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RSS Primer

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It is a way for websites to publish updates to their content in a standardised format that can be read by newsreaders or aggregators (such as Feed Ranger). This allows users to subscribe to their favourite websites and receive notifications of new content without having to visit the website each time.

How RSS Feeds Work

An RSS feed is actually a file hosted within a web site. The file contains a collection of “items”, each of which typically contains the following information:

  • The title of the new content
  • A brief summary of the new content
  • A link to the full content on the website
  • The date and time the new content was published

Publishers of RSS Feeds update the collection of items within an RSS file is updated whenever a new piece of content is published, and all subscribers will find this content next time they check for updates.

Subscribers of RSS Feeds regularly check this file for changes and, when a change has occurred, they download the latest version. What they do next depends on the application - A podcast app might download a new episode, while Feed Ranger would deliver the new article to all interested users, via their chosen integrations.

Subscribing to an RSS Feed

To subscribe to an RSS feed, you will need a dedicated app. There are many different apps with RSS support available, but why not try Feed Ranger! Once you have signed in and created a project, you’ll need to find some RSS Feeds. You can typically find the RSS feed for the website you want to subscribe to in the “About” or “Feeds” section of the website.

Once you have found an RSS feed, and added it to your Feed Ranger Project, you will start receiving new content from that website as it is published.

Benefits of Subscribing to RSS Feeds

Some of the benefits of using RSS feeds are:

  • You can stay up-to-date with your favourite websites without having to visit them each time.
  • You can automate tasks, such as downloading new episodes of podcasts or sending yourself an email notification when a new blog post is published. This is how your favourite podcast app finds and downloads new episodes.
  • RSS feeds can help you stay organised by gathering content you’re interested in while you’re focused on something else.