What is IFTTT#
Official website: https://ifttt.com
This is a website launched in the United States in 2011. IFTTT stands for "If This Then That". In simple terms, the function of IFTTT is to perform a set action if a certain trigger event occurs.
Based on the above image, the purpose of Recipes is to connect the "this" and "that" of two network services. The network services are referred to as Channels, with the former being the Trigger Channel and the latter being the Action Channel. When the Trigger Channel meets the trigger condition, the action specified by the Action Channel will be executed.
Therefore, the process of creating a "Recipes flow" in IFTTT is as follows: select a Trigger Channel, set its trigger condition, then select an Action Channel, and set the action to be executed. That's it.
For example, I have set up the following Recipe:
The meaning of the entire Recipe is "If there is a new feed item from https://www.anotherhome.net/feed, then publish a post to @DIYgod 酱 ".
So, after I publish this article, a Weibo post will be automatically sent.
But it's not over yet, I also have two Recipes related to Weibo:
If everything goes well, my Facebook and Twitter will soon receive notifications of this article.
What can IFTTT do#
Currently, IFTTT supports a wide range of Channels, including Feed (RSS), GitHub, Weibo, Evernote, Dropbox, Email, SMS, Gmail, Instagram, Pocket, WordPress, OneDrive, OneNote, Twitter, Facebook, Weather Forecast, and many more, totaling more than 230. Most of them can be used as both triggers and actions.
I have to complain here that among the more than 230 Channels, there is only one Chinese application, Sina Weibo. It shows how stingy domestic applications are. "Why should I provide an interface? Just integrate your service into my platform." That's what everyone thinks.
Thanks to the release of the Android and iOS versions of the client, the Channels of IFTTT are not just limited to internet services. It has also added "Channels" such as contacts, photos, messages, locations, and notifications, making IFTTT even more practical.
Interesting Uses of IFTTT#
This is a cool and highly flexible service that allows you to do many interesting things. Even though many services in China do not have open APIs, we can use RSS to make many things possible.
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"Send me an iOS system notification if it will rain/snow/temperature is below 0 degrees Celsius/above 35 degrees Celsius tomorrow" (link)
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If someone tags me on Facebook or likes a photo on Instagram, save it to the corresponding folder in Dropbox.
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If I receive an email with an attachment in Gmail, save the attachment to Dropbox.
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If I like a video on YouTube, share it on Facebook and Twitter, and save the link to Evernote.
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When adding an event to Google Calendar, add the same event to iPhone Calendar.
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Remind me to go to sleep every night.
Additionally, there are many Recipes shared by users on the IFTTT website that you can refer to or directly use.