The world of the Internet and new technologies can be wonderful, full of useful experiences and fun, but it can also complicate our lives on many occasions.
With so many platforms, apps, and forums out there these days, you’ve probably experienced a lot of difficulty managing all these sites or even completing the most basic tasks. Luckily for us long-suffering internet users, there’s a single web tool available that acts as an automation service for all your internet-connected sites. It’s called IFTTT .
What does IFTTT mean?
The acronym IFTTT stands for the English words ” if this then that “, which we could translate as ” if this then that “.
What is IFTTT?
IFTTT is a website that launched in 2010 with the slogan “Make the internet work for you.” The idea is that you use IFTTT to automate everything from your favorite apps and websites to the smart accessories and devices enabled for each app.
If you own a Philips Hue smart lighting system , for example, you can use IFTTT to automatically turn on a light whenever you’re tagged in a Facebook photo.
As another example, you can use IFTTT to automatically send an email to readers when they comment on your WordPress blog.
There are numerous possible combinations called “recipes” that you can easily customize to your liking, making your life easier.
Currently, the platform supports more than 110 services, also called “channels,” including all kinds of Android and Apple iOS devices and applications such as reminders, calendars, photo apps, as well as web platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Etsy, Feedly, SoundCloud, WordPress, Blogger, and much more.
Can you imagine having all your profiles and platforms connected?
How does IFTTT work?
Sign up for a free IFTTT account here . It’s a one-step process that only requires an email address, username, and password. Once completed, you’ll see that IFTTT has automatically created a recipe for you (this recipe will send a recommended recipe to your email inbox every day). From here, IFTTT should display your dashboard.
control Panel
On the dashboard, there’s a brief explanation of how IFTTT and ” if this then that ” recipes work . In short, it’s about linking two events to create an IFTTT recipe. It’s that simple.
IFTTT Recipes
From the dashboard, you can also create custom recipes or search for recipes already created by other IFTTT users. You can also share recipes and save them to the favorites section of your dashboard. If you’ve added a recipe to the dashboard, you’ll have options to easily edit, activate, deactivate, and delete it.
How to create an IFTTT recipe?
You can use IFTTT to automate your web services and smart devices, but let’s outline a basic recipe for automatically posting your new YouTube videos to Twitter.
While YouTube has a built-in feature that lets you post new videos to Twitter, that feature doesn’t allow you to customize some of the details before posting. That’s where this tool can be really useful.
You can create a custom recipe by allowing the tweet to include the featured image, URL, a description, or any other “ingredient” event you wish to add.
The recipe will work for every video you publish on YouTube in the future, as long as you keep the recipe activated.
- Step-by-step example
- From the dashboard, select the “Create a new recipe” link. Then, on the next page, click “this” to select your first channel (also called the trigger channel). You can scroll down to find and then trigger YouTube, or you can directly enter “YouTube” in the search bar.
2.Once you’ve selected YouTube , you’ll need to choose one of the few pre-programmed triggers. For this example, select “New video uploaded by you.” Note that you’ll need to connect your YouTube account to your IFTTT account. - Now you need to choose your second channel (action channel). Click on the word “that” below. From there, scroll down to find Twitter, or you can use the search bar and enter “Twitter”.
- When you select Twitter, you’ll need to choose one of the few pre-programmed actions. For the purposes of this example, select “Post a tweet.” Again, you’ll need to connect your Twitter account to the platform.
- Complete the action fields by inserting ingredients. You can click the “+” symbol to insert any of the pre-programmed ingredients, such as the title, URL, description, or even embed code. All these recipe ingredients will be automatically published on Twitter every time you upload a new video.
- Make sure to click the “Create recipe” link at the bottom of the ingredients page when you’ve finished setting up your recipe. At that point, IFTTT will take you back to your dashboard. You should see your new recipe, with some options to edit it.
IFTTT Tutorial
What is IFTTT?
IFTTT , which stands for “if this then that,” is an automation tool that allows you to connect different applications and devices to perform tasks automatically. Since its launch in 2010, it has revolutionized the way users interact with their digital platforms, facilitating the integration of multiple services into a single workflow.
The essence of IFTTT lies in its ability to create “recipes,” which are combinations of events that trigger actions. For example, you can set up a recipe so that every time you post a new photo on Instagram, it’s automatically saved to your Dropbox account. These are some of its most popular features:
- Automatically post to social media.
- Send custom notifications.
- Control smart home devices.
Furthermore, IFTTT is compatible with a wide range of services, including social networks, productivity apps, and smart devices. This means you can customize automation to suit your specific needs, maximizing efficiency in your daily life. Some of the most integrated services include:
- Google Assistant
- Amazon Alexa
In short, IFTTT is a tool that simplifies everyday tasks through automation, allowing users to save time and effort. With its intuitive interface, even those without technical experience can create recipes that improve their productivity and connect their applications effectively.
You already know some basics of this amazing platform, so have fun exploring the countless ways to automate your tasks. IFTTT will make your life easier.
