How to Export Recipes

Recipe Card Blocks PRO allows you to export all your recipes in three formats: WordPress XML, JSON, and CSV. Each format serves a different purpose depending on your needs.

To access the export feature, navigate to Recipe Cards > Import & Export > Export Recipes in your WordPress dashboard.

WordPress XML (Recommended for Migration)

The WordPress XML export is the best option when you want to migrate recipes from one WordPress site to another. This is a lossless export — it preserves every detail of your recipes including:

• All recipe block attributes (ingredients with amounts/units, steps, nutrition, etc.)
• Recipe images and featured images
• Recipe settings and display preferences
• Taxonomy terms (courses, cuisines, difficulties)
• Post meta data

How to use it:

1. Go to Recipe Cards > Import & Export > Export Recipes
2. Click Export as WordPress XML
3. Save the downloaded .xml file
4. On the destination site, go to Recipe Cards > Import & Export > Import Recipes
5. Upload the .xml file using the WordPress XML section at the top of the page
6. On the next screen, check “Download and import file attachments” to import recipe images
7. Click Submit to complete the import

Note: This exports only recipes (the wpzoom_rcb post type). If you want to export all site content including posts, pages, and recipes, use the WordPress Export tool at Tools > Export.

JSON Export

JSON is the best format when you want to:

• Import recipes into another recipe plugin
• Work with recipe data programmatically
• Keep a structured backup of your recipes

The JSON export includes structured data for ingredients (with amount, unit, and name as separate fields), ingredient and direction groups, and all recipe metadata.

How to use it:

1. Go to Recipe Cards > Import & Export > Export Recipes
2. Click Export as JSON
3. The file wpzoom-recipes-YYYY-MM-DD.json will be downloaded

Example of the JSON structure:

[
    {
        "title": "Blueberry Scones with Frosting",
        "description": "Light, flaky scones with fresh blueberries.",
        "author": "",
        "difficulty": "Easy",
        "image_url": "https://example.com/scones.jpg",
        "ingredients": [
            { "name": "all-purpose flour", "amount": "2", "unit": "cups", "notes": "" },
            { "name": "granulated sugar", "amount": "3", "unit": "tablespoons", "notes": "" },
            { "group": "Buttermilk Glaze" },
            { "name": "powdered sugar", "amount": "1 1/2", "unit": "cups", "notes": "" }
        ],
        "instructions": [
            "Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.",
            "Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.",
            { "group": "Assembly" },
            "Shape and bake at 425 for 18 minutes."
        ],
        "equipment": ["Baking Sheet", "Mixing Bowl"],
        "notes": ["Do not over-mix the dough."],
        "prep_time": "15",
        "cook_time": "18",
        "servings": "8",
        "servings_unit": "servings",
        "course": "Dessert",
        "cuisine": "American",
        "keywords": "scones, blueberry, baking",
        "nutrition_calories": "268",
        "nutrition_carbs": "36",
        "nutrition_protein": "3",
        "nutrition_fat": "12"
    }
]

CSV Export

CSV is the best format when you want to:

• Edit recipes in a spreadsheet application (Excel, Google Sheets)
• Make bulk changes to recipe data
• Share recipe data in a simple, universal format

In the CSV format:

• Each recipe is one row, with column headers in the first row
• Ingredients and instructions are separated by pipe characters ( | ) within each cell
• Ingredient groups are marked with a --- prefix (e.g., --- Buttermilk Glaze)
• Ingredient amounts and units are included in the text (e.g., 2 cups all-purpose flour)

How to use it:

1. Go to Recipe Cards > Import & Export > Export Recipes
2. Click Export as CSV
3. The file wpzoom-recipes-YYYY-MM-DD.csv will be downloaded
4. Open it in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet application

See also:

How to Import Recipes from CSV or JSON
How to Import Recipes from WP Recipe Maker