What is RSS?

RSS is an abbreviation of "Really Simple Syndication." It is the term used for a standard file format that publishes information to multiple destinations on the web simultaneously (syndicating). A large percentage of websites use RSS in one form or another, and RSS feeds are used in many different ways.

What are "RSS feeds"?

RSS files are typically referred to as "feeds" or "RSS feeds." People can use RSS feeds to read news, headlines or articles from their favourite sites in what is called an RSS reader.

Where do I get a feed reader?

There are many readers freely available. Google reader is among the more popular but simply searching for “RSS reader” within a search engine will enable you identify and download a suitable reader.

How do I know if a site has RSS?

Sites usually indicate the existence of the feed on the home page or main news page with a link to "RSS", or sometimes by displaying an orange logo on the relevant page (see picture above). RSS feeds are also often found via a "Syndicate this" link.

Some browsers, including Firefox, Opera and Safari, automatically check for feeds for you when you visit a website, and display an icon when they find one. This can make subscribing to feeds much easier. For more details on these, please check their websites.

I have my RSS reader and an RSS feed on a site, now what?

If you click on the orange RSS button you can subscribe to the feed in various ways, including by dragging the URL of the feed into your feed reader or by cutting and pasting the same URL into a new feed in your news reader. Most sites that offer feeds use a similar orange button, but some may just have a normal web link.

Once you have placed a feed into your reader, you will see that the content will be sent to your reader automatically. By building up a number of feeds from your favourite sites, you will no longer have to visit them individually as there news will be brought to you via your feed reader.