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RSS FAQs

What is RSS?
RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication." It’s a format that web sites and blogs can use to send updated headlines to you. Syndication means you don't have to visit each site individually to see what's new -- you simply scan headlines or brief article summaries and click to read the full text. That’s the "really simple" part. And it’s "really simple" for publishers to make their content accessible this way too.

Because RSS is a relatively new format, not all sites currently syndicate their content in this way. However, many notable sites already do offer RSS, and every day the RSS offering grows. For example, news sites such as the Christian Science Monitor, the BBC, and CNet's News.com use RSS to syndicate news headlines and summaries. Other sites use RSS to alert customers of new products or upcoming events.


What is headline syndication?
Many web sites and weblogs (blogs) update often with new stories and posts. If you track news from multiple online sources or need to stay informed on specific subjects, it’s a challenge to keep up with all the latest news and most recent updates. More and more content publishers, media outlets, and bloggers are turning to "syndication" -- a way to broadly deliver their headlines and frequently updated web content to news consumers via a standard distribution format (RSS).

Syndication describes the process of publishing simultaneously in more than one online location. It’s usually not for distributing full-text articles (though it can be), but often includes the headline and a few lines of text or a short summary of the article.

What are the benefits of using an RSS Newsreader?
There are many benefits to accessing headlines and information this way:
  • Efficiency -- timely news and information is automatically there when you need it;
  • Breadth -- headlines from the web sources you care about are consolidated;
  • Organization -- sources can be displayed in order of importance with the latest news on top;
  • Productivity -- email newsletter subscriptions and unruly bookmarks can lead to clutter and information overload.
Ultimately, you save time while consuming more information. Instead of browsing multiple sites to find information of interest, syndicated headlines are delivered directly to you. And they are consolidated in a way that's easy to scan periodically throughout the day. When a headline interests you, just click and go directly to the source.

How can I use RSS?
Typically, people use RSS to:
  • Gather, read, or quickly scan frequently updated headlines from a variety of sources using a "News Aggregator" or "Newsreader" program.
  • Incorporate syndicated headlines into their personal weblogs (often called "blogs") as a way to display information from different publishers.
Blogs are web pages which typically consist of timestamped, frequently updated links to news items and web sites. Blogging has developed into an online publishing tool used for many purposes: traditional journalism, personal diaries, collaborative journals, digital note-taking, topical group discussion forums, and hybrid combinations.

How do I find RSS sources for my page?
You'll quickly discover there are several RSS directories on the Web today that are very helpful. Here are some of the better-known resources for finding RSS feeds:

How do I learn more about RSS?
There's lots of information on the Web about RSS. Depending on what you're looking for, try starting here: