Our Favorite Food Sharing Sites
Discover the best food sharing sites to boost your recipe blog’s traffic. Explore top platforms like Foodgawker, Yummly, and more for global recipe sharing.
Food sharing sites have become indispensable tools for recipe creators looking to expand their audience and drive traffic to their blogs. These platforms act as recipe aggregators, showcasing mouthwatering dishes from food bloggers worldwide while linking back to the original content. For new and established bloggers alike, these sites offer a powerful way to gain exposure, attract new readers, and stay on top of culinary trends. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the best food sharing sites, their unique features, submission tips, and how they can help elevate your food blog. We’ll also dive into user feedback from online communities to provide a well-rounded perspective on what makes these platforms stand out.
Why Food Sharing Sites Matter for Recipe Creators
In the early days of food blogging, driving traffic was a challenge due to the lack of dedicated platforms for recipe sharing. The rise of sites like Foodgawker and Tastespotting changed the game, offering curated spaces to showcase recipes and connect with food enthusiasts. While social media platforms like Pinterest have dominated in recent years, traditional food sharing sites remain relevant for their curated content, targeted audiences, and ability to drive meaningful traffic.
These platforms are more than just recipe repositories. They allow bloggers to:
- Reach new audiences who may not find their content through search engines or social media.
- Showcase high-quality food photography to entice clicks.
- Build credibility by associating with well-curated platforms.
- Gain indirect exposure through editors and publications that browse these sites for content inspiration.
However, not all food sharing sites are created equal. Some have strict submission guidelines, while others are more accessible but offer less traffic. To maximize your efforts, it’s crucial to choose platforms that align with your goals and maintain active communities. Below, we’ll explore the top food sharing sites, their features, and strategies to make the most of them.
Top Food Sharing Sites for Recipe Creators
1. Foodgawker
Foodgawker is a titan in the world of food sharing sites, known for its visually appealing layout and rigorous curation process. Recently relaunched after a change in ownership, it remains a go-to platform for food bloggers.
Key Features
- Curated Content: Foodgawker’s editorial team reviews each submission, ensuring only high-quality photos with natural lighting, appealing composition, and proper white balance are accepted.
- Traffic Driver: Recipes link directly to your blog, encouraging users to visit your site for full instructions.
- Mobile App: A user-friendly app makes it easy for readers to browse recipes on the go.
- Advanced Search: Users can filter recipes by keywords, ingredients, or categories, increasing discoverability.
- Social Media Promotion: Foodgawker actively promotes featured recipes on its social channels, amplifying your reach.
- Photo Cropping Tool: A built-in tool allows you to crop images during submission, simplifying the process.
Submission Tips
- Image Quality: Photos must be at least 550 x 550 pixels. Avoid images with bites taken out, as they’re often rejected.
- Keywords: Use all 10 available keyword slots, including ingredients, course type (e.g., appetizer, dessert), and descriptors like “easy” or “quick.”
- Description: Write an enticing description to appear under your photo in Foodgawker’s feed.
- Batch Submissions: Submit up to three photos/recipes at once to increase your chances of acceptance.
- Patience: Approval can take 12 hours to three days. If rejected, review the feedback and resubmit.
Why It Stands Out
Foodgawker’s consistent curation and clean design make it a favorite among bloggers. Its mobile app and social media presence further boost its appeal. However, the strict review process can be challenging, requiring high-quality photography and attention to detail.
2. Yummly
Yummly combines recipe sharing with personalized meal planning, making it a versatile platform for both creators and readers. It’s less about manual submissions and more about seamless integration with your blog.
Key Features
- Yum Button: Adding a Yum button to your blog allows readers to save your recipes directly to their Yummly accounts.
- Personalized Experience: Users can save recipes, create meal plans, and receive tailored recommendations based on their preferences.
- Wide Reach: Yummly’s app and website attract a diverse audience, from casual cooks to meal-prep enthusiasts.
- Integration: The Yum button ensures your content is easily shareable by Yummly’s user base.
Submission Tips
- Add the Yum Button: Install the button on your blog to enable readers to save your recipes to Yummly.
- Optimize Content: Use clear, descriptive titles and tags to improve discoverability within Yummly’s algorithm.
- Engage Readers: Encourage your audience to use Yummly for meal planning, increasing the likelihood of your recipes being saved.
Why It Stands Out
Yummly’s focus on personalization sets it apart from traditional food sharing sites. Its seamless integration with blogs makes it a low-effort way to reach a dedicated audience of home cooks.
3. FoodYub
FoodYub is a user-friendly platform that prioritizes simplicity and direct traffic to your blog. It’s ideal for bloggers looking for a straightforward submission process.
Key Features
- Free Sign-Up: Anyone can join and submit recipes at no cost.
- Direct Links: Each recipe image links back to your blog, driving traffic directly to your site.
- Sorting Options: Users can browse recipes by category, “most clicked,” or “most recent,” making it easy to find relevant content.
Submission Tips
- Sign Up: Create a free account to start submitting recipes.
- High-Quality Images: Use clear, well-lit photos to stand out in FoodYub’s feed.
- Regular Submissions: Consistently share new recipes to maintain visibility.
Why It Stands Out
FoodYub’s simplicity and free access make it an excellent choice for new bloggers or those looking to diversify their traffic sources without a steep learning curve.
4. Trivet Recipes
Founded by a member of the Food Blogger Pro community, Trivet Recipes is a rising star in the food sharing world, designed with bloggers in mind.
Key Features
- Easy Submission Process: Submitting recipes is straightforward after signing up.
- Search and Filter: Users can filter by category or search for specific recipes, enhancing discoverability.
- Blogger-Friendly: The platform is built to support food bloggers, with a focus on driving traffic to their sites.
Submission Tips
- Sign Up: Create an account to start sharing recipes.
- Categorize Recipes: Use relevant categories to help users find your content.
- Engage with the Community: Interact with other users to build connections and increase visibility.
Why It Stands Out
Trivet Recipes’ community-driven approach and simple interface make it a great choice for bloggers seeking a supportive platform with a growing user base.
5. Spillt
Spillt is a social app designed to drive traffic to food blogs while fostering community engagement through recipe saving, rating, and reviewing.
Key Features
- Social Features: Users can save, rate, review, and share recipes, creating an interactive experience.
- Plugin Integration: A plugin automatically shares new recipes to Spillt and syncs reviews and ratings back to your blog.
- Traffic Focus: Spillt prioritizes linking users to your blog for full recipe details.
Submission Tips
- Install the Plugin: Add Spillt’s plugin to your blog for automatic recipe sharing.
- Encourage Engagement: Prompt readers to rate and review your recipes on Spillt to boost visibility.
- Optimize Images: Use high-quality photos to attract clicks within the app.
Why It Stands Out
Spillt’s social and plugin-driven approach makes it a modern solution for bloggers looking to engage readers and drive traffic seamlessly.
6. Punchfork
Punchfork takes a unique approach by displaying ingredients but requiring users to visit your blog for full recipe instructions.
Key Features
- Blog Submission: Instead of individual recipes, submit your entire blog for consideration.
- Ingredient Focus: Displays ingredients prominently, enticing users to click through for instructions.
- Clean Design: The site and app are visually appealing and easy to navigate.
Submission Tips
- Submit Your Blog: Use Punchfork’s form to submit your blog for inclusion.
- Optimize Blog Content: Ensure your blog is well-organized with clear recipe formats to increase approval chances.
- Check Image Sizes: Follow Punchfork’s image guidelines to ensure compatibility.
Why It Stands Out
Punchfork’s blog-focused submission process is ideal for established bloggers with a robust recipe catalog, offering consistent traffic without the need for repeated submissions.
7. Finding Vegan
Finding Vegan caters to the growing vegan audience, making it a niche but powerful platform for bloggers with plant-based recipes.
Key Features
- Vegan Focus: Targets a dedicated audience interested in vegan and plant-based recipes.
- Unlimited Tags: Use as many tags as needed to describe your recipe, including dietary preferences like gluten-free or paleo.
- Loyal Audience: Attracts readers who are highly engaged with vegan content.
Submission Tips
- Tag Strategically: Include tags for dietary preferences (e.g., gluten-free, raw) to reach specific audiences.
- Image Size: Ensure images are no larger than 1000 x 1000 pixels.
- Patience: Approval times can vary, so don’t be discouraged by delays.
Why It Stands Out
Finding Vegan’s niche focus makes it a valuable platform for bloggers with vegan recipes, offering access to a loyal and targeted audience.
Comparison of Food Sharing Sites
| Platform | Submission Type | Image Requirements | Key Features | Traffic Potential | Ease of Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foodgawker | Individual Recipes | 550 x 550 pixels min | Curated, mobile app, social promotion | High | Moderate |
| Yummly | Yum Button | No specific requirements | Personalized meal planning | Moderate | High |
| FoodYub | Individual Recipes | No specific requirements | Free, direct links, sorting options | Moderate | High |
| Trivet Recipes | Individual Recipes | No specific requirements | Easy submission, category filtering | Moderate | High |
| Spillt | Plugin Integration | No specific requirements | Social features, plugin sync | Moderate | High |
| Punchfork | Blog Submission | Varies by blog | Ingredient focus, clean design | Moderate | Moderate |
| Finding Vegan | Individual Recipes | 1000 x 1000 pixels max | Vegan niche, unlimited tags | Moderate | Moderate |
Community Insights: What Users Say
Online communities, such as Reddit and X, provide valuable insights into user experiences with food sharing sites. Here’s a summary of feedback from food enthusiasts and bloggers:
- RecipeZaar (now Food.com): Praised for its extensive recipe database and advanced search options, including ingredient inclusion/exclusion and nutritional info. However, some users reported issues with submissions disappearing.
- Allrecipes.com: A favorite for its ingredient filtering and community forums, though its healthy recipe section is limited. Users suggest reading comments for healthier recipe variations.
- Tastespotting: Loved for its visual appeal but criticized for a finicky search function. Some bloggers find the submission process too rigorous.
- Epicurious and Cooks Illustrated: Epicurious is favored for complex recipes, while Cooks Illustrated is lauded for simpler dishes and detailed content (though it’s behind a paywall).
- YouTube: Highlighted for its visual tutorials, especially for techniques like Indian cooking, which can be hard to master through text alone.
- Niche Sites: Sites like Recipesource.com, BBC Food, and Food52 were mentioned for their unique offerings, such as historical archives, chef-tested recipes, or community-driven content.
These insights underscore the diversity of food sharing platforms, from visually driven sites like Foodgawker to community-focused ones like Allrecipes. Bloggers should consider their target audience and content style when choosing platforms.
Chart: Food Sharing Site Workflow
This chart illustrates the workflow for submitting recipes to various food sharing sites, highlighting how each platform drives traffic back to your blog.
Strategies for Success on Food Sharing Sites
- Optimize Photography: Invest in high-quality food photography. Use natural lighting, appealing compositions, and vibrant colors to meet curation standards, especially for sites like Foodgawker.
- Tailor Submissions: Follow each platform’s image size and submission guidelines to avoid increase approval chances.
- Use Descriptive Tags: Maximize keywords Ascertain keywords to improve search visibility.
- Engage Actively: Encourage readers to share, rate, and review your recipes on platforms like Spillt to build community interaction.
- Be Patient: Approval processes can take time, so submit regularly to maintain a steady flow of recipes.
- Diversify Platforms: Submit to multiple sites to reach different audiences, such as Finding Vegan for plant-based recipes or Allrecipes for broad appeal.
- Monitor Activity: Check the recency of posts on each platform to ensure they’re active and relevant.
Conclusion
Food sharing sites are a powerful tool for recipe creators to amplify their content and drive traffic to their blogs. Platforms like Foodgawker, Yummly, FoodYub, Trivet Recipes, Spillt, Punchfork, and Finding Vegan offer unique features to suit different blogging needs. By optimizing your submissions with high-quality photos, strategic tags, and engaging descriptions, you can maximize your reach and connect with food enthusiasts worldwide. Whether you’re a new blogger or a seasoned pro, these sites can help you grow your audience and stay ahead of culinary trends.
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