Groceries

What readers experience

A reader opens the grocery list from your recipe - the adaptive rail's “Build Grocery List” state, a grocery button, or the widget's Groceries tab (Shop in the floating widget). From there they can:

• add the recipe's ingredients - all of them, or only the ones they need
• add their own items (“paper towels”, “coffee”)
• keep several named lists and switch between them
• check items off in the store
• print the list, share it, or send it to a delivery partner

Grocery lists are free for readers. Readers without an account can build lists right away; they're tied to that browser until the reader signs up, and then they move to the new account. Signed-in readers see their lists on any device.

Adding from a recipe

Readers review the ingredient list, select what they need, and add it to a list. If you let readers change servings (Readers can change servings), the quantities added match the servings they picked. Because Allspice normalizes ingredient data (see Recipe parsing), the same ingredient from two recipes combines into one entry instead of two.

Managing lists

Readers can keep several lists, check items off, change quantities, and clear a list after a shopping trip. Someone cooking several of your recipes this week can put them all on one list.

Pantry awareness

When a reader keeps a Pantry, Allspice marks the ingredients they already have, so they can add only what's missing.

Shopping & delivery partners

Readers can send their list to a delivery partner. The retailers offered depend on the reader's location - for example Instacart, Amazon Fresh, or Whole Foods. The reader's chosen partner is saved as their default, and they can change it at any time.

Print & share

Printing produces a paginated, two-column list sized for paper, with no item split across pages. Readers can also copy a share link for a list from the list menu (“Share Grocery List”).

Help from Pico

Where Pico (the AI assistant) is available, readers can manage lists in chat: “add everything from this recipe,” “remove the dairy,” “what am I missing for this?” Pico can add a recipe or individual items, change quantities, remove items, create or switch lists, and check a list against the reader's pantry.

Why it matters for your site

Readers plan their shopping on your site instead of copying ingredients into a notes app, and a saved list gives them a reason to come back - to shop, then to cook the recipes behind it.

What you can configure

• Instacart revenue. Grocery shopping in the widget doesn't earn revenue for Allspice or your site by default. If you have your own Instacart affiliate API key, contact support@allspicelabs.com and we'll set up a secure way to add it to your site, so 100% of that Instacart revenue goes to you with no Allspice commission. Grocery revenue is usually small.
• Servings. Readers can change servings controls whether readers see the + / − servings buttons, and so whether grocery quantities can be scaled. See Chat Customization.
• Entry points. With the Floating and Inline widget styles, the adaptive rail shows “Build Grocery List” near your ingredients. You can also link to #allspice-groceries from any button on a recipe page (see Link hashes). The premade Groceries Button and Action Bar still work but are deprecated.

FAQ

Do readers need an account?

No. Lists work without one and stay in that browser. Creating an account keeps them and makes them available on other devices.

Can readers order from any store?

No. Readers choose from the delivery partners available in their area.

Do grocery lists work with meal plans?

Yes. Readers can turn a whole meal plan into one shopping list (see Meal planning).