Use bookmarklets to quickly perform common web page tasks

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Bookmarklets allow you to always keep your common tasks on a web page just a click away. This article tells you what bookmarklets are, and explains how to install and use them.

What do bookmarklets do?

A bookmarklet is a "one-click" tool which adds functionality to the browser, such as modifying the appearance of a web page, querying a search engine with search terms provided by previously selected text, or submitting the current page to a translation or blogging service.

How bookmarklets are different from extensions?

  • They do basic tasks on clicking.
  • They are universal, i.e. they usually work on any browser, not just Firefox, and whatever the platform, mobile or desktop.
  • They are managed as any bookmarks. For more information, see Bookmarks in Firefox.

How do I install a bookmarklet?

To install a bookmarklet, simply:

  1. Show the Bookmarks Toolbar by right-clickingcontrol-clicking on an empty section of the Tab Strip and checking Bookmarks Toolbar in the pop-up menu.
  2. Drag the bookmarklet from the page to your Bookmarks Toolbar. It should appear on the toolbar.

That's all there is to it!

The process is very similar for other browsers; usually the only hard part is figuring out how to show your browser's Bookmarks Toolbar – but once that's taken care of, you're good to go!

How do I use a bookmarklet?

All you have to do is:

  1. Navigate to the page where you want your bookmarklet to apply to.
  2. Click the bookmarklet on your Bookmarks Toolbar.

Where do I find bookmarklets?

Now that you know what bookmarklets are and how to install and use them, here are some cool bookmarklets to start your own collection:

  • Readability removes crufty sidebars from web pages and enlarges text to make it easier to read.
  • Microsoft Translator Bookmarklet detects the original language of a web page and translates it to your own language. This bookmarklet doesn't work on secure (https://) websites.

You can find more at http://marklets.com/.

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