What is RSS?

RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication". It is a way to easily distribute website content to a wide number of people. It allows visitors to "subscribe" to the content of the RSS feed.

RSS is a better way to be notified of newly published content. Notifications of changes on multiple websites are handled easily by a "feed reader"

How does RSS work?

RSS works by a smile file that keeps the syndicated content listed by date posted. This file is called an "RSS file". A "feed reader" uses a link to this file to display the contents of the "RSS feed". With a feed reader you can browse through several site's content without ever visiting them directly. In addition, the feed reader will keep track of read and unread articles.

This makes it easy for people to stay current on many different sites without having to visit the sites directly

There are many RSS aggregators available. Some are accessed through a browser, some are integrated into email programs, and some run as a standalone application on your personal computer. Our favorite feed reader is Google Reader

It is getting more and more common for websites to have RSS feeds. They 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 button with the letters "XML" or "RSS". The buttons are often linked directly to the RSS feed file itself. Once you know the URL of an RSS feed, you can provide that address to an RSS aggregator program and have the aggregator monitor the feed for you.