What is RSS?

RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication". It is a way to easily distribute a list of headlines, update notices, and sometimes content to a wide number of people. It is used by computer programs that organize those headlines and notices for easy reading.
What problem does RSS solve?

Most people are interested in many websites whose content changes on an unpredictable schedule. Examples of such websites are news sites, community and religious organization information pages, product information pages, medical websites, and weblogs. Repeatedly checking each website to see if there is any new content can be very tedious.

Email notification of changes was an early solution to this problem. Unfortunately, when you receive email notifications from multiple websites they are usually disorganized and can get overwhelming, and are often mistaken for spam.
RSS is a better way to be notified of new and changed content. Notifications of changes to multiple websites are handled easily, and the results are presented to you well organized and distinct from email.
What information does RSS provide?
RSS provides very basic information to do its notification. It is made up of a list of items presented in order from newest to oldest. Each item usually consists of a simple title describing the item along with a more complete description and a link to a web page with the actual information being described. Sometimes this description is the full information you want to read (such as the content of a weblog post) and sometimes it is just a summary.
For example, the RSS information for headlines on a local news website could contain the following information:

Item 1:
Title: Sidewalk contract awarded
Description: The city awarded the sidewalk contract to Smith Associates. This hotly contested deal is worth $1.2 million.
Link: http://www.gardencitynews.com/contractawards/sidewalk.htm
Item 2:
Title: Governor to visit
Description: The governor is scheduled to visit the city on July 1st. This is the first visit since the election two years ago. The mayor is planning a big reception.
Link: http://www.gardencitynews.com/news/2004/06/gov-visit.htm
The RSS information is placed into a single file on a website in a manner similar to normal web pages. However, the information is coded in the XML computer language for use by a program (the RSS aggregator) and not by a person like a normal web page.
How do I find out if a website has an RSS feed?

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". RSS feeds are also often found via a "Syndicate This" link. Text "RSS" links sometimes (there are lots of variations) point to a web page explaining the nature of the RSS feeds provided and how to find them. The buttons are often linked directly to the RSS feed file itself.

RSS is a method that uses XML to distribute web content on one web site, to many other web sites. RSS allows fast browsing for news and updates.
Before you continue you should have a basic understanding of the following:
• HTML / XHTML
• XML / XML Namespaces

What is RSS?
• RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication
• RSS allows you to syndicate your site content
• RSS defines an easy way to share and view headlines and content
• RSS files can be automatically updated
• RSS allows personalized views for different sites
• RSS is written in XML

Why use RSS?
RSS was designed to show selected data.
Without RSS, users will have to check your site daily for new updates. This may be too time-consuming for many users. With an RSS feed (RSS is often called a News feed or RSS feed) they can check your site faster using an RSS aggregator (a site or program that gathers and sorts out RSS feeds).
Since RSS data is small and fast-loading, it can easily be used with services like cell phones or PDA's.


Web-rings with similar information can easily share data on their web sites to make them better and more useful.
Who should use RSS?
Webmasters who seldom update their web sites do not need RSS!
RSS is useful for web sites that are updated frequently, like:
• News sites - Lists news with title, date and descriptions
• Companies - Lists news and new products
• Calendars - Lists upcoming events and important days
• Site changes - Lists changed pages or new pages

The Future of RSS RSS is going to be everywhere!
Thousands of sites use RSS and more people understand its usefulness every day.
With RSS, information on the internet becomes easier to find, and web developers can spread their information more easily to special interest groups.