IFTTT—aka If This Then That, aka "ift" (rhymes with "gift")—is a wonderful service that automates the Internet services and apps you use all the time. Our best friends at PCWorld have an excellent primer on getting started with IFTTT, so check it out if you're unfamiliar with how it works.
Basically, the services IFTTT works with are called channels, and the little programs that tell the channels how to interact are called recipes. They're searchable, shareable, and highly customizable—and they can do some surprisingly useful things. Here are 22 of our favorites. But we could list 100 more and still barely scratch the surface of what IFTTT can do, so if you have a favorite recipe of your own, let us know in the comments!
Track your packages
The excellent package-tracking service Boxoh has an IFTTT channel, and you can use this recipe to have Boxoh send you a text message when your package moves. This is kind of a single-serving recipe: You have to visit IFTTT first to enter a tracking number (FedEx, UPS, USPS, OnTrac, or DHL/Airborne). But thenceforth you'll get a text every time the tracking info on your item is updated—including upon delivery!
Archive your tweets
Twitter will let you download an archive of your tweets, but it's a one-shot deal, and receiving the archive can take days. With this recipe, you can have each new tweet added to a spreadsheet on your Google Drive. Easy, automatic, and highly searchable.
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