Save Time By Auto Filling Forms

If you spend any amount of time in the blogosphere, you’ll realize that filling in the details for the Name, Email, and URL fields repeatedly, becomes tiring. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to save time by auto filling those fields by using a FireFox Extension.

As a blogger, it’s imperative that you take an active role within your niche or community. That means, browsing around to different blogs that discuss the same topics as your own, and leaving feedback in the form of comments. There seems to be an unofficial set of fields that need to be filled in before your comment is published. Those fields are, Name, Email, and URL. Firefox will typically save the entries you type into these fields for that specific website. However, once you delete your browser cache and or cookies, those fields are empty the next time you visit that site.

I have now become fed up with continuously typing in the same information over and over again. That’s why it’s a godsend that I found the autofillForms FireFox extension. This extension gives users the ability to create different profiles, predefined or customizable rule sets, and the option of using mouse gestures.

Step 1. Download and install the AutoFillForms FireFox extension.

Step 2. Once the extension is installed, click TOOLS - ADD ONS - and highlight Autofill Forms and click on the OPTIONS button.

Step 3. The extension configuration screen should appear. Highlight the profile name DEFAULT and type in BlogCommenting. Click the APPLY button. Delete all of the NAMES until you only have First Name, E-Mail, andWebsite. Here is a screenshot of what your configuration screen should look like.

Step 4. Click on FIRST NAME. Within the FORM FIELD RULE area, next to where it says NAME: replace FIRST NAME with the word AUTHOR. In the VALUE area, type in the name you usually use when you comment on a blog. In the FIELD RULE area, copy and paste the following text into the text box (?:author) Once you do this, click on the APPLY button. Your configuration should look the same as the following picture.

Step 5. Click on E-Mail and be sure to change the value to your own email address. Click the APPLY button to save your changes. Next, click on WEBSITE, and change the value to the URL you want to pimp. Again, click the APPLY button to save your changes. Your configuration boxes should look similar to mine.

Step 6. Scroll down on this webpage and click the COMMENT link. Browse to the comment form and test the plugin by pressing ALT+J on your keyboard. This should auto fill all three fields needed to leave a comment. If it doesn’t work, please re-read this tutorial before asking for help. If you still can’t figure it out, leave me a comment within this article and I’ll give it my best shot.

I realize that it is a pain in the rear to constantly have to type in the same information over an over again, even if it’s on a site you frequently visit. Do yourself a favor. Install then configure this plugin. It will then only take the combination of two keys to take care of the hard work, giving you the oppurtunity to dedicate more keystrokes to that thoughtful comment you were going to make.