How to make a Javascript Bookmarklet

tommy — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:22:23 +0000

There’s a niffy trick in browsers that you you execute Javascript code in the url location bar. (This is how a lot of security holes are created too!)
Try typing the below into your browser url bar:
javascript:alert('look how cool this is')
Cool, it runs javascript!

You may have noticed a lot of websites take advantage of this to enhance a service. Instapaper’s “Read Later” saves the current page and Pastefire’s “Pastefire this” saves the selected text.

To make your own, just write javascript inside a link tag as a one liner. Then just ask users to click and drag the link to the bookmark toolbar.

Here’s an example for my Next Sprocket site which will start you on a new open source task with the title and description partially filled out:
Sprocket it!

Sprocket it!

Tommy Chheng » Javascript

How to make a Javascript Bookmarklet