Create IFTTT Recipes: Automate Sites & Feeds

Prior to integrating a new service, authorization of the desired channel is required. This process mirrors authorizing a web application to access your accounts on platforms like Twitter or Facebook. Until authorization is complete, unused channels will appear inactive. IFTTT necessitates access to your services to process incoming information or write data to designated locations, such as your Google Drive.

To revoke IFTTT’s access privileges, manage permissions directly within the respective service’s settings, rather than through the IFTTT platform itself.

Developing & Distributing an IFTTT Recipe

The process of creating a recipe with IFTTT is straightforward, though determining the full potential of each channel can initially be challenging. Fortunately, each channel provides a comprehensive list of available triggers and actions directly on its dedicated app page.

Explore the IFTTT channels directory to discover services you utilize. Selecting a service reveals popular pre-made recipes, followed by a detailed listing of actions and triggers it supports.

Utilizing Craigslist as an Example

To illustrate the creation process beyond basic RSS feed actions or Tweet backups, let's consider a musician who collects guitars and wants to leverage the Craigslist channel to identify potential purchases.

Begin by registering and logging into IFTTT using a valid email address – avoid using a spam account to ensure you receive important alerts. Click Create at the top of the page and select the desired service.

You may be prompted to activate the chosen channel, which could involve logging in and granting IFTTT authorization. For Craigslist, activation is simplified by a single button click, as the platform’s information is publicly accessible.

For our trigger, the sole option is to monitor for new posts matching a specific search query. This aligns perfectly with Craigslist’s functionality, allowing you to define a localized filter using the site’s native search capabilities.

In this instance, we’ll use melbourne.craigslist.com.au to focus on results within that region. The search query is set to “guitar” with a minimum price of “100”, ensuring alerts only pertain to guitars and related equipment priced above AU$100.

Once the trigger is defined, it’s time to associate an action. Numerous useful actions are available, allowing you to receive notifications via SMS, push alerts through Pushover, or save alerts to Instapaper.

Here, we’ll opt for email, guaranteeing message delivery regardless of device or location.

Selecting email reveals a single action: sending an email to the registered address. However, the email field offers substantial customization options through “ingredients”.

These ingredients include the search URL, post URL, and post content, allowing you to tailor the alert’s information. While the default message is often sufficient, personalization enhances the alert’s value.

Finally, create and activate your recipe, adding a descriptive label to clarify its purpose.

Sharing a recipe is simple: locate it within your IFTTT dashboard and click the share button. This allows you to assign a descriptive title, such as specifying the geographic location (e.g., “Melbourne, Australia”) to prevent ambiguity.

Final Thoughts

In essence, this covers the fundamentals of utilizing IFTTT for customized recipe development. The process is remarkably straightforward, surpassed only by the abundance of readily available, pre-configured recipes that can be instantly implemented across your connected accounts.

Enjoy exploring the possibilities and feel free to share your preferred recipes, as well as any original creations you develop, in the comment section below.