactional emails (welcome emails). Your email address is transmitted to Resend for this purpose. See Resend's privacy policy.

Google Fonts: We load fonts from Google Fonts, which may log your IP address. See Google's privacy policy.

Vercel: Our hosting provider processes all requests through its infrastructure. See Vercel's privacy policy.

Cookies and local storage

We use browser local storage (not traditional cookies) to store your session and preferences on your device. We do not use tracking cookies or advertising cookies. Our analytics tool may use a first-party cookie to identify returning visitors anonymously.

Your rights (UK GDPR)

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate data
  • Request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”)
  • Object to processing of your data
  • Data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
  • Lodge a complaint with the ICO at ico.org.uk

Guest users can exercise most rights by clearing their browser's local storage. Account holders can delete their account in the Profile tab, or contact privacy@whatscooking.app to request data access or deletion.

Food allergies

Always check ingredients carefully if you have food allergies or dietary restrictions. What's Cooking? provides recipe information sourced from third-party APIs and cannot guarantee accuracy of allergen data. Do not rely solely on this service to determine whether a recipe is safe for your dietary needs.

Children

What's Cooking? is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated. For significant changes, we will notify account holders by email. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.