现在，比以往任何时候都多的技术正在左右涌现，有望让我们的生活更加方便。从广为人知的亚马逊 Alexa(Amazon Alexa)和谷歌助手(Google Assistant)，到智能洒水器和车库开门器等更多小众产品，建造一个可以满足您的奇思妙想的家变得越来越容易。
市场上有很多品牌都承诺让你的生活变得轻而易举，但如果你不小心，你最终可能会得到一个不够“智能”的智能家居，无法协同工作。
IFTTT是“If this, then that”的缩写，它试图通过一个简单但出奇复杂的条件触发系统来解决这个问题。
因此，如果您正在寻找使您的智能家居更智能的解决方案，或者即使您只是想自动化一些日常任务，请阅读下文，了解我们如何开始使用IFTTT的细分。
入门
虽然并非所有设备都可以使用IFTTT，但好消息是该服务是完全免费的。在本指南中，我们将使用一个不依赖于任何特定智能技术的示例，以便让您对系统的工作原理有一个与平台无关的感觉。
首先(First)，您需要导航到IFTTT.com。可以通过 Web 界面或IFTTT应用程序（Play Store / App Store）来设置服务，虽然本指南将重点介绍通过 Web 浏览器了解IFTTT，但该过程在任何移动设备上都非常相似。
单击右上角的注册(Sign Up)以创建您的免费帐户。从这里开始，您将使用这些凭据来管理您的触发器并连接您的各种智能设备。
小程序
您与IFTTT交互并提高连接设备效率的主要方式是通过称为“Applet”的工具。该服务由数百个预制小程序构建而成，因此很有可能已经有解决方案可以完成您想要做的事情。
首次登录时，您会看到下面的横幅以及适用于Android和 iOS 等操作系统以及Twitter、Instagram、Spotify、Google Assistant、Amazon Alexa等流行服务的磁贴列表。
选择其中一些图块将有助于IFTTT为您提供一些您可能感兴趣的Applet(Applets)类型的建议，但我们将在下面讨论如何与这些建议不同。
简而言之(Simply)，Applet充当了两个不同操作之间的桥梁。当一个事件发生时（“如果”），第二个事件将触发（“那个”）。使用IFTTT(IFTTT)进行定制的可能性几乎是无穷无尽的，只要稍加修改，您就可以完成一些非常有创意的事情。
一旦您选择了您最喜欢的服务，您将被带到一个包含一些Applets推荐的页面。这是一个很好的机会来尝试了解这项服务的具体运作方式。
当您单击Applet时，您应该会被带到一个看起来像这样的屏幕。
从那里，只需单击打开小程序(just click to turn on the applet)，只要第二天下雨，您就会收到一封直接发送到与您的IFTTT帐户关联的地址的电子邮件。(IFTTT)就这么简单！
但是，您可能正在寻找比IFTTT主页必须提供的默认建议更具体的东西。让我们谈谈如何找到特定的Applet。
查找特定的 IFTTT 小程序
要找到适用于您的特定智能技术或服务的Applet，只需导航回IFTTT仪表板，然后单击左上角的搜索。(Search)
在本示例中，我们将使用飞利浦 Hue——(Philips Hue – one)最流行的智能家居照明解决方案之一。在搜索“Philips Hue”时，我们会看到一个充满瓷砖的页面，我们可以通过不同的方式将这些产品与其他智能实用程序连接起来。
上面的四个图块只是可用于飞利浦 Hue的预制(Philips Hue)小程序(Applets)中的一小部分，并且有同样强大的产品阵容适用于各种智能产品。
单击屏幕底部的“更多”可查看几乎无穷无尽的不同小程序列表，您只需按一下按钮即可打开。(More)
创建自定义小程序
IFTTT 的Applets集合令人印象深刻，但该服务真正闪耀的地方在于它能够让您创建自己的触发器，这些触发器完全根据您的需求进行定制。
要开始使用您自己的自定义小程序，请单击IFTTT主页 面左上角的我的小程序，然后单击下一页上的(My Applets)新小程序(New Applet) 按钮。
这将带您进入自定义小程序创建的主页。要开始该过程，请单击 +This 以设置条件触发器的第一部分。
下一页有大量的瓷砖供您选择。请记住(Remember)，此时您正在选择将触发响应的初始操作。现在让我们使用“日期和时间”触发器(“Date & Time” trigger.)让事情变得简单。
此时，您可以选择从各种不同的时间间隔中进行选择。让我们在每年1 月 1 日(January 1st)凌晨 12:00 设置一个触发器。
现在是时候使用触发器的那(That) 部分了。和之前一样，单击Applet的下一部分。
让我们给自己发一封电子邮件来庆祝新年吧！单击(Click)电子邮件(Email )磁贴以填写详细信息。
接下来，选择Send Me an Email，填写所需信息，然后单击Create Action。
最后一页将确认您的IFTTT任务。剩下的就是单击 完成 ( Finish )并创建您的第一个自定义小程序！
现在，在每年年初向您发送IFTTT电子邮件可能不是您想象中的令人难以置信的家庭效率，但无论您要完成什么，创建IFTTT 小程序的过程几乎都是相同的。(IFTTT Applet)
只要弄清楚你的触发器（“如果这个”）和你想要做什么（“那么那个”），你就可以通过方便的自动化来填充智能家居。
只需投入一点时间，您就可以高枕无忧，因为IFTTT在您的设备和服务之间进行通信，让真正互联家庭的梦想成为现实。享受！
The Complete Beginner’s Guide To IFTTT
Now, more than ever before, technology is cropping up lеft and right that promises to make our lives more convenient. From the widely recоgnіzable Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, to more niсhe offerings like smart sprinklers and garage door openers, it’s becoming easier and easier to build a home that anticipates your whіms.
There are tons of brands on the market that all promise to make your life a breeze, but if you’re not careful you can end up with a smart home that isn’t quite “smart” enough to work together.
IFTTT, short for “If this, then that,” seeks to address that issue with a simple, yet surprisingly sophisticated, conditional trigger system.
So if you’re looking for a solution to make your smart home a little smarter, or even if you’d just like to automate some daily tasks, read on below for our breakdown of how to get started with IFTTT.
Getting Started
While not every device works with IFTTT, the good news is that the service is completely free. In this guide, we’ll be using an example that doesn’t rely on any sort of specific smart technology in order to give you a platform-agnostic sense of how the system works.
First off, you’ll want to navigate to IFTTT.com. Setting up the service can be handled through the web interface or through the IFTTT app (Play Store / App Store), and while this guide will focus on getting to know IFTTT through a web browser, the process is quite similar on any mobile device.
Click on Sign Up in the top right corner to create your free account. You’ll use these credentials from here on out to manage your triggers and connect your various smart devices.
Applets
The primary way that you’ll interact with IFTTT and increase the efficiency of your connected devices is through tools called “Applets.” The service is built with hundreds of pre-made Applets, so chances are that there are already solutions out there that accomplish what you’re looking to do.
When you first log in, you’ll be greeted with the banner below alongside a list of tiles for operating systems like Android and iOS, as well as popular services like Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and more.
Selecting a few of these tiles will help IFTTT give you some recommendations on the types of Applets you might be interested in, but we’ll talk about how to diverge from those recommendations below.
Simply put, an Applet functions as a bridge between two different actions. When one event happens (the “If”), the second event will trigger (the “That). The possibilities for customization with IFTTT are nearly endless, and with a little bit of tinkering, you can accomplish some really creative things.
Once you’ve selected your favorite services, you’ll be brought to a page with some recommendations for Applets. This is a great opportunity to give one a try to see exactly how this service works.
When you click on the Applet, you should be brought to a screen that looks something like this.
From there, just click to turn on the applet and you’ll get an email sent directly to the address associated with your IFTTT account whenever it will rain the following day. It’s as simple as that!
But, chances are you’re looking for something a little more specific than the default recommendations that the IFTTT homepage has to offer. Let’s talk a bit about how to find a specific Applet.
Finding A Specific IFTTT Applet
In order to find an Applet that works with your specific smart tech or service, simply navigate back to the IFTTT dashboard and click on Search in the upper left-hand corner.
For this example, we’ll use Philips Hue – one of the most popular smart home lighting solutions. Upon searching for “Philips Hue,” we’re greeted with a page full of tiles for different ways we can connect these products with other smart utilities.
The four tiles above are just a tiny selection of the premade Applets available for Philips Hue, and there are equally robust lineups for a wide range of smart products.
Click More at the bottom of the screen for a near-endless list of different Applets you can turn on with the simple press of a button.
Creating A Custom Applet
IFTTT’s collection of Applets is pretty impressive as is, but where the service really shines is in its ability to allow you to create your own triggers that are customized exactly to your needs.
To get started on your own custom applet, click My Applets in the top left corner of the main IFTTT page, followed by the New Applet button on the next page.
This will bring you to the main page for custom applet creation. To get the process started, click on +This to set the first part of your conditional trigger.
The next page has a ton of tiles for you to choose from. Remember, at this point you’re choosing the initial action that will then trigger a response. Let’s keep things simple for now with a “Date & Time” trigger.
At this point, you’ll have the option to choose from a variety of different time intervals. Let’s set ourselves up with a trigger every year at 12:00 A.M. on January 1st.
Now it’s time for the That part of your trigger. Just as you did before, click on the next part of your Applet.
Let’s send ourselves an email to celebrate the new year! Click on the Email tile to fill in the details.
Next, choose Send Me an Email, fill out the required information, and click Create Action.
The final page will confirm your IFTTT task. All that’s left is to click Finish and create your first custom Applet!
Now, having IFTTT email you at the beginning of every year might not be the incredible home efficiency you had in mind, but the process for creating an IFTTT Applet is pretty much the same regardless of what you’re trying to accomplish.
Just figure out your trigger (The “If This”) and what you want done (the “Then That”), and you’re well on your way to filling out a smart home with convenient automation.
With a little time invested, you’ll be able to sit back and relax as IFTTT communicates between your devices and services and makes the dream of a truly connected home a reality. Enjoy!
