What’s going on?
Let’s Encrypt, DNS, job searching and the growing “put everything in Tools” toolbox
ToolsAPI started as my personal toolbox: a place for utilities I knew I would actually use myself. That idea still exists. It has just developed a slight case of “THIS SHOULD PROBABLY GO INTO TOOLS TOO”.
What began with technical helpers is turning into a much broader collection of services for infrastructure, automation and ordinary everyday problems. The direction is starting to resemble the IFTTT-like integration platform I have also been exploring: different services, triggers and actions gradually meeting in the same place.
ToolsAPI now includes certificate distribution, DNS administration, assisted job searching and personal reminder services. These are quite different problems, but most of them have entered Tools for the same reason: I ran into something repetitive, awkward or easy to forget and thought, “I can probably automate that.”
Let’s Encrypt certificates in one place
One of the latest additions is central Let’s Encrypt certificate management.
Certificates created by Certbot can be published to Tools after issuance or renewal. Tools validates the certificate material, stores it privately and associates it with the account that should have access to it. The latest PEM bundle can then be downloaded manually or fetched automatically from another server using a protected token.
This is useful when the machine issuing a certificate is not the same machine that needs to use it. Tools can act as a small distribution point between Certbot, servers and the people responsible for the certificate.
Certificates keep the same public UUID across renewals, while access tokens can be rotated separately when needed. The interface also shows the domains included in a certificate, its current status, expiry and latest upload.
In other words: Certbot can keep doing what Certbot is good at, while Tools handles the “now how do I safely get this certificate over there?” part.
DNS administration is connected to certificate access
The certificate service is also connected to the DNS editor.
An enabled certificate assigned to a user can grant access to the matching DNS zone, so the same domain does not need a separate DNS permission entry just to be managed by the certificate owner.
The DNS editor itself makes it possible to work with zones and records from the web interface instead of editing zone files by hand. Access can be delegated per user, records can be searched and updated, and the same interface can work with zones backed by an external provider such as Cloudflare.
For locally managed zones, Tools can use cached zone data and refresh it from the authoritative source when needed. The API exposes the same basic operations for integrations and automation.
DNS is one of those things that works beautifully right up until the exact moment when you urgently need to change something. Having the records, permissions and certificate relationship visible in one place makes that considerably less entertaining.
A job search agent that can keep looking
Job hunting is another repetitive workflow that somehow found its way into the same toolbox.
The Job Search agent works from a personal search profile describing locations, types of work, keywords, exclusions and additional instructions. It searches for current listings on the web and performs additional checks on the result pages before they are accepted.
The service is intended to reduce repeated searching and cut down on listings that are already gone or clearly irrelevant.
Results can be reviewed in Tools, and unwanted listings can be dismissed so the same result is not repeatedly presented to the same account. Scheduled searches can reuse the profile and continue looking for new opportunities over time.
AI is used to help search, sort and compare results. The person using the service decides which listings are worth reading or applying for.
The basic idea is fairly simple: if finding a job is already work, there is no particular reason to manually redo exactly the same search every morning.
As a parent, I also wanted a simpler menstrual reminder
Then there are features that are considerably less server-shaped.
As a parent, keeping track of dates and remembering when the next period may be approaching is the kind of recurring everyday task where a small reminder can genuinely help. So, naturally, that ended up in Tools too.
The menstrual tracking service allows period starts to be registered and used to build a cycle history. From that history, Tools can show information such as average cycle length, the latest registered start and an estimated next start.
Optional SMS reminders can be enabled a selected number of days before that estimate. Accounts can also be linked so the same reminder can be sent to a parent. The menstrual profile belongs to the person being tracked, and delivery to each recipient is handled separately.
The service can also be used without SMS as a personal history of registered cycles.
It is probably not the first feature people expect to find next to DNS and Let’s Encrypt certificates, but that is increasingly the point of Tools: useful things do not always belong to the same category before they become useful together.
The toolbox is getting suspiciously large
There is still a personal-toolbox idea at the core of ToolsAPI. I tend to build things because I have an actual use for them, or because someone close to the project has a concrete problem worth solving.
The difference now is that the boundary has become much wider. Infrastructure tools can connect to account permissions. Certificates can connect to DNS. Search agents can run scheduled work. Reminder services can react to dates and user settings.
That is also why the IFTTT-like direction is interesting. Instead of treating every feature as an isolated application, more of Tools can eventually become reusable building blocks: something happens here, which triggers something useful over there.
At the current rate, the technical design principle may eventually just become: “Fine. Put it in Tools.”
ToolsAPI is actively developed, and suggestions are useful while this slightly overenthusiastic toolbox continues to grow. If something is missing, awkward or unnecessarily complicated, feedback and improvement ideas are welcome.
Jobbsökningsagenten som hjälper dig att leta efter rätt jobb
Att leta jobb kan lätt bli ett eget heltidsjobb. Samma sökningar ska göras om och om igen, annonser ska öppnas, arbetsgivare jämföras och gamla träffar sorteras bort. Därför finns Job Search i Tools – en personlig jobbsökningsagent som gör en stor del av det återkommande letandet åt dig.
Tanken är inte att agenten ska välja jobb åt dig. Den ska hjälpa dig att hitta sådant som faktiskt verkar relevant, så att du kan lägga mer tid på de annonser som är värda att läsa och mindre tid på att upprepa samma sökningar.
Du beskriver vad du letar efter
I Job Search bygger du upp en egen sökprofil. Där kan du tala om exempelvis vilka orter du är intresserad av, vilka typer av jobb du söker, vilka ord eller områden som är viktiga och sådant du helst vill slippa få träffar på. Det går också att ge agenten egna instruktioner. En sökning kan därför vara betydligt mer personlig än en vanlig lista med några nyckelord.
Du kanske söker arbetsledande jobb inom grönytor i nordvästra Skåne, men även kan tänka dig lager eller butik. Eller så är distansarbete intressant, medan vissa typer av tjänster inte alls är det. Sådana skillnader kan agenten ta hänsyn till när den söker.
Agenten söker på webben åt dig
När sökningen körs använder Tools din profil för att leta efter aktuella jobb på webben.
Agenten försöker inte bara hitta sidor där några av dina sökord råkar förekomma. Den bedömer också hur väl en träff stämmer med det du faktiskt har beskrivit att du söker.
Land, orter, yrkesområden, nyckelord, undantag och dina egna instruktioner följer med som en del av sökningen.
Träffarna kontrolleras innan de visas
Jobbsajter förändras snabbt. En annons kan tas bort, flyttas eller leda till en sida som inte längre innehåller jobbet som först hittades.
Därför gör Tools en extra kontroll av träffarna innan de godkänns. Målsidan ska gå att nå och grundläggande uppgifter som jobbtitel, arbetsgivare och plats ska gå att hitta.
Det minskar mängden döda länkar och märkliga träffar som annars lätt följer med automatiserade sökningar.
Du bestämmer vad som är intressant
På /job-search kan du öppna originalannonsen direkt och gå igenom de jobb agenten har hittat.
Om en annons inte är intressant kan du dölja den. Tools kommer då ihåg det för just ditt konto och försöker inte presentera samma annons för dig igen bara för att den dyker upp i en senare sökning.
Det påverkar inte andra användare. Job Search är byggd runt varje användares egen profil, historik och val.
Återkommande sökningar utan att börja om från början
En av poängerna med en agent är att du inte ska behöva göra exakt samma arbete varje dag.
Job Search kan köras återkommande och använda samma personliga sökprofil när nya jobb letas fram. När en schemalagd sökning är aktiverad kan resultatet sammanställas och skickas vidare som en rapport.
Systemet håller samtidigt reda på tidigare träffar och sådant du redan har valt bort, så att sökningen kan fortsätta där den förra slutade i stället för att hela tiden börja om från noll.
En agent som ska hjälpa – inte bestämma
Job Search använder AI och aktuell information från webben för att sortera, jämföra och kontrollera sökresultat. Det innebär inte att varje bedömning automatiskt är rätt.
Se därför agenten som ett extra par ögon. Den kan göra grovjobbet, hitta kandidater och minska mängden manuellt letande, men det är fortfarande du som avgör om ett jobb passar, om arbetsgivaren verkar intressant och om du vill söka tjänsten.
Håll koll på mensen med Tornevalls Tools
Att komma ihåg när mensen började senast, räkna fram ungefär när nästa period väntas och samtidigt hålla reda på när det börjar bli dags kan vara lättare sagt än gjort. Därför finns nu en menskalender i Tornevalls Tools som hjälper till att hålla reda på datumen och kan skicka en påminnelse innan nästa mens väntas börja.
Tanken är att verktyget ska vara enkelt att använda. Du registrerar när mensen börjar, och Tools använder de registrerade uppgifterna för att hjälpa till med planeringen framåt.
Få en påminnelse innan det är dags
Det går att ställa in hur många dagar före den beräknade mensen som en påminnelse ska skickas.
Påminnelsen skickas med SMS till användarens registrerade mobilnummer. Om tiden för den vanliga påminnelsen redan har passerat kan systemet i stället skicka den så snart som möjligt.
Det gör att tjänsten även kan användas utan att man behöver komma ihåg att gå in och kontrollera kalendern hela tiden.
Fler kan hjälpas åt
Menskalendern är inte begränsad till att endast personen som menstruerar behöver hålla reda på allt själv.
Det går även att koppla en annan användare till profilen, till exempel en förälder som hjälper sitt barn eller sin ungdom att hålla koll på när nästa mens närmar sig.
Påminnelserna hanteras för varje användare, vilket innebär att flera personer kan få information när det behövs.
Ett enkelt vardagsverktyg
Målet med menskalendern är inte att bygga en komplicerad hälsoapp fylld med funktioner som alla kanske inte behöver.
Grundfunktionen är betydligt enklare: registrera mensen, håll reda på cykeln och få en påminnelse när nästa period börjar närma sig.
Tjänsten är en del av Tornevalls Tools och kan fortsätta utvecklas efter hand.
Har du idéer på hur den kan bli bättre?
Mens och menscykler fungerar olika för olika personer, och det finns därför säkert funktioner eller situationer som vi inte har tänkt på ännu.
Om du använder tjänsten och saknar något, tycker att något borde fungera annorlunda eller har en idé som skulle göra menskalendern mer användbar, får du gärna höra av dig med förslag.
Även små förbättringar kan göra stor skillnad när ett verktyg ska fungera i vardagen.
Tornevall Networks is exploring an IFTTT-like integration platform
Tornevall Networks is currently exploring a new integration layer for ToolsAPI called ToolsAPI Platform Bridge.
The basic idea is similar to services such as IFTTT: connect systems that normally operate separately, let an event in one system trigger something in another, and make those connections manageable from one place.
ToolsAPI already communicates with several external systems today, but many of those integrations have been built for one specific purpose. Platform Bridge would provide a common foundation instead.
Connecting more than social media
The original idea started around social platforms such as Facebook and Bluesky, but it quickly became clear that the same concept can be useful far beyond social media.
A platform could just as easily be Dropbox, OneDrive, Slack, Microsoft Teams, GitHub, Bitbucket, Jira or a forum.
ToolsAPI’s existing vBulletin integration is particularly interesting here. Instead of treating the forum as a separate system, Platform Bridge could make forum activity part of larger automated workflows.
A newly published WordPress article could, for example, create a forum thread, publish a post on Bluesky and Facebook, store related material in Dropbox or OneDrive and send a notification to Slack or Teams.
The flow could also start in the other direction. A new forum thread could trigger publication elsewhere, a GitHub pull request could result in a notification or another action, and changes in Jira or Bitbucket could be connected to other services.
Triggers, conditions and actions
The planned model is deliberately simple:
Something happens -> optional conditions are checked -> one or more actions are performed.
A trigger could be a new article, forum thread, uploaded file, received message, repository change or scheduled task.
Conditions could decide whether the workflow should continue. An automation may only apply to one forum section, a particular WordPress category, a specific repository or files placed in a certain directory.
Actions could then create a thread, publish a post, send a message, upload a file, create an issue or call another ToolsAPI service.
The individual services would still work very differently behind the scenes. Platform Bridge would provide a common layer so the rest of ToolsAPI does not need to understand every external API separately.
A growing list of possible platforms
Current candidates include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Bluesky, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Dropbox, OneDrive, vBulletin, WordPress, GitHub, Bitbucket and Jira.
Other services such as Discord, Telegram, Matrix, Mastodon, GitLab, Google Drive, SharePoint and generic webhooks are also natural candidates for later integration.
Not every service provides the same possibilities, and some integrations will inevitably be easier than others. The Bridge is therefore being designed around capabilities rather than assuming that every platform can perform the same operations.
Keeping track of what happened
Automation becomes considerably less useful when nobody knows why something failed.
Platform Bridge is therefore also intended to keep a history of events and individual actions. If one automation publishes to three services and one of them fails, the successful actions should remain successful while the failed action can be retried separately.
The same tracking can also prevent loops. If ToolsAPI creates a Facebook post from a forum thread, an incoming event for that Facebook post must not accidentally create another forum thread and start the same process again.
Connections between objects can also be remembered. ToolsAPI could know that a particular WordPress article belongs to a specific forum thread, Facebook post and Bluesky post, making future updates and cross-platform management possible.
Still at an early stage
ToolsAPI Platform Bridge is currently an architecture and development concept rather than a finished service.
The first work is focused on defining a common provider model, connections, triggers, actions, event handling and the database structure needed to support them safely.
The intention is to let existing ToolsAPI integrations gradually become part of the same system while leaving room for completely new platforms later.
In other words, the interesting part is no longer simply getting ToolsAPI to talk to another API.
It is getting all of those systems to talk to each other.
Tools now has central Let’s Encrypt certificate management
Tools has gained a new central function for receiving, storing and distributing Let’s Encrypt certificates between servers and user accounts.
Certificates that are already created with Certbot can be published to Tools after issuance or renewal. Tools validates the material, stores the PEM files privately and associates the certificate with the correct account. Certbot still handles the actual issuance process – Tools acts as the bridge for access, downloads and administration.
Certificates are collected in one place
Signed-in users can see the certificates assigned to their own account. The interface shows information such as domain names, additional included domains, status, expiry and when the certificate was last updated.
Administrators can assign owners, enable or disable certificates and manage download tokens.
External views and downloads identify certificates by UUID, so internal database IDs do not need to become public identifiers.
Download in the browser or automate it
The latest certificate bundle can be downloaded directly from Tools. A bundle can contain cert.pem, chain.pem, fullchain.pem, privkey.pem and metadata.
Servers that need to retrieve renewed certificates automatically can use the token-protected API download. The same certificate UUID can continue to be used after renewal, while the token can be rotated when necessary.
Ready-made shell and Windows/curl examples are included so another server can fetch the latest certificate without manual handling.
Renewal and import are designed to survive interruptions
Existing Certbot certificates can be imported into Tools. The import utility reports which certificates were published, queued for another attempt or skipped.
If Tools cannot be reached during publication, valid certificate material can be placed in a local retry spool instead of turning the entire renewal flow into a failure. Certbot material under /etc/letsencrypt remains the source and is not modified by the Tools bridge.
A certificate can also unlock its DNS zone
Certificate management is now connected to the DNS editor. An enabled Let’s Encrypt certificate assigned to a user can grant access to the DNS zone covered by that certificate. Wildcard domains are normalized before matching.
This means a user responsible for a certificate does not also need a separate DNS permission for the same zone just to manage it. Existing explicit DNS permissions continue to work as before.
Private key material is handled separately
Public certificate information can be displayed and used in more places, while private key material is treated as sensitive content. Download and administrative paths verify ownership and permissions before private files are released.
The result is a clearer path from Certbot to Tools and onward to the server or user that actually needs the certificate, without placing private PEM files in a public web structure.