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---
title: "Creating an RSS Feed"
tags: ["concepts"]
date: 2022-07-02
draft: true
---
RSS feeds are an easy way to be notified about new content from various
websites, and they are easy to implement in your website.
## How an RSS Feed Works
Some websites with frequently changing content like blogs, podcasts, or
video sharing sites, will have a link to a file containing the RSS feed
and its items.
When there is new content, a new item can be added to the RSS feed, and
old items can optionally be removed from the RSS feed. A user\'s feed
reader can check an RSS feed for new items and notify the user about
them or organize them.
## Writing an RSS Feed
RSS feeds are written as XML (e**x**tensible **m**arkup **l**anguage)
files, so they can be written and served similar to HTML webpages.
We will start by creating a file for our RSS feed. Make sure the file
name ends with `.rss` or `.xml`. Then, write the following code in the
file:
```xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<rss version="2.0">
<channel>
</channel>
</rss>
```
The `<rss>` tag specifies that there is an RSS feed in between the
`<rss>` and `</rss>` tags. `version="2.0"` specifies that version 2.0 of
RSS is used. The items in an RSS feed go in between the `<channel>` and
`</channel>` tags.
### Title, Description, and Link
Now we will write a title and description for our RSS feed, as well as a
link to the webpage that the RSS feed goes with. In this example, we
will be writing an RSS feed for a blog called **SiCh\'s Blog**.
In between the `<channel>` and `</channel>` tags, the `<title>` tag will
be used to label the feed as **SiCh\'s Blog**. The `<description>`
and `<link>` tags are used for the description of the feed and a link to
the corresponding webpage.
```xml
<channel>
<title>SiCh's Blog</title>
<description>SiCh's writings and ideas</description>
<link>https://example.org/blog</link>
</channel>
```
{{< img src="/pix/rss-01.png" alt="SiCh's blog feed" link="/pix/rss-01.png" >}}
### Feed Items
Now we will add items to the RSS feed. These items are listed in the
user\'s feed reader and can represent different content on a page such
as blog posts or videos. In this example, there is a blog post called
**RSS is Amazing!**.
The `<item>` tag is used to add items to the RSS feed. An item is given
a title using the `<title>` tag to label the item. The item will have a
link to its webpage using the `<link>` tag and an item description using
the `<description>` tag.
The date and time of an item can be specified using the `<pubDate>` tag.
The date and time **must follow a specific format**. In the example
below, the item was posted on **Friday, October 1, 2021 at 2:27 PM in
the -0400 time zone**.
```xml
<item>
<title>RSS is Amazing!</title>
<link>https://example.org/blog/2021-10-1-rss</link>
<description>RSS is a good notification system.</description>
<pubDate>Fri, 1 Oct 2021 14:27:00 -0400</pubDate>
</item>
```
{{< img src="/pix/rss-02.png" alt="SiCh's Blog feed with an item" link="/pix/rss-02.png" >}}
## Contributor
[ClosedGL](https://closedgl.xyz)
|
