iMacros for Squidoo Lensmasters

To download the add-on, follow the appropriate link (fyi - for a whole host of reasons, I prefer Firefox for macros):

• For Firefox: iMacros for Firefox



• For Internet Explorer: iMacros for Internet Explorer

Why this add-on and not some other recorder software? Because these add-ons are built to work within a browser versus many recorder programs which copy mouse moves and clicks but do not interact with the browser itself and, therefore, don't react based on the the status of your browser but click on unaware when the page your trying to act on hasn't even come up yet. Those recorders are great for other tasks, though. I have one, I use it regularly, and I love it.

Make sure the iMacros icon shows in your browser toolbar (see the #1 in the photo). If you don't see the actual iMacros toolbar running down the left-hand side of your browser (see the #2 in the photo), then click on the iMacros icon so the iMacros toolbar pops up.

To record a fresh macro, it's best to have only one tab open. Open the Record options by clicking on the Record file tab in the iMacros toolbar. Press RECORD and start performing the tasks you want to automate. When you're done, press STOP on the iMacros toolbar. All the actions you made with your mouse between hitting "Record" and "Stop" are recorded by iMacros including the URL of the website pages you accessed and any tabs you opened along the way.

SAVE your macro! Press the SAVE button located under the RECORD button. A pop-up will allow you to name your macro. Give it a name that you will easily remember for this task such as "Squidoo Working Sites"

TIP #1: I put a number "1" in front of my Squidoo macro name so it will be located at the top of the macro list since all macros are sorted numerically first and then alphabetically.

Tip #2: I deleted all the pre-written macros that came with iMacros to make it easier to find my own. I've never missed them but if you test websites or are fairly technical, you might want to browse through them and keep the ones you'd find useful.

Now it's time to use (play) your macro. Open the Play options by clicking on the Play file tab in the iMacros toolbar. The PLAY button plays a macro just once. Now that you've recorded your macro, log out of your sites, close all but one tab, click on your macro name in the list of macros, and press PLAY (see the #1 in the photo). The macro will run once and finish when all steps have been completed.

Tip #3: You may someday have a macro you want to play over and over - maybe to continuously refresh a web page. If you want the macro to "loop" (play repeatedly), enter the number of times you want the macro to run under "Max" (see the #2 in the photo) and press "Play Loop". The "Current" box counts along to show you how many times the loop has played so far.

You can use macros to perform other routine Squidoo activities. Knowing this, you will likely find non-Squidoo uses for macros, too.

- Submit to search engines

- Refresh a Digg page in separate browser to keep page fresh

- Super-bookmark your macros for easy access

- Fill out forms

- Share macros - email them or add them as links to your lens

To see how iMacros works, copy this link location and paste it into the address bar of a separate Firefox browser. Must have iMacros installed! This should open four Squidoo-related tabs for you:

Squidoo iMacros Demo

Tip#4: You can set the speed of your macro from Slow to Fast in the Options section located in the Edit file of the iMacro toolbar.

While not a Squidoo partner charity at this time (I'm working on them), they are my favorite charity specifically because my dad is a board member and donates considerable time and energy to their organization. He does not have to do this, he chooses to do this and for that reason, he makes us (his family) all very, very proud. If you would like to learn more about Spina Bifida or the Spina Bifida Association of Western Pennsylvania, please follow the button to their web page for more information.