Automate Netlify Builds with IFTTT

Netlify rebuilds a site whenever its Git repository changes, but sometimes you want a scheduled rebuild — e.g. to publish future-dated posts, refresh content pulled from an external API at build time, or rotate a “currently reading” widget. Netlify exposes build hooks (a URL that triggers a build when POSTed to) for exactly this, and IFTTT’s free Date & Time + Webhooks services are enough to wire a cron-like schedule to that hook with no server.

Adapted from Eleventy’s documentation, but the same recipe works for any static site generator deployed on Netlify.

In Netlify

1. Open the site’s Build & deploy settings.
2. Select Continuous Deployment.
3. Add a Build hook.
4. Name it whatever you’d like and select the branch to build.
5. Save — Netlify gives you a long URL like https://api.netlify.com/build_hooks/SOME_ID_HERE. Keep this URL; it’s effectively a secret (anyone with it can trigger builds).

In IFTTT

1. Go to New Applet on IFTTT.
2. Click +this and choose the Date & Time service.
3. Pick the trigger interval — “Every day at” is the usual choice for a daily rebuild; “Every hour” / day-of-week triggers also exist.
4. Click +that and choose the Webhooks service.
5. Select Make a web request.
6. Configure the request:
   • URL: the Netlify build hook URL from above
   • Method: POST
   • Content Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
   • Body: {}
7. Click Create action, rename the applet, and click Finish.

The build fires on schedule from then on. Check Netlify’s deploy log after the first expected trigger to confirm the webhook landed.

Notes

• A build hook is an unauthenticated endpoint — treat the URL like a password. Rotating it is one click in Netlify’s settings.
• IFTTT’s free tier allows a small number of applets; heavy use may push you to a paid plan.
• For more control (specific minutes, multiple schedules, retry logic), a cron job hitting the same build-hook URL with curl -X POST does the same thing without IFTTT.

Sources

• Eleventy — Quick Tip: Trigger a Netlify Build Every Day with IFTTT
• Netlify Docs — Build Hooks
• IFTTT — Homepage

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