Sharing
Sharing in Ice Cream Calc Web App
Overview
Ice Cream Calc Web App includes a powerful sharing system that lets you share your recipes and charts in two ways: publicly with the community through the Explore page, or privately via secure links. Whether you want to showcase your latest creation, contribute to the ice cream community, or collaborate with specific colleagues, the sharing system makes it easy to distribute your work while maintaining full control over your content.
Two Types of Sharing
Ice Cream Calc offers two distinct ways to share your content:
Public Community Sharing
Share your recipes and charts with the entire Ice Cream Calc community:
- Discoverable – Your content appears in the Explore page where anyone can find it
- Community features – Users can rate and review your shared content
- Statistics tracking – View counts, downloads, and ratings
- Trending and popular lists – High-quality content gets featured
Private Link Sharing
Share specific content with selected people via a secure URL:
- Direct access only – Only people with the link can view your content
- No public listing – Content doesn’t appear in Explore or search results
- Perfect for collaboration – Share work-in-progress with colleagues or clients
- Revocable anytime – Disable the link whenever you want
Both sharing methods create snapshots and allow others to clone your content, but they serve different purposes and audiences.
Understanding Snapshots
Important Concept: When you share a recipe or chart, you’re creating a snapshot of that content at the moment of sharing.
What is a Snapshot?
A snapshot is a frozen copy of your recipe or chart at a specific point in time. This means:
- The shared version stays stable – Even if you modify your original recipe, the shared version remains unchanged
- Predictable content – Other users always see the same recipe you shared, ensuring consistency
- Quality control – You can test changes before updating your shared content
- Professional reliability – Critical for commercial users who depend on recipe consistency
Updating Shared Content
If you modify your original recipe after sharing, you have complete control over whether to update the shared version:
- Go to the My Shares page to manage your shared content
- Find the shared recipe or chart you want to update
- Click Edit & Stats to view and update the share
- Make your changes to the title or description
- Users who previously cloned your recipe must download again – Updates are not automatic. If someone cloned your recipe before you updated it, they’ll need to clone the updated version to get the latest changes
This gives you full creative control while protecting your reputation in the community.
How to Share
Setting Up Your Sharing Profile (First Time Only)
Before sharing content publicly, you need to complete your sharing profile:
- Go to Account Settings from the main menu
- Navigate to the Sharing Profile section
- Enter your Display Name – How you’ll be known in the community
- Add an optional Bio – Tell others about your ice cream expertise
- Save your profile
Note: This is a one-time setup. You only need to do this before your first share.
Sharing Recipes
Where to Share Recipes
You can share recipes from two locations:
From the Recipe View Page:
- Navigate to any of your recipes
- Open it in view mode (the view-only page, not the editor)
- Click the green Share button (community icon) or blue Link button (link icon) in the top action bar
From My Shares Page:
- Go to My Shares from the main menu
- Click the Share Recipe button
- Select which recipe you want to share
Public Community Recipe Sharing
Steps:
- Click the green Share button (🔗) on your recipe view page
- Select your recipe (if starting from My Shares)
- Provide sharing details:
- Title: Give your shared recipe a catchy, descriptive name (this can be different from your recipe name)
- Description: Explain what makes your recipe special, any tips, or what inspired it
- Include your chart (optional):
- If your recipe has an associated chart, you’ll see a checkbox: “Include chart: [Chart Name]”
- Check this box to bundle the chart with your recipe
- Other users will get a personal copy of the chart when they clone your recipe
- Click Share to publish to the community
What Gets Shared:
- Recipe snapshot with all ingredients and quantities
- Recipe calculations and statistics
- Associated chart (if you chose to include it)
- Your custom ingredients (bundled automatically)
- Category and tags (from your recipe properties)
Note: The category and tags are pulled from your recipe’s existing properties. If you want to change these, edit your recipe first before sharing.
Private Link Recipe Sharing
Steps:
- Click the blue Link button (🔗) on your recipe view page
- The share dialog opens with your unique private link
- Copy the link to share via email, message, or any channel
- Recipients can view and clone your recipe using this link
Private Link Features:
- Secure, non-guessable URL (GUID-based)
- No login required for recipients to view
- Not discoverable in Explore or search
- Track views and downloads
- Revoke access anytime from My Shares
Sharing Charts
Where to Share Charts
You can share charts from two locations:
From the Chart Editor:
- Open any chart you’ve created in the Chart Editor
- Click the green Share button (community icon) or blue Link button (link icon) in the top toolbar
From My Shares Page:
- Go to My Shares from the main menu
- Click the Share Chart button
- Select which chart you want to share
Public Community Chart Sharing
Steps:
- Click the green Share button in Chart Editor
- Select your chart (if starting from My Shares)
- Provide sharing details:
- Title: Descriptive name for your chart
- Description: Explain what the chart analyzes or its intended use
- Click Share to publish to the community
What Happens When Users Clone Your Chart:
- They receive a personal copy they can modify
- Attribution is maintained – Your display name is included
- Your original is safe – They can’t affect your version
- Full customization – They can adapt it to their needs
Private Link Chart Sharing
Similar to recipes, click the blue Link button in Chart Editor to generate a private shareable URL.
Managing Your Shares (My Shares Page)
The My Shares page is your central hub for managing all shared content. Access it from the main navigation menu.
What You Can Manage
Private Share Links Section:
- View all private links you’ve created
- See view and download statistics for each link
- Copy links to share again
- Revoke links to disable access immediately
Public Community Shares:
Shared Recipes:
- View all recipes you’ve shared to the community
- See engagement statistics (views, downloads, ratings)
- Edit & Stats – Update title, description, and view detailed performance metrics
- Delete Share – Remove from community (people who already cloned keep their copies)
Shared Charts:
- View all charts you’ve shared to the community
- See engagement statistics
- Edit & Stats – Update information and view metrics
- Delete Share – Remove from community
Performance Statistics
When you click Edit & Stats on any share, you’ll see:
- Views – How many people viewed your content
- Downloads – How many times it was cloned
- Average Rating – Community rating (1-5 stars)
- Rating Count – Number of ratings received
- Shared Date – When you first published it
Discovering Shared Content (Explore Page)
The Explore page is where you discover recipes and charts shared by the Ice Cream Calc community.
Accessing the Explore Page
- Click Explore in the main navigation menu
- Choose between Recipes or Charts tabs
Browsing Content
View Modes:
- 🔥 Trending – Hot content from the last 14 days with high engagement
- ⭐ Popular – Highest-rated content by community votes
- 📊 Downloaded – Most frequently cloned recipes and charts
- 🆕 All – Complete catalog sorted by newest first
Search and Filtering
Recipe Filters:
- Search bar – Find recipes by name or description
- Category filter – Ice Cream, Gelato, Sorbet, Sherbet, etc.
- Tags filter – Multiple selection for Vegan, Gluten-Free, Premium, etc.
- Clear Filters – Reset all filters at once
Chart Filters:
- Search bar – Find charts by name or description
- Category filter – Filter by chart type
Understanding Content Cards
Each card displays:
- Title and creator name (“by @UserName”)
- Description preview
- Rating (⭐) – Average rating or “–” if no ratings yet
- Downloads (📥) – Clone count
- Category tag
Click any card to view full details.
Viewing Details and Cloning
- Click on any recipe or chart card
- Review the complete details:
- Full description
- Recipe statistics (mix weight, ingredient count, etc.)
- Bundled ingredients (if any)
- Associated chart information
- Creator information
- Click the Clone button to save a personal copy
- The content is copied to your account
- You can now modify your personal copy
Important: Cloning creates your own independent copy. Your changes won’t affect the original shared version, and updates to the original won’t automatically appear in your copy.
Community Ratings and Reviews
After cloning and using shared content, you can rate it to help others discover quality recipes and charts.
How to Rate Content
- Navigate to a shared recipe or chart detail page in Explore
- Click on the star rating section
- Select 1-5 stars based on your experience:
- ⭐ – Poor
- ⭐⭐ – Fair
- ⭐⭐⭐ – Good
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Very Good
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Excellent
- Optionally write a review to share your thoughts
- Submit your rating
Viewing Ratings
On Content Cards (Explore page):
- Average rating displayed as stars
- Number in parentheses shows rating count
- Example: ⭐ 4.2 (23) means 4.2 average from 23 ratings
On Detail Pages:
- Full rating distribution (1-star, 2-star, etc.)
- Recent reviews from other users
- Overall statistics
Rating Guidelines
When rating content:
- Be constructive – Focus on the quality and usefulness
- Be respectful – Remember a real person created this
- Be honest – Your feedback helps the community
- Rate what works – Consider how well it achieved its purpose
- Can’t rate your own content – You cannot rate recipes or charts you created
Note: You can only rate public community shares. Private link shares do not have ratings.
Best Practices for Sharing
For Recipe Creators
- Test before sharing – Make sure your recipe is finalized
- Write clear descriptions – Help others understand what makes your recipe special
- Use descriptive titles – Make your content easy to find and identify
- Include your chart – Give users the complete picture if applicable
- Update when improved – Keep shared snapshots current with major improvements via Edit & Stats
For Chart Creators
- Explain your ranges – Help users understand your chart philosophy
- Test thoroughly – Ensure your chart works for various recipe types
- Name descriptively – Make it clear what the chart analyzes
- Consider versatility – Charts that work for multiple styles are more valuable
For Link Sharing
- Explain the link – Add context when sharing URLs privately
- Check mobile view – Ensure recipients can view on any device
- Consider your audience – Use public for community, private for specific people
- Track usage – Monitor view counts to gauge interest
- Revoke when needed – Disable links that are no longer relevant
Privacy and Control
What Doesn’t Get Shared
The following information is never shared publicly:
- Your email address or account details
- Private recipes you haven’t explicitly shared
- Personal ingredients (unless bundled with a shared recipe)
- Your user activity or usage statistics
- Private share links (not discoverable in Explore)
Sharing vs. Your Account
- Your original recipes stay private – Sharing creates a separate copy
- Full control – You decide what to share and can remove it anytime
- Attribution protection – Your display name is always credited
- Independent copies – Cloned recipes belong to the users who cloned them
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
“I can’t find the Share button”
- For recipes: Make sure you’re in Recipe View mode (not Edit mode)
- For charts: Open the chart in Chart Editor
- Or use the My Shares page to share any content
- Check that you’re logged in (anonymous users can’t share)
- Verify you’ve completed the sharing profile setup in Account Settings
“My shared recipe looks different from my original”
- Remember: shares are snapshots taken at the time of sharing
- Check if you’ve modified the original recipe after sharing
- Go to My Shares → Edit & Stats to update the shared version
“Users can’t see my chart with the recipe”
- Verify you checked “Include chart” when sharing the recipe
- Ensure the chart was associated with the recipe before sharing
- The chart must be saved and linked to the recipe first
“My private link isn’t working”
- Check if you’ve revoked the share in My Shares
- Verify the complete URL was copied (including https://)
- Ensure the recipient isn’t blocking the domain
- Check that the link hasn’t been deleted
“I can’t rate a shared recipe”
- You must clone and try the recipe before rating
- Ensure you’re logged in
- You can only rate public community shares (not private links)
- You cannot rate your own shared content
“Where are my private share links?”
- Go to My Shares page
- Look in the “Private Share Links” section at the top
- Private links are separate from public community shares
“How do I change the category or tags on my shared recipe?”
- Category and tags come from your original recipe properties
- Edit your original recipe to change category/tags
- Then update the shared version from My Shares if needed
Community Guidelines
When sharing content in Ice Cream Calc:
- Share original work – Only share recipes and charts you’ve created
- Give credit – If adapting others’ work, acknowledge the source
- Be helpful – Write descriptions that help others succeed
- Stay professional – Keep content appropriate and respectful
- Respect privacy – Don’t share proprietary or confidential recipes without permission
Happy sharing! 🍦