Top 10 Greasemonkey scripts to improve your productivity
Two weeks ago we covered the top 10 Firefox extensions to improve your productivity. Similarly, the powerful Greasemonkey extension (with the help of Stylish) can do wonders for your productivity, as well. You can accomplish many of the tasks that the Greasemonkey scripts below can do with various Firefox extensions. However, if you prefer to keep your list of extensions short (and to help conserve your computer memory) then give these scripts a try and watch your productivity soar! The following are 10 Greasemonkey scripts that are bound to improve your productivity and web browsing experience.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Greasemonkey Firefox extension, here is the somewhat techy definition from Wikipedia:
Greasemonkey is a Mozilla Firefox extension that allows users to install scripts that make on-the-fly changes to specific web pages. As the Greasemonkey scripts are persistent, the changes made to the web pages are executed every time the page is opened, making them effectively permanent for the user running the script.
The first step is to install Greasemonkey like any other extension. For the purpose of this tutorial, also install Stylish exactly the same way you installed Greasemonkey. I have directly linked to the 10 Greasemonkey scripts below, so after you install Greasemonkey, all you need to do is click the links and the script will be installed.
Gmail Conversation Preview lets you right click on your messages in Gmail and see a preview of the message. Furthermore, Gmail Conversation Preview allows you to mark your email message as unread, archive, or delete exactly as if you had the email message open. Using this script will reduce the amount of time it takes to get through your email tremendously.
2. Stylish + Adblocking per Gozer
This script was introduced two weeks ago in my list of Firefox extensions. Adblocker is extremely accurate and will block all Google Adsense and many other various advertisements on any site throughout the web. With the amount of distractions cut out, your can get some serious work done.
If you use both the Gmail and the Google Reader suite of applications, you can integrate Google Reader into Gmail so that you can read your feeds right in your Gmail window. Google Reader + Gmail tucks your Google Reader feeds right into Gmail allowing you to read your favorite feeds without leaving your email.
4. Invisibility cloak
When you really need to hunker down and get some work done, the best alternative is to completely block those time wasting sites. To explain, you can create a list of the sites you find yourself sucked to, and schedule them to be blocked until after a certain time. For example if you keep getting sucked to Lifehack.org, or Digg.com, you can ban these sites until after 5pm. Lifehacker’s Gina Trapani wrote the Invisibility Cloak script and it blocks flickr.com and metafilter.com by default. If you want to add your own favorite time-sucking sites, right click the Greasemonkey logo in the bottom right corner of Firefox, choose “Manage User Scripts…” and add your Web sites to the list. The script is totally customizable and great for your productivity if you don’t mind going cold turkey on some of your favorite sites.
5. Gmail Macros
“This excellent script extends the built-in Gmail keyboard shortcuts to let you mark an email as read, star it, move it, send it to the trash and a host of other added functionality” all with a couple quick key strokes. In order to see a list of all the keyboard shortcuts added by this script, open up Gmail and type ‘?’ and you will get an expanded view of the window I have shown.
6. Google Image Relinker
The Google Image relinking script redirects your Google Image search results directly to the full sized image so that you no longer have to click through the originating site to get to the full-sized image.
If you find that you are consistently searching Gmail for the same type of content, a persistent search would be for you. With this Greasemonkey script, you can create one-click searches of all of your email.
8. Add a second inbox to your Gmail account.
If you’re sick and tired of fighting with your significant other about whose Gmail account is signed in, or if you manage more than one email account, rather than forwarding all your email to one account, with this Greasemonkey script you can add a second button to your Gmail account and quickly flip between two accounts. In order to use this script, you have to edit the .js file to include your second email account.
If you use Google Reader, RSS Quick subscribe will show you links to the RSS feeds in the top right corner. Give the links a quick click and you will seamlessly be subcribed via Google Reader
Ever use the line “I have attached so and so” and then forget to actually attach the document? Of course you have, everybody has! However, with the attachment reminder, you will never forget again. If you use the words “attach” or “attached” and there is no attachment, the script will ask if you forgot the attachment. This script has come in handy for me tons of times!
I know I must have missed tons of productivity-enhancing Greasemonkey scripts. Which of the above mentioned scripts can’t you live without? Please share your favorite Greasemonkey scripts in the comments.
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Comments
David says on March 21st, 2007 at 10:42 am
Thanks for the tips, I needed #8 but I didnt even know it. Thanks!
Simon says on March 21st, 2007 at 11:45 am
I found a newer, much nicer gmail and reader integration greasemonkey script: http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/7435
Adam Summers says on March 21st, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Great tips! I’ve always been a bit intimidated by greasemonkey scripts, but these look quite doable, and very helpful.
Travis Jeffery says on March 21st, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Wow, this may sway me to start using Firefox again instead of Safari.
Nev says on March 22nd, 2007 at 2:27 am
This is a one super duper site
Aaron says on March 22nd, 2007 at 5:39 am
Great list, but one note. You describe what Greasemonkey is in the opening paragraph but don’t give any explanation of Stylish is. You simply link directly to the xpi installation file. I’m sure it’s great, but I’d like a little more information about what it is before I install it. Maybe a short note concerning Stylish in the first paragraph is in order.
Ottscay says on March 22nd, 2007 at 5:48 am
7 out of the 10 scripts listed are specific to Google… half are specific to Gmail. why not just call the list, “I Heart Google”?
Chrono Cr@cker says on March 22nd, 2007 at 6:33 am
A well written list but it seems that you have concentrated only/mostly on tools that enhance Google and in particular Gmail experience.
William Cancelli says on March 22nd, 2007 at 6:38 am
Gmail-related seems to monopolize this list, which is obviously far from being balanced. I know it’s going to be rather shocking to you, but there are quite a few people out there who do not give a damn about Gmail. There are plenty of fabulous scripts for G-Monkey out there, if you only stopped for a second being entangled into your Gmail account.
William Cancelli says on March 22nd, 2007 at 6:41 am
Gmail seems to monopolize this list, that is obviously far from being balanced. I know it’s going to be rather shocking to you, but there are quite a few people out there who do not give a damn about Gmail. There are plenty of fabulous scripts for G-Monkey out there, if you only stopped for a second being entangled into your Gmail account.
binmugahid says on March 22nd, 2007 at 6:41 am
Well, finally after having greasemonkey and stylish installed for almost two month, this link saved me the trouble of looking for usefull scripts.
I found stuff that I didn’t know I needed. Thanks. Dugg.
Martin Jespersen says on March 22nd, 2007 at 8:30 am
Gmail this, gmail that… who uses gmail? completely useless list
Mike says on March 22nd, 2007 at 8:58 am
Article should be retitled 4 tips to increase your productivity (10 if you use gmail)
Marc says on March 22nd, 2007 at 9:01 am
Everyone uses Gmail. What other alternative do you suggest? So it’s only right that it’s all about Gmail.
asdf says on March 22nd, 2007 at 9:01 am
more like “Top 10 Gmail/Google Greasemonkey scripts”
kaly says on March 22nd, 2007 at 9:19 am
Nice post. Also check this article. More Greasemonkey stuff.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/2.....ledge-req/
Shaun Apple says on March 22nd, 2007 at 9:38 am
These are decent.
Einar Arnarsson says on March 22nd, 2007 at 9:44 am
great tips, just what I needed
Jason says on March 22nd, 2007 at 11:00 am
These are some great resources, thanks! I just got turned on to Greasemonkey and I am loving it!
marco says on March 22nd, 2007 at 1:20 pm
If you are talking about productivity, or how to not waste productivity, I highly recomment the “Textarea Backup” script!
Description: The primary purpose of this userscript is to save having to retype lost emails, forum posts, bug submissions, etc. The backup should be transparent so if the page is reloaded for whatever reason, be it browser crash, unintended exit or a forgetful website, the previously entered text will be restored.
Install from http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/7671
Marco
tech says on March 22nd, 2007 at 2:48 pm
very useful infos,
thanks,
Regards…
prozacula says on March 22nd, 2007 at 3:59 pm
to those who bitch that this guy uses gmail:
please, stfu - if you use yahoo or some other piece of crap (msn?), you are a loser.
good post!
LifeHackerrrr says on March 22nd, 2007 at 9:23 pm
You have google ads on this site. Funny you should post a tool that removes them.
gmail?! says on March 24th, 2007 at 7:46 am
I use Fastmail. I tried Gmail, and hated it. These scripts aren’t going to fix what I hated about it.
Paperclipx says on March 29th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
I would like to see a script that can sort the Greasemonkey scripts installed. Anyone?
Staplerz says on March 31st, 2007 at 12:38 am
Paperclipx,
All you have to do to see which Greasemonkey scripts are installed is click Tools in FF, point your cursor to Greasemonkey, and click Manage User Scripts. A small window will open up showing you what scripts are installed on the left. Boxes where you can add and remove them are shown on the right.
hackaback says on April 11th, 2007 at 10:21 am
reeally cool tips. But how about giving some tricks;)
sindhu says on April 18th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
I am already using most of them, but the second inbox was new and cool
thx , nice post!
Sandra says on July 4th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Hi,
This is a nice list, but the scripts
5. Gmail Macros
7. Gmail Persistent Searches.
8. Add a second inbox to your Gmail account.
can be done more easily with the iMacros Firefox extension. iMacros does NOT change web pages, but automates them.
http://www.iopus.com/imacros/firefox
Cheers,
Sandra
Sandra says on July 4th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Here is an example of a automatic google search (macro compressed to link): http://run.imacros.net/?code=V.....JjaA%3D%3D
As text:
URL GOTO=http://www.yahoo.com/
TAG POS=1 TYPE=INPUT:TEXT FORM=NAME:sf1 ATTR=ID:p CONTENT=testit
TAG POS=1 TYPE=INPUT:SUBMIT FORM=NAME:sf1 ATTR=ID:searchsubmit&&VALUE:WebSearch
Sandra
myspace animations says on August 13th, 2007 at 7:13 am
These are some great resources, thanks! I just got turned on to Greasemonkey and I am loving it!
mercedes parts says on September 15th, 2007 at 10:50 am
Great tips! I’ve always been a bit intimidated by greasemonkey scripts, but these look quite doable
Aaron says on October 7th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
The links at the beginning for Greasemonkey and Stylish don’t work. Two dead links before I get to step 1 in a guide to making my browsing experience better? Come on guys.
Aseem Kishore says on November 26th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Excellent collection of scripts! I love Greasemonkey and have written about 25 of the most popular Greasemonkey scripts out there:
http://www.online-tech-tips.co.....a-look-at/
Check them out!
Mahmoud says on December 15th, 2007 at 11:18 am
I liked these scripts sooooooo much, esp no# 10
Blessings
Matt says on January 10th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Definitely agree this list is mostly Gmail/Google related, but I enjoyed it none-the-less.
I trying to think of scripts to develop myself and then post about them here http://pixelspotlight.com/ Any ideas of things people want be sure to contact me. Thanks!
cathryne says on January 21st, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Here’s a script for the Greasemonkey Firefox add-on that allows you to use several HTML signatures in gmail 2.0:
http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/20887