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CookDex — Support

Getting Started

CookDex is deployed from GitHub Container Registry as a Docker service. It runs a local web UI at https://localhost:4820/cookdex by default, then connects to your Mealie server from Settings.

Quick install:

  1. Create a cookdex directory on your Docker host.
  2. Download compose.ghcr.yml as compose.yaml.
  3. Run docker compose pull cookdex and docker compose up -d cookdex.
  4. Open the web UI, create the first admin account, then add your Mealie URL and API key in Settings.

Common Questions

Does CookDex require an .env file?

No. CookDex starts without a required .env file. Runtime settings are managed through the web UI after first login. An optional environment file can pre-seed settings or override defaults for headless deployments.

Which port and path does CookDex use?

By default, CookDex binds to port 4820 and serves the UI under /cookdex. These can be changed with environment variables if you run it behind a reverse proxy.

How do I connect CookDex to Mealie?

Open Settings and enter your Mealie server URL plus a Mealie API key. Use the Test Mealie action to confirm the connection before running tasks.

Does CookDex modify recipes automatically?

CookDex exposes dry-run-safe task defaults and logs so you can inspect planned changes before applying them. Some advanced tasks can write directly through the Mealie API or optional direct database access when you explicitly enable that path.

Does CookDex support direct database access?

Yes, optional direct database access is available for bulk operations such as health checks, yield normalization, categorization, slug repair, and recipe reimporting. It requires explicit setup and is documented in the CookDex Direct DB guide.

Where should security issues be reported?

Please report CookDex security issues through GitHub Security Advisories on the CookDex repository. Do not open public issues for vulnerabilities.

Project Links