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For example, let’s say you just created a web page reviewing a new cell phone that’s being released. Items are generally web pages that you’d like others to link to. The RSS FileĪt the heart of an RSS file are “items.” No matter what version of RSS you settle on, your file will have to include at least one item. Even you can build an RSS file from scratch, as long as you dispense with some of the extra features you probably don’t need.

Don’t know HTML? Start a blog, because several blogging tools automatically generates RSS files.Īs for those non-technical people using WYSIWYG page building tools or personal home page building systems, have faith. If you understand HTML, you’ll probably understand enough to do a cut-and-paste from someone else’s RSS file to make your own file. Sure, making an RSS file IS easy for many. Meanwhile, heaven help the person who stumbles into the RSS 1.0 specification and its complicated RDF syntax. They often offer code that you can “cut-and-paste” and link over to specifications that I actually don’t find that clear.įor example, the RSS 2.0 specification has an “cloud” element that’s optional but which a lay person might still wonder if they should use it. I’ve read several tutorials about making a feed, and they generally suggest that it is easy. I’ve been exploring RSS because it was time that Search Engine Watch offered its own stories in this manner. But first, let’s look more closely at some basics of what goes into any RSS file. I’ll also revisit the version choice you’ll need to make. Mark Pilgrim’s written an excellent article, What Is RSS, that charts the different versions with recommendations on which to use. This is why we have both different names and indeed different “flavors” or versions of RSS. History buffs might be interested that there’s been some rivalry over who invented RSS. RSS as introduced by Netscape in 1999 then later abandoned in 2001 stood for “Rich Site Summary.” Another version of RSS pioneered by UserLand Software stands for “Really Simple Syndication.” In yet another version, RSS stands for “RDF Site Summary.” What does RSS stand for? There’s a can of worms. Bloggers are a huge core audience that especially does this.

RSS also allows people to easily add links to your content within their own web pages. By listing the page as an “item” in your RSS file, you can have the page appear in front of those who read information using RSS readers or “news aggregators” (explained more in my sidebar article, RSS: Your Gateway To News & Blog Content). You want others interested in that topic to know about it. How does RSS syndication work? Say you publish a new web page about a particular topic.