Follow websites with RSS feeds
Find official feeds, organise subscriptions by topic and keep links to original articles so that you can read updates in context.
Follow the method ↓
The answer in 30 seconds
A useful reading routine starts with a manageable selection. Try three well-chosen sites before importing a long list that you cannot realistically review.
An RSS reader collects new entries from websites that provide feeds. Subscribe to the publisher’s feed, organise it by purpose and open the original article before quoting or sharing it.
Examples to adapt
The publisher may have changed its address or stopped updating it; check the website directly.
The received excerpt may not contain the correction. Open the current version.
Follow the method
- 1Find the feed
Look for RSS or Atom on the publisher’s website. Copy the feed address, which differs from the homepage address.
- 2Add a subscription
Paste the address into your reader and check the publisher and incoming entries. Some feeds contain only excerpts.
- 3Organise your sources
Create a small number of folders by purpose. Include original sources as well as clearly identified analysis.
- 4Maintain the list
Remove unused subscriptions, investigate silent feeds and export subscriptions when your reader supports it.
A checklist to keep
Use these checks to record your observations. They are a reading aid, not an automatic assessment.
| Check | What to examine | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Name and domain | Identify |
| Feed | RSS or Atom address | Test |
| Folder | Topic followed | Organise |
| Maintenance | Last useful entry | Review |
Free, no sign-up. UTF-8 text with semicolon-separated columns.
What to check
Not every website provides a feed.
An entry may be an excerpt.
Feed dates and event dates can differ.
Common questions
Does RSS replace a browser?
It collects entries; a browser remains useful for reading full sources.
Do I need an account on every website?
That depends on the publisher’s content and access rules.
Sources and documentation
Documentation consulted on . Examples are illustrative; interfaces and results may change.