Better Mealie MCP

by djwmarcx

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Remote

Update Recipes By Slug

update_recipes_by_slug

Update a recipe by its slug and new data to modify ingredients, instructions, or metadata.

Instructions

Updates a recipe by existing slug and data.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`id`	No
`name`	No
`slug`	No
`tags`	No
`image`	No
`notes`	No
`tools`	No
`assets`	No
`extras`	No
`orgURL`	No
`rating`	No
`userId`	No
`groupId`	No
`comments`	No
`cookTime`	No
`lastMade`	No
`prepTime`	No
`settings`	No
`createdAt`	No
`dateAdded`	No
`nutrition`	No
`totalTime`	No
`update_at`	No
`slug__path`	Yes	(Path parameter)
`dateUpdated`	No
`description`	No
`householdId`	No
`performTime`	No
`recipeYield`	No
`recipeCategory`	No
`recipeServings`	No
`accept-language`	No
`recipeIngredient`	No
`recipeInstructions`	No
`recipeYieldQuantity`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedv3.28.0Sep 27, 2026

changedInput schema / $defs / RecipeCommentOut-Input / required

Previous value: -[
-  "recipeId",
-  "text",
-  "id",
-  "createdAt",
-  "update_at",
-  "userId",
-  "user"
-]New value: +[
+  "id",
+  "recipeId",
+  "text",
+  "createdAt",
+  "update_at",
+  "userId",
+  "user"
+]

Changed10 schema fields changedv3.26.0Sep 15, 2026

addedInput schema / $defs / CreateIngredientFood / properties / substitutions

Added value: +{
+  "items": {
+    "$ref": "#/$defs/CreateIngredientFoodSubstitution"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / CreateIngredientFoodSubstitution

Added value: +{
+  "properties": {
+    "note": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    "substituteFoodId": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "format": "uuid",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / IngredientFood-Input / properties / substitutions

Added value: +{
+  "items": {
+    "$ref": "#/$defs/IngredientFoodSubstitution"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / IngredientFoodSubstitution

Added value: +{
+  "properties": {
+    "note": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    "substituteFood": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/IngredientFoodSummary"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    "substituteFoodId": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "format": "uuid",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / IngredientFoodSummary

Added value: +{
+  "description": "A trimmed projection of a food, with nothing on it that can recurse.\n\nSubstitutions reference this rather than the full IngredientFood, which would make\nPydantic walk food -> substitutions -> food forever and generate an equally circular\nTypeScript type.",
+  "properties": {
+    "id": {
+      "format": "uuid",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "name": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "pluralName": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "id",
+    "name"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / NoteReference

Added value: +{
+  "properties": {
+    "referenceId": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "format": "uuid",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / RecipeIngredient-Input / properties / substitutions

Added value: +{
+  "items": {
+    "$ref": "#/$defs/RecipeIngredientSubstitution"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / RecipeIngredientSubstitution

Added value: +{
+  "properties": {
+    "note": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    "substituteFood": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/IngredientFoodSummary"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    "substituteFoodId": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "format": "uuid",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

addedInput schema / $defs / RecipeNote / properties / referenceId
```
Added value: +{
+  "format": "uuid",
+  "type": "string"
+}
```

addedInput schema / $defs / RecipeStep / properties / noteReferences

Added value: +{
+  "items": {
+    "$ref": "#/$defs/NoteReference"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

Changed3 schema fields changedv3.25.1Sep 8, 2026
- addedInput schema / $defs / RecipeCategory / properties / recipeCount
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "integer"
+}
```
- addedInput schema / $defs / RecipeTag / properties / recipeCount
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "integer"
+}
```
- addedInput schema / $defs / RecipeTool / properties / recipeCount
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "integer"
+}
```
First observedv3.20.1Jul 10, 2026

TDQS

C2.1/5.0

Behavior2/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

No annotations are supplied, so the description carries the full behavioral burden. It conveys only that this is a mutation. It does not disclose whether the operation is a full replacement or a partial merge, what happens to fields omitted from the 35-parameter payload, whether it is reversible, or what authorization is required.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness3/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

A single short, front-loaded sentence with no padding, which is efficient. However, the brevity is under-specification rather than genuine conciseness for a complex mutation endpoint, so it does not earn full marks.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness1/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a 35-parameter mutation tool with no annotations and no output schema, a one-sentence description is grossly incomplete. Nothing tells the agent what payload semantics are expected, what the result looks like, or how this differs from the other recipe-update siblings.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters1/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 3% with 35 parameters (only slug__path is annotated). The description adds no meaning beyond what the schema already shows; 'by existing slug' merely restates the required, schema-documented path key, and the remaining 34 parameters (nutrition, tags, ingredients, settings, etc.) are entirely unexplained.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose3/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

It states a verb (Updates) and resource (recipe) plus the lookup key (slug), so the core purpose is inferable. But 'and data' is meaningless filler and the description does nothing to distinguish this from siblings such as update_recipes, patch_recipes, and patch_recipes_by_slug, all of which operate on recipes by slug. It borders on restating the tool name.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

There is no guidance on when to use this tool versus update_recipes, patch_recipes, or patch_recipes_by_slug, and no mention of prerequisites (e.g., needing an existing recipe, permissions). The agent is left to infer selection entirely from the name.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Deploy Server

Update Recipes By Slug

Instructions

Input Schema

Schema Changelog

TDQS

Other Tools