What is RSS feed? How RSS feed works? How to Create RSS Feed?

RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication” and is a type of web feed that allows users to keep track of many different websites in a single news aggregator. An RSS feed includes full or summarized text, and metadata, like publishing date and author’s name. It enables users to stay informed by retrieving the latest content from the sites they are interested in, without having to visit them individually. RSS feeds can be read using software called an “RSS reader,” “feed reader,” or an “aggregator,” which can be web-based, desktop-based, or mobile-based.

How RSS feed works?

An RSS feed works by providing a standardized format for publishing content, such as articles, videos, and audio files, on a website. When a website is updated with new content, the RSS feed is also updated to include information about the new content, such as its title, description, and a link to the full article or media file.

Users can subscribe to an RSS feed using an RSS reader or aggregator. Once subscribed, the RSS reader will regularly check the website’s RSS feed for new content and display it in a list or feed format for the user to read or view. This allows users to stay up-to-date with their favorite websites without having to visit each one individually.

In order for the RSS feed to work, the website must have an RSS feed that can be accessed by the RSS reader, the user must have an RSS reader or aggregator to subscribe to the feed and the RSS feed must be properly formatted and updated by the website publisher.

How to Create RSS Feed?

There are several ways to create an RSS feed for a website, including using a CMS (content management system) or manually creating the feed.

1. Using a CMS: Many popular CMSs, such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, have built-in support for creating RSS feeds. These systems automatically create RSS feeds for your website’s content and make it easy for users to subscribe to your feed.
2. Manually creating an RSS feed: You can also create an RSS feed manually by writing the feed in XML (Extensible Markup Language) and saving it with a .rss or .xml file extension. The feed should include elements such as the channel, title, link, and item elements.
3. Use RSS feed generator: There are also many online RSS feed generators available that will create an RSS feed for your website by crawling your site and extracting the necessary information. Some popular RSS feed generators are feedburner, feedity, etc.

Once you have created your RSS feed, you need to make sure it’s accessible to users by adding a link to the feed on your website. The link should be prominently displayed, usually in the header or footer of the site, using the standard RSS icon. Also, you can validate your RSS feed using validator tools like W3C’s Feed Validation Service.

What are the benefits of RSS Feed?

There are several benefits of using RSS feeds for both website publishers and users:

1. Content distribution: RSS feeds make it easy for users to subscribe to and receive updates from multiple websites in one place, instead of having to visit each site individually. This also allows website publishers to reach a larger audience and distribute their content more widely.
2. Time-saving: RSS feeds allow users to stay updated with the latest content from their favorite websites without having to constantly check them for new updates. This can save users a significant amount of time.
3. Customizable: RSS readers and aggregators allow users to customize the way they view the content, such as by category or source, making it easy to find and read the content they are most interested in.
4. Increased Traffic: By publishing an RSS feed of your site’s content, you are making it easy for people to subscribe to your site and receive updates automatically. This can increase traffic and page views to your site.
5. Branding: RSS feeds can help to increase brand awareness and loyalty by keeping your brand in front of your audience and allowing them to interact with your content in a more convenient way.
6. Cost-effective: Creating and distributing an RSS feed is a cost-effective way to reach a large audience and distribute your content.

How to use RSS Feed?

1. Get an RSS Reader: The first step in using an RSS feed is to find an RSS reader or aggregator. There are several options available, including web-based readers, desktop-based readers, and mobile apps. Some popular examples include Feedly, Inoreader, The Old Reader, etc.
2. Subscribe to Feeds: Once you have an RSS reader, you can start subscribing to RSS feeds. To do this, you need to find the RSS feed link on the website you want to subscribe to and add it to your RSS reader. Most websites display the RSS feed link using the standard RSS icon.
3. Viewing and organizing content: Your RSS reader will automatically check the subscribed RSS feeds for new content and display it in a list or feed format. You can organize and categorize the content by creating folders and labels.
4. Reading and interacting with content: From your RSS reader, you can read or view the full content of the articles or media files by clicking on the title or link. Some RSS readers also allow you to interact with the content, such as by leaving comments or sharing it on social media.
5. Customizing your preferences: Most RSS readers allow you to customize your preferences, such as how often the feed is updated, how the content is displayed and how you want to be notified of new content.
6. Unsubscribing: If you no longer want to receive updates from a particular feed, you can unsubscribe from it by removing it from your RSS reader.