ifttt is alive!

It has been nine months since our simple idea with big ambitions made its first public appearance and we are pleased to announce that ifttt is now open for all!

We began with the theory that as our digital tools became more domain specific and easier to use, there would be vast amounts of creative potential in how any two tools might be used in tandem. We knew that with this immense potential came a problem of equal proportions. There just aren’t enough developers and designers in the world to craft all these connections. A million developers at a million laptops wouldn’t even make a dent. So we set out to build an incredibly simple tool that anyone could use to define creative, event-driven tasks that fit the pattern “if this then that.”

Over these last nine months our beta testers responded ferociously, creating over 100 thousand tasks that have collectively triggered more than 25 million times. We’d like to sincerely thank everyone who gave the tires a good kick, shared suggestions, or helped squash a bug. Please, keep it coming!

Introducing ifttt Recipes

We believe that it’s baked into our very nature as people that once we’ve solved a problem we immediately look to spread that solution to others who might also benefit. 

Many people have sent us enthusiastic feedback and have written instructive blog posts about how they’ve used ifttt in new or interesting ways. We were inspired by how excited people are about expressing these solutions, and in response we’ve designed a system called Recipes.

Turn any task into a Recipe and share the link with your friends. They’ll be only a few clicks away from turning your Recipe into a task.

The next steps

With a Post-it bill rivaling our server bill and amazing suggestions pouring in, we’ve no shortage of ideas on where to take ifttt next. If you can verbally describe a task you’d like to create, we believe it’s only a matter of time before ifttt can make that connection a reality.

One last thing (I couldn’t resist)

A crucial element in building any tool that enables creativity is defining the right set of constraints. You have to start with a box before you can think outside of it. Though sometimes, it’s the absence of limitations in just the right places that drive creative thought. With that in mind, we are thrilled to announce that we’ve done away with the limit on how many tasks you can enable. May your imagination run wild…

The ifttt Team
Linden, Jesse, & Alexander