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layouts/post.njk Nathan Upchurch | About Feeds none yep

How to use feeds.

Get all the latest content from your favorite creators with no algorithm, no spam, and no spying. This page is based on Matt Webb's About Feeds.

A screenshot of the akregator newsreader showing lists of feed categories in a left sidebar, an inbox full of posts from feeds, and a post display window - much like a desktop email client.

What is a feed?

  • A "web feed," or an "RSS feed," is a stream of all latest content from a blog or a website. You can subscribe to these feeds using a newsreader app.

  • Many websites such as news sites and blogs already have feeds. You'll often see a link at the top or bottom of the page that says "RSS," "Feed," or an icon like this: .

  • Whenever you see a website with a feed, that means you can subscribe to that site.

Why use feeds?

  • Subscribing to feeds is a quick way to access news and content from many different sources in one place: your newsreader.

  • With feeds, there's no spam, no social media drama, and no algorithm choosing what you see — just a curated collection of all the content you want to see, for free.

How do I get a newsreader app?

To subscribe to feeds, you'll need a newsreader app. Once you've subscribed to a feed, your newsreader will check it regularly and show you the latest in an inbox, a bit like email.

There are many different newsreader apps to choose from. Below are a few you could try; find more by searching "RSS Feed Reader" on the internet, or in the app store on your device.1

It doesn't matter which you choose; newsreaders usually make it fairly easy to export your list of subscriptions and move them to another app in the future.

How do I use my new newsreader app to subscribe to a feed?

A screenshot of the akregator newsreader with an "add feed dialog" visible.

  1. Get the Feed URL. To get this, go to the website you want to subscribe to and find that RSS link or the feed icon. Then...

    • On desktop, right click on the link and choose "Copy Link Address" or similar.
    • On mobile, tap and hold the link until a menu comes up. Choose "Copy Link" or similar.

  2. Add the URL to your newsreader; go to your newsreader app and look for something like "Subscribe," "Add Web Feed," or maybe you'll just see a "+" icon. Once you've found this, paste in the feed URL and you're done!

What next?

  • Find more to read: Browse Blogroll and ooh.directory, both hand-curated directories of blogs, organised by topic.

  • Why not start a blog of your own? Get Blogging! is a guide to the practicalities of starting a blog.

  1. Please note that I haven't tested all of these options personally; your mileage may vary. ↩︎