I Use Automation Tools Like IFTTT And Zapier To Make My Life Easier, And So Can You

I love automating the drudgery of modern life, partly because it gives me time to be more productive, but also because I’m incredibly scatterbrained and forget the simplest things. I automate tasks in Windows 11 to save me a few clicks every day. I automate the lights in my home once I pull up to the driveway, automatically unmute my iPhone during work hours so I don’t miss any important calls, then mute it again once it gets close to bedtime. I also love using voice assistants to control my smart home, but not every smart device has native voice assistant support. To get around the limitations of these services, I use automation tools like IFTTT and Zapier to link them together, so I can use my voice instead of fumbling with my phone. These powerful automation services are invaluable to me, and I really think you should check them out too.

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What is IFTTT and how can it help

If This, Then Thatbetter known as IFTTT, is a popular software platform that links apps, devices, and services together, even if they don’t typically connect. I use it to connect my garage door opener to my voice assistants, because why such basic smart home functionality isn’t in the official app I will never understand. It’s a godsend when carrying stacks of boxes or tools out of the garage, so I can close the door behind me without stopping. I’ve also got it set up to make an announcement over my Echo speakers when the garage door is opened, because the smallest member of our household wants to open everything.

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But it’s not all about fixing the gaps between smart home devices. Big brands like Google and Ring make their own applets for what they think users will use. These are fairly normal tasks, like unarming security systems or flashing the user’s Hue lights when the doorbell rings (something I also use because I hate hearing the doorbell). The real fun happens when users make their own applets, with things that the big developers never dreamed of. The most useful ones I’ve found are for auto-logging inputs, like emailing you when the doorbell rings, or adding the time and date of an occurrence to a spreadsheet.

The service is free to use, with community applets also being free to use. You’re limited to only two custom applets however, which is fine if you can find the tasks you want to accomplish in the already published applets. Otherwise, it’s $35 a year to get 20 custom applets, which can also be multi-action and at faster speeds, so your applets will trigger more quickly. That enhancement can be well worth it for time-sensitive tasks, but I’ve found that it’s not necessary for the majority of automation tasks I’ve set up.

IFTTT

Automate the digital tasks in your life or add new logging or notification functionality to your smart devices with IFTTT, a simple tool for connecting services, devices, and apps together.

What is Zapier and how can it help

Automate your daily digital tasks

Zapier is very similar to IFTTT, but with a much wider pool of tasks that it can accomplish. It helps you automate tasks that otherwise take up valuable time, and has a no-code tool for linking tasks and software together. It looks for a trigger, then does an action based on what you’ve set it up for. Now, while I do use Zapier, I’ve only scratched the surface of what the service can do. The main thing I use it for is to create a Slack message on a specific channel every time my blog publishes a post, so that I can keep track of what’s happening throughout the day. I didn’t even have to put the Zap (as Zapier automations are known) together, there’s already a ton of Slack + WordPress integrations so I just picked it from the list.

That simple task that took less than five minutes to accomplish now saves me up to an hour of time in a day. I’ve also got Zaps set up for adding tasks from the project management software that I use, into my personal to-do app, so that I don’t need to have two apps running and won’t miss anything important. That doesn’t just save me time, it also makes it easier to keep track of what I have to do at any point, as my work and home tasks are all on my personal to-do list.

The best thing is, I can use the free tier to accomplish what I want with automation, as my monthly number of tasks is fairly low. I also don’t use complicated workflows that would need multi-step automations, otherwise I’d have to upgrade to the Professional tier, which starts at $20 a month. The only thing to look out for is that pricing changes substantially based on the number of tasks used in the month. It’s worth making a list of the tasks you could automate, and how often they happen, so you can plan which tasks you will automate. That way, you won’t get stung with a huge bill.

Zapier

Zapier lets you automate almost anything you can think of inside digital apps, programs, and services, so you can focus on the important things.

Automation tools can make your life easier, but you need to keep an eye on them

Whether you’re stringing smart home devices together with IFTTT, or getting software to do things it normally won’t with Zapier, automation can save you plenty of time on tasks that you do frequently. When they’re working properly, you won’t need to waste your precious time on repetitive tasks, leaving you free to tackle more complex and meaningful ones. These programs do have a learning curve at first, while figuring out what you can accomplish, but the payoff is worth it once you master the joys of automation.