Saving Recipes

import Tabs from '@theme/Tabs'; import TabItem from '@theme/TabItem'; import { PanelLeft, ChefHat } from 'lucide-react';

This guide covers storing, organizing, and finding goose recipes when you need to access them again later.

:::info Desktop UI vs CLI

• goose Desktop has a visual Recipe Library for browsing and managing saved recipes
• goose CLI stores recipes as files that you find using file paths or environment variables :::

Understanding Recipe Storage

Before saving recipes, it's important to understand where they can be stored and how this affects their availability.

Recipe Storage Locations

Choose Global Storage When:

• You want the recipe available across all projects
• It's a personal workflow or general-purpose recipe
• You're the primary user of the recipe

Choose Local Storage When:

• The recipe is specific to a particular project
• You're working with a team and want to share the recipe
• The recipe depends on project-specific files or configurations

Storing Recipes

Save New Recipe:

1. To create a recipe from your chat session, see Create Recipe
2. Once in the Recipe Editor, click Save Recipe to save it to your Recipe Library

Save Modified Recipe:

If you're already using a recipe and want to save a modified version:

1. Click the <ChefHat className="inline" size={16}/> button at the bottom of the app, which appears after sending your first message
2. Make any desired edits to the instructions, prompt, or other fields
3. Click Save Recipe

:::info When you modify and save a recipe with a new name, a new recipe and new link are generated. You can still run the original recipe from the recipe library, or using the original link. If you edit a recipe without changing its name, the version in the recipe library is updated, but you can still run the original recipe via link. :::

When you [create a recipe](/docs/guides/recipes/recipe-reference), it gets saved to:

* Your working directory by default: `./recipe.yaml`
* Any path you specify: `/recipe /path/to/my-recipe.yaml`  
* Local project recipes: `/recipe .goose/recipes/my-recipe.yaml`

:::note
The CLI saves recipes as `.yaml` files. While the CLI can run recipes in `.json` format, it does not provide an option to save recipes as JSON.
:::

Importing Recipes

1. Click the <PanelLeft className="inline" size={16} /> button in the top-left to open the sidebar
2. Click `Recipes` in the sidebar
3. Click `Import Recipe`
4. Choose your import method:
   - To import via a link: Under `Recipe Deeplink`, paste in the [recipe link](/docs/guides/recipes/session-recipes#share-via-recipe-link)
   - To import via a file: Under `Recipe File`, click `Choose File`, select a recipe file, and click `Open`
5. Click `Import Recipe` to save a copy of the recipe to your Recipe Library

:::warning Recipe File Format goose Desktop accepts .yaml, .yml, and .json files, but the CLI only supports .yaml and .json. For full compatibility across both interfaces, avoid .yml extensions.

All recipe formats follow the same schema structure. :::

Finding Available Recipes

Access Recipe Library:

1. Click the <PanelLeft className="inline" size={16} /> button in the top-left to open the sidebar
2. Click Recipes to view your Recipe Library
3. Browse your available recipes, which show:
   • Recipe title and description
   • Last modified date
   • Whether they're stored globally or locally

:::info Desktop vs CLI Recipe Discovery The Desktop Recipe Library displays all recipes you've explicitly saved or imported. It doesn't automatically discover recipe files from your filesystem like the CLI does. :::

Use the goose recipe list command to find all available recipes from multiple sources:

Basic Usage

# List all available recipes
goose recipe list

# Show detailed information including titles and full paths
goose recipe list --verbose

# Output in JSON format for automation
goose recipe list --format json

Recipe Discovery Process

goose searches for recipes in the following locations (in order):

1. Current directory: . (looks for *.yaml and *.json files)
2. Custom paths: Directories specified in GOOSE_RECIPE_PATH environment variable
3. Global recipe library: ~/.config/goose/recipes/ (or equivalent on your OS)
4. Local project recipes: ./.goose/recipes/
5. GitHub repository: If GOOSE_RECIPE_GITHUB_REPO environment variable is configured

Example Output

Default text format:

$ goose recipe list
Available recipes:
goose-self-test - A comprehensive meta-testing recipe - local: ./goose-self-test.yaml
hello-world - A sample recipe demonstrating basic usage - local: ~/.config/goose/recipes/hello-world.yaml
job-finder - Find software engineering positions - local: ~/.config/goose/recipes/job-finder.yaml

Verbose mode:

$ goose recipe list --verbose
Available recipes:
  goose-self-test - A comprehensive meta-testing recipe - local: ./goose-self-test.yaml
    Title: goose Self-Testing Integration Suite
    Path: ./goose-self-test.yaml
  hello-world - A sample recipe demonstrating basic usage - local: ~/.config/goose/recipes/hello-world.yaml
    Title: Hello World Recipe
    Path: /Users/username/.config/goose/recipes/hello-world.yaml

JSON format for automation:

[
  {
    "name": "goose-self-test",
    "source": "Local",
    "path": "./goose-self-test.yaml",
    "title": "goose Self-Testing Integration Suite",
    "description": "A comprehensive meta-testing recipe"
  },
  {
    "name": "hello-world",
    "source": "GitHub",
    "path": "recipes/hello-world.yaml",
    "title": "Hello World Recipe",
    "description": "A sample recipe demonstrating basic usage"
  }
]

Configuring Recipe Sources

Add custom recipe directories:

export GOOSE_RECIPE_PATH="/path/to/my/recipes:/path/to/team/recipes"
goose recipe list

Configure GitHub recipe repository:

export GOOSE_RECIPE_GITHUB_REPO="myorg/goose-recipes"
goose recipe list

See the Environment Variables Guide for more configuration options.

Manual Directory Browsing (Advanced)

If you need to browse recipe directories manually:

# List recipes in default global location
ls ~/.config/goose/recipes/

# List recipes in current project
ls .goose/recipes/

# Search for all recipe files
find . -name "*.yaml" -path "*/recipes/*" -o -name "*.json" -path "*/recipes/*"

:::tip The goose recipe list command is the recommended way to find recipes as it automatically searches all configured sources and provides consistent formatting. :::

Using Saved Recipes

1. Click the <PanelLeft className="inline" size={16} /> button in the top-left to open the sidebar
2. Click Recipes
3. Find your recipe in the Recipe Library
4. Choose one of the following:
   • Click Use to run it immediately
   • Click Preview to see the recipe details first, then click Load Recipe to run it

Once you've located your recipe file, run the recipe or open it in goose Desktop.

:::tip Format Compatibility The CLI can run recipes saved from goose Desktop without any conversion. Both CLI-created and Desktop-saved recipes work with all recipe commands. :::