Learn How To Create An RSS Feed

What Is an RSS Feed and How Does It Work

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It's a technology that lets websites share their latest content automatically with people who want to read it. Instead of visiting multiple websites each day to check for new articles, you can use an RSS feed to bring all that content to one place.

Learn About Google Docs Version History Feature →

Think of RSS like a newspaper subscription, but for websites. When a website publishes something new—an article, blog post, or news story—the RSS feed automatically notifies subscribers about it. The feed includes information like the article title, a short description, when it was published, and a link to the full content. You can then read this information in a special program called an RSS reader or feed aggregator.

RSS feeds work through a standardized XML format. XML is a computer language that organizes information in a way that different programs can understand. When a website publishes new content, the RSS feed automatically updates with that information. Feed readers check these feeds regularly—sometimes every few minutes—and show you what's new.

The technology dates back to the late 1990s and became widely popular in the early 2000s. Major websites and blogs still use RSS today. News organizations, podcasters, technology blogs, and content creators across industries use RSS to distribute their work. According to recent data, millions of RSS feeds exist across the internet, with billions of feed subscriptions active.

Popular RSS readers include Feedly, The Old Reader, Inoreader, and NewsBlur. Some email services and news aggregator apps also include RSS feed functionality. Each reader works slightly differently, but they all serve the same basic purpose: organizing content from multiple sources in one location.

Practical takeaway: Understand that RSS is a subscription method where websites automatically send you information about new content, rather than you having to visit each site individually to find updates.

How to Set Up Your Own RSS Feed

Creating an RSS feed for your website or blog involves several steps, depending on what platform you're using. If you run a website on a content management system like WordPress, Blogger, or Wix, you likely already have RSS feed functionality built in. You don't need to create anything—these platforms generate feeds automatically.

Get Your Free Guide to Bykota Senior Center Services →

For WordPress users, RSS feeds are created by default. Your main feed appears at yoursite.com/feed, and you can create category-specific feeds at yoursite.com/category/categoryname/feed. WordPress automatically updates these feeds whenever you publish new content. You don't need to manually update anything.

If you use Blogger, your feed appears at yourblogname.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default. Blogger also generates feeds automatically, and they include your blog posts, comments, and other content. Similar to WordPress, you don't need to take action—the system handles everything.

For websites built on other platforms like HTML or custom code, you'll need to create your RSS feed manually or use a feed generator tool. Several online tools allow you to create RSS feeds without coding knowledge. Services like Feedburner (now part of Google) let you submit your website URL and generate a feed from your content automatically.

When setting up an RSS feed, you'll need to include specific information in your feed file: your website title, description, content updates, publication dates, and author information. The feed should include recent content from your site—typically your last 10 to 20 posts or articles. Each entry in the feed needs a title, description, publication date, and link back to the full content on your website.

You should also test your RSS feed before promoting it. Paste your feed URL into a feed reader to make sure it displays correctly and updates properly. Check that titles appear accurately, descriptions are readable, and links work correctly.

Practical takeaway: If you use a modern website platform like WordPress or Blogger, your RSS feed is already created automatically. If you have a custom website, use a feed generator tool to create one without needing to write code.

Understanding RSS Feed Formats and Standards

RSS feeds follow specific technical standards to ensure that different feed readers can read them correctly. The two main RSS versions are RSS 2.0 and Atom, with RSS 2.0 being the most common. Both formats are based on XML, which is a way of organizing information that computers can parse and understand.

Get Your Free Cat Biting Behavior Guide →

An RSS 2.0 feed includes a channel element that contains your feed's main information. Inside the channel, you'll find elements like title, link, description, language, and publication date. The channel also contains multiple item elements, with each item representing a single piece of content—an article, blog post, or news story.

Each item in an RSS 2.0 feed typically includes these elements: title (the name of the content), description (a summary or excerpt), link (the URL to the full content), pubDate (when it was published), and author (who created it). Some feeds also include categories, which help readers organize and filter content by topic.

Atom is an alternative format that serves the same purpose as RSS. Atom feeds are slightly more flexible and include more detailed information about the feed and its entries. Major feed readers support both RSS and Atom formats equally well. The choice between them usually depends on what your website platform supports.

A practical example of an RSS feed structure looks like this: the feed declares itself as RSS 2.0, includes channel information about your website, and then lists recent posts with titles, descriptions, dates, and links. When a feed reader encounters your feed, it reads this structure and organizes it into a readable format for users.

Some websites create multiple feed variations. You might have a main feed with all content, category-specific feeds for different topics, and comment feeds that track discussions on your posts. This gives subscribers control over what content they see.

Practical takeaway: RSS feeds follow standardized XML formats (RSS 2.0 or Atom) that allow different readers to display your content correctly. Understanding this structure helps you verify that your feed works properly.

Promoting Your RSS Feed to Readers

Once your RSS feed is created and working, you need to let people know it exists. Many visitors won't think to look for an RSS feed unless you tell them it's available. Promoting your feed increases your subscriber base and builds a dedicated audience that wants to follow your content regularly.

Get Your Free Guide to Trickle Battery Chargers →

The most basic step is adding an RSS feed button or link to your website. The standard RSS icon—an orange square with white curved lines—is recognized globally as the RSS symbol. Place this icon in a visible location on your website, such as the header, footer, sidebar, or navigation menu. When visitors click it, they should be taken to your feed URL or given instructions on how to subscribe.

Include your feed URL in different places where people might look for it. Add it to your website footer with a clear label like "Subscribe to our feed." Include it in your about page or contact page. Some websites also create a dedicated subscription page that explains how to use RSS and provides links to popular feed readers.

Write content that mentions your RSS feed in natural ways. In blog posts or articles, you might mention that readers can subscribe to your feed to get updates automatically. Include this information in your email signature or social media profiles. Link to your feed from your social media accounts and email newsletters.

Search engines and feed directories help people find RSS feeds. Submit your feed to feed directories like Feedly's feed directory or other directories that catalog publicly available feeds. This makes your feed discoverable when people search for content in your topic area.

Optimize your feed for search engines by including relevant keywords in your feed title and description. When someone searches for "technology news RSS feed," you want your feed to show up in results. Update your feed description with keywords related to your content.

Create a beginner's guide on your website explaining what RSS is and how to use it. Many people have never heard of RSS, so educating visitors about the technology increases the chance they'll subscribe. Explain which feed readers work best and provide links to popular options.

Practical takeaway: Display your RSS feed prominently on your website with the standard RSS icon, explain it to visitors, and submit your feed to directories so people can find it when searching for content in your topic area.

Technical Troubleshooting for RSS Feeds

Even when you set up an RSS feed correctly, problems sometimes occur. Common issues include feeds not updating, broken links in the feed, content displaying

Get Your Free Pet Leash Training Guide →