How does an RSS feed work?

Filed in archive Technology on November 12, 2009

© pandemia


Ever see that little button at the bottom of a blog that says: SUBSCRIBE! in big letters? The website is giving you the option to receive updates from the blog or calendar so you can stay up-to-date with the posts. Sometimes the subscribe button will have the little RSS symbol next to it and possibly even say "RSS". But what exactly does RSS mean and how does it work?

RSS stands for Rich Site Summary, or Really Simple Syndication depending on who you talk to. In essence it is a feed that takes content from a regularly updated site and gets it to you if you subscribe.

Most blogs create RSS feeds automatically now. But plenty of other kinds of sites have feeds as well: calendars, news updates, even wikis. The way RSS works is that a feed is created and stored as little files (usually XML files which is just a form of coded document). These files are then stored on a server and lined up, waiting for someone to subscribe to them.

There are a couple of ways to view the feed. You can subscribe through an aggregator, which is just an online software that pulls syndicated web content. Common aggregators you might know are Google Reader, FeedReader, or maybe your browser or email client. You can also subscribe to many feed through email. Feedburner is an example of a client that helps site owners make their RSS feed viewable by email. But you can get an feed emailed to you through RSS Forward as well.

I hope this clarifies what an RSS feed is for you. Overall, what you need to know is that its a simple way to keep up-to-date with blogs and feeds you enjoy. So take advantage of it!

What are some of your favorite RRS feeds that you subscribe to?