Besides just being a fun word to say, a bookmarklet is a snippet of JavaScript that you can store as a bookmark, just like a regular URL. Drag one to your browser’s bookmarks bar, and it’ll appear just like a bookmark, but when you click it, it’ll perform some kind of action on the page you’re viewing, instead of taking you to a new page. They’re fun, they’re free, and if you know some JavaScript, you can even program your own. Until then, we’ll get you started with some super-useful bookmarklets that’ll save you time and add some magic to your web surfing. And they're all right here -- to use one, just drag its bold link right to your bookmarks toolbar. We'll also list where it lives on the Internet, for your reference.
PRO TIP #1:
Shorten the names in your bookmarks bar to save space, and fit more bookmarklets. A bookmarklet called "Share on Facebook," for example, can be shortened to ShareFB.
PRO TIP #2:
To save even more space, right-click your bookmarks bar and select New Folder. Park your bookmarklets in that folder (using your browser's Organize Bookmarks tool), and the list will drop down when you click the folder.
When you find a thought-provoking article, amazing video, or hilarious photo of a cat, click the Share on Facebook bookmarklet for a pop-up window that lets you post a link to your Facebook profile, optionally tossing in your own two cents too. Use it judiciously—a handful of truly excellent links per week will make your friends think you’re King of the Internet.
Where to find it: www.facebook.com/share_options.php
Others like it:
Flickr (retro.xhtmled.com/miscellaneous/bookmarklets/)
Twit This (www.micropersuasion.com/2007/10/essential-bookm.html)
Delicious (delicious.com/help/bookmarklets)
The Share on Facebook bookmarklet lets you post a link to your profile, or send it as a message.
2. Readability
This slick bookmarklet makes articles and other text-heavy pages easier on the eyes by stripping away all the ads and clutter, so you feel like you’re reading a document in a word processor. You even get to select the settings before dragging the bookmarklet to your toolbar.
Where to find it: lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability
Others like it:
Clippable (brettterpstra.com/share/readability2.html)
Fix Width (www.shauninman.com/archive/2007/01/19/wide_load)
Readability strips all the ads and other junk off a page, leaving only the text. So readable!
Ever surf to a page and notice something missing—that controversial blog post has been pulled, or the whole site has simply disappeared? Click the Wayback Machine bookmarklet to be transported to previous versions of that page courtesy of the Internet Archive.
Where to find it: www.archive.org/web/web.php
4. Lingro
The translation service Lingro.com offers two bookmarklets. The full-service one opens the page you’re viewing inside of Lingro.com, letting you click on any word to get a definition or translation. The quick-lookup version works the same but keeps you at the original URL and omits the full version’s toolbar.
Where to find it: lingro.com/docs/browswer-tools.html
Others like it:
Google Translate (translate.google.com/translate_buttons)
BabelFish (www.squarefree.com/bookmarklets/misc.html)
Lingro's instant translations are muy buenos.
5. Linkify
This one is a big time-saver for bloggers. You highlight text on a page, click the Linkify bookmarklet, and you’ll see a popup of Google search results for that string of text. You click a “Create Link” button by the webpage you want, and the text is now a hyperlink to that page. It’s great for linking up the names of people and places in your blog posts.
Where to find it: www.mattcutts.com/blog/linkify-the-best-bookmarklet-youre-not-using/
Linkify helps you add hyperlinks to words. Click the screenshot to embiggen.
6. bit.ly
When you want to shorten a long URL for posting to Twitter, including in a blog comment, or any other short-URL needs, just click the bit.ly bookmarklet to launch a new window with the URL all shortened and ready to go.
Where to find it: bit.ly/pages/tools
Others like it:
TinyURL.com (tinyurl.com)
is.gd (is.gd/instructions.php)
tiny.cc (tiny.cc)
7. Remove Bloat
Nothing’s more annoying than coming across a page with auto-playing music, obnoxious Flash-based ads, or other browser-slowing nonsense. Remove Bloat strips all that away with one click.
Where to find it: cybernetnews.com/cybernotes-the-best-bookmarklets-for-your-browser/
Remove Bloat nuked all the ads from our site. (They're circled in red in the screenshot above.)
Keeping track of all the information, links, images, and PDFs you want to save is easy with Evernote’s clipping-and-syncing service, which boasts Mac and iPhone apps (and Windows and Android and BlackBerry) along with the Web app at Evernote.com. And the bookmarklet makes using Evernote even easier by adding selected text when you click it, or adding the whole page if you haven’t selected any text.
Where to find it: www.evernote.com/Login.action
9. BugMeNot
If you don’t feel like signing up for your own account on a website, click the BugMeNot bookmarklet to log in anonymously with a public login and password created by the users of BugMeNot.com.
Where to find it: www.bugmenot.com
10. Instapaper and Read It Later
We can’t put one of these nearly identical services above the other. You sign up on the website, then drag the bookmarklet to your toolbar, and click it when you’re on an interesting article or page that you want to keep to read later. Each service also has an iPhone app, a full-fledged Firefox extension, RSS feeds, Kindle integration, and more.
Where to find them: www.instapaper.com/extras and readitlaterlist.com/bookmarklets
That's how you know a link was added to your Instapaper list. It just works.
11. toread.cc
If you just want to email yourself links to interesting websites you want to read later, this service will do just that, with a single click of this handy bookmark. We can't link the bookmarklet above, because you have to register at toread.cc first, so they have your email address and can send you links!
Where to find it: toread.cc
12. Note in Reader
Google Reader has social features that let you share articles from your RSS feeds with your contacts, and comment on them. This bookmarklet extends that to the whole internet, letting you share any URL without having to subscribe to its RSS feed first.
Where to find it: googlereader.blogspot.com/2008/05/share-anything-anytime-anywhere.html
13. Map This
One of several useful Google bookmarklets, this one lets you select an address on the page you’re viewing and click to see that location pinpointed on Google Maps.
Where to find it: googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/07/useful-google-bookmarklets.html
Versatile to-do service Remember the Milk has a handy bookmarklet that launches a Quick Add dialog for adding a new task to your to-do list.
Where to find it: www.rememberthemilk.com/help/answers/quickadd/firefox.rtm
Others like it:
Todoist (todoist.com/anywhere)
Google Calendar (googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/07/useful-google-bookmarklets.html)
Remember the Milk can remember all your tasks, dairy-related or not.
Where to Find More!!!
>> The Bookmarklet Directory at www.marklets.com
>> Safari-friendly bookmarklets at pimpmysafari.com/bookmarklets/
>> Squarefree.com/bookmarklets/
>> Operawiki.info/BookMarklets
Got any we missed? Stick 'em in the comments!
