What is RSS?

RSS is a computer technology based on XML that allows us to automatically receive information from all websites we have previously subscribed to. With RSS, we no longer need to visit every website where we want to read fresh news — instead, we can read all the information in one place.

How Do We Recognize RSS?

RSS is a small distinctive orange icon or an RSS label that invites us to subscribe to a particular website. RSS feeds are available on most major websites, as well as on many smaller ones. RSS is used by newspaper publishers, blogs, technical publications, general news websites, and many others.

History of RSS

RSS was first developed by the computer company Netscape, which used it in their My Netscape portal. The development of the technology then split into two groups of developers in 2000. The abbreviation RSS is used for the following standards: RDF Site Summary, Rich Site Summary, or Really Simple Syndication. The difference lies in a standard, condensed, or simple page summary.

RSS Users

RSS users can be individuals or website owners. For individuals, the service is free, while website owners may need to pay for it in certain cases.

How Individuals Add RSS

Individuals can easily do this by selecting a specific RSS URL and pasting it into a window labeled source or RSS source. An even easier option is to assign the feed through a dropdown menu offered by web browsers. The web giant Google also allows browsing through various RSS feeds. This service is called Google Reader and is very easy to use. In addition, there are other clients such as Sharp Reader, RSS Reader, Feed Reader, etc.

Benefits of RSS for Individuals

RSS saves individuals a lot of time, as there is no longer a need to visit favorite websites — the websites come to us instead. Content is also available without various add-ons that can distract from the essence.

How Website Owners Add RSS

A website owner can implement RSS technology from another website onto their own site. For news export, complete sets or only specific topics are usually available.

Benefits of RSS for Website Owners

The benefits can manifest in a greater number of website visitors, higher rankings in search engines due to better optimization, and more web content without additional effort.