Online brands already have to post to social media for their marketing goals, and they may not want to take the extra time to convert content into a bunch of RSS files. Interest in RSS feeds has gone down over the past several years. Other online options (such as Google News) aggregate full links to the latest stories, with algorithms to pick out stories you may like. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others have become the go-to option for following sites, watching feeds, and learning about the latest content.

RSS feeds are certainly still present (more on this later), but they aren’t as dominant as they once were. This approach allows internet users to create their online feeds filled with custom updates from the sites they regularly visit. Readers usually automatically update to deliver the newest content right to your device. That stripped-down content gets plugged into a feed reader, an interface that quickly converts the RSS text files into a stream of the latest updates from around the web.Īs internet content became more complex, so did RSS files, quickly adopting images, video, and more, but still in a stripped-down format for more effortless loading and compatibility across all feed readers. RSS stands for “straightforward syndication” or, depending on who you ask, “rich site summary.” At its heart, RSS refers to simple text files with necessary, updated information - news pieces, articles, that sort of thing.

What is an RSS feed? It’s a technology that has influenced many modern internet tools you’re familiar with, and its streamlined, algorithm-free format could make it your next great tool for reading what you want online.

Best free rss readers 2017