iBoardbot: IFTTT Applets. How to make one

What is IFTTT?

IFTTT is a free web-based service that allows users to create chains of simple conditional statements, called “recipes”, which are triggered based on changes to other web services such as Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. IFTTT is an abbreviation of “If This Then That”.

An example “recipe” might consist of sending an e-mail message if the IFTTT user tweets using a certain hashtag. Or, if the user gets an email, send its subject to a google DRIVE spreadsheet. Those are just two examples.

What we will do here is: using IFTTT ,send from multiple sources, info to the iBoardbot. Why not send the subject of an email you have just received to the iboardbot? Or the last SMS you have got? Or the temperature of your home? Or the weather forecast? … there are as many options as possible Applets.

NOTE: Once an Applet has been created it can be shared with everyone.

That’s nice, but… how can I create one and send info to my iBoardbot?

It is quite simple. We will use an existing IFTTT channel to access to the iBoardbot. In this case, the Webhooks channel

“The Weebhooks Channel allows you to connect IFTTT to your personal DIY projects. With Webhooks, you can connect a Applet to any device or service that can make or receive a web request (aka webhooks). See how others are using the Webhooks Channel, or share your own experience at hackster.io“

This is how IFTTT works: it will constantly check internet for info but you are always controlling it using recipes — This is how IFTTT works: it constantly checks internet for info and you control it using Applets. You can access to your Applet via smartphone APP or from your computer.

So, the Iboardbot´s Applets will be always like this: ANY SERVICE will be connected to your iboardbot using Webhooks.

STEPS TO CREATE AN APPLET:

Let’s explain it using a visual guide, but first! you will have to create an IFTTT account (it is free). After that (and signing in), click on CREATE APPLET:

Let’s do this: 15 minutes before a Google Calendar event takes place, the iboardbot will draw it. So, click on “if This…add” and select the Google Calendar service. Then, pick the desired action. In this case, “Any event starts”. Pick your Gmail associated email address (linked to your Google calendar) and the “time before event”. I would like to get a reminder 15 minutes before, so I selected it.

Ok. Then, we need to use the Webhook service to trigger your iboardbot. So, select it as “Then That” service. The only possible option here is MAKE A WEB REQUEST

This is important. The text you have to place in the URL field will be almost always the same.

http://ibbapp.jjrobots.com/api/v1/message.php?APPID=YOURAPPIDHERE&TEXT={{Text}}

Where {{Text}} will vary depending on the service you are using. There are “add-ons” already set by IFTTT. They are the ingredients. They can be: filenames, users, hashtags…. But the important thing here is: The iboardbot will automatically draw the text/ingredients found after the &TEXT=

Let the other options as default: Method: GET and Content Type: Please select. Body: blank

Finally, name your Applet.

This is where you set a name for you APPLET. Keep in mind that this is a very flexible service! For example, if you are a Radiohead fan, you can create an Applet that will draw the last Radiohead tweet : “If new tweet by RADIOHEAD, then write it on my iBoardbot” 😉

Another example:

I want the iboardbot to draw any Tweet containing the user @jjrobots (That is handy). So, I will use the TWITTER Applet and set everything as below:

The IFTTT´s Twitter applet will let you pick one or several ingredients like: TEXT, USERNAME, LINKTOTWEET,CREATEDAT. Pick as many as you wish but remember: you have limited room to draw on your iboarbot! 🙂