If you can’t find a published Applet that fits your needs or simply prefer to build your own, you can create one from scratch. This section will walk you through how to create Applets, add advanced features, and publish them to share with other users.
Creating Applets
At its most basic, an Applet includes a Trigger and one Action. The Trigger is what initiates the Applet, and the Action is what happens when the Applet runs.
To create an Applet, go to https://ifttt.com/create to access the Applet composer.
If you're on ifttt.com, you can also click the Create button in the top right corner. Or if you're using the IFTTT mobile app, you can tap the Create icon in the center of the bottom navigation bar.
The ifttt.com Applet Composer
The first step is to add a Trigger to your Applet. To do this, click Add next to If This. Then, search for the service you want to use as your Trigger and select it from the list under the Available Services heading.
Next, you’ll see a page with the available Triggers for that service. Choose the one you'd like to use, fill out the required fields to customize it to your preferences, and press Create Trigger.
Now that your Trigger is added, the last step is to add an Action. Press Add to the right of Then That and search for the service you want to use for your action then select an action of your choice.
When configuring your Applet's action field ingredients from the Trigger can be used. Ingredients are data from your Applets Trigger that can be passed to the action. Depending on the Trigger used, ingredients could be the content of a Facebook post, the time the Trigger occurred, or the name of the device that triggered the Applet.
In this example, we're using the Date and Time service, which includes the CheckTime ingredient. This ingredient passes a timestamp of when the Trigger occurred. For instance, when adding a Send me an email action to this Applet, the CheckTime ingredient can be used in the Subject and/or Body fields of the action.
To add an ingredient from your Applet's Trigger, click the Add ingredient button below the relevant action field, then select the name of the ingredient you'd like to include.
When the above Applet runs, it'll send an email that says "It's [CheckTime], don't forget rent is due in two days!" with [CheckTime] being replaced with the date and time the Applet ran.
Once your Applet's Action is configured, press Create Action then press continue. You can then edit your Applet's title then press Finish to complete creating your Applet. One thing to note, Applet titles are used as a reference to what they do but won't affect how they run.
After pressing finish your Applet will automatically be enabled and run next time the conditions set in the Trigger are met.
Adding advanced Applet features
Applets can include advanced features like Queries, delays, filter code, and multiple Actions to customize how they run. When an Applet runs, it follows this order: Trigger, then Queries, filter code, delay, and finally Actions.
Queries
Queries are best thought of as a way to request additional information when your Applet runs. Like Triggers, Queries provide ingredients that can be used in your Applet's filter code and Actions. Queries are available when on the IFTTT Pro+ plan.
For example, the Google Calendar service includes a List Events for a Date Query that returns all events scheduled on a specific date. This could be used with the Date and Time service’s Every day at Trigger and a Slack Action to send a daily recap of upcoming meetings. Since the Date and Time Trigger doesn’t include calendar data, the Query is what provides that information for use in the Slack message via the Applet's Action.
A Query can be added to an Applet by selecting the plus (+) button below the Trigger, then choosing the plus (+) button next to Query. Once added, ingredients from the Query can be added to Action fields using the Add ingredient button.
Filter Code
Filter code allows conditional logic to be added to an Applet. Information from the Applet’s Trigger and any Queries can be used to control how the Applet runs, such as skipping Actions or updating Action field values based on specific conditions.
For example, an Applet might use a location Trigger to turn on a light when someone arrives home. However, that Action may only be needed between 9 p.m. and midnight. In that case, filter code could be used to add time-based logic so the Applet skips the Action outside of those hours.
Another example might involve skipping an Action to turn on the air conditioning if a Query to a window contact sensor shows that a window is open.
Filter code is available on the IFTTT Pro+ plan. Filter code can be added to an Applet by selecting the plus (+) button below the Trigger, then choosing the plus (+) button next to Filter code. For a step-by-step guide, see the Help Center article on Building with filter code.
Delays
Delays can be used to postpone when an Applet's Action or Actions are run. A delay takes place after the Trigger, any Queries, and filter code, but before the Actions are executed.
Delays are available on all IFTTT plans. To add one, press the plus (+) button below the Trigger, then press the plus (+) button next to Delay. Enter the desired delay time and press Apply to continue.
Delays can range from as short as 15 seconds to as long as three hours. If a delay is needed between multiple Actions, that can be done by linking separate Applets together. For more details, see this guide.
Multiple Actions
Multiple Actions can be added to an Applet so that several tasks are performed when it runs. All Actions will run when the Applet is triggered, after Queries, filter code, and any delay.
To add multiple Actions, first add your initial Action. Then, press the plus (+) button below that Action to add another. You can continue adding as many Actions as needed.
Multiple Actions are available on the IFTTT Pro plan
Publishing Applets
Once you complete the setup and press Finish, your Applet will be activated and ready to run whenever its Trigger conditions occur. By default, it will only be visible to you, so other users won’t be able to find it on ifttt.com/explore.
If you want to share your Applet and make it discoverable by others, you can choose to publish it. Publishing is optional and does not affect how your Applet runs. For a detailed guide on publishing Applets, see this section.
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