IFTTT Pro adds conditional rules and multiple actions for a price

IFTTT (If This Then That) is just about the most powerful and useful automation tool on the planet, but it has suffered from being rather too simple at times.

Since launch, IFTTT has only allowed you to create the most basic applets with a single trigger and only one action. Now, IFTTT Pro finally gives you some more complicated controls for managing your life, but you have to pay for it.

Rather than a free upgrade, IFTTT Pro is a paid-for subscription service. It will cost $9.99 a month, but if you sign up for it now, you can choose how much to pay for the first year, with a minimum price of $1.99 per month.

IFTTT Pro takes standard Applets and gives you more tools to control them. The main addition is multiple actions, so you can finally do lots of things in a single Applet, rather than creating multiple ones. For example, you could have your lights turn off and your Arlo system arm when you lock your Smartthings compatible lock.

IFTTT Pro also adds JavaScript filters into the mix, which lets you set conditions on when the action is performed. For example, you could say that a rule only runs after a certain time. And, you can, depending on the trigger item, run filters on that. In my example, I can query the SmartThings system to find out when the lock was unlocked, so only run a rule based on this information.

It’s powerful, although you’ll need to be at least slightly familiar with coding to get the most out the system, so this isn’t particularly an upgrade for casual users.

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IFTTT Pro can also pull in query information from some devices, which you can filter to make more advanced rules. Availability depends massively on the service, and some aren’t supported. Some services provide query data that’s unlikely to be very useful, such as Arlo: would you have run a rule based on the history of low battery reports?

Still, as more services provide information, IFTTT Pro will get more powerful, letting you do more with the system and letting it compete with slightly more powerful rivals, such as Zapier.

It’s a step in the right direction, but it would be nice to see some advancement in how actions run. For example, if you have your Hue lights turn on automatically when a camera detects motion, it would be nice to be able to turn the lights off again after five minutes.

It’s early days for IFTTT Pro, but the core functionality adds features that the system has needed for years. Given the wide support that the system has, IFTTT Pro could become the best system for automating workflows and your smart home.