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How to find the RSS feed URL for almost any site

By Justin Pot · June 22, 2023
Hero image with an RSS icon

RSS isn't dead, but it is harder to find RSS feeds than it used to be. Browsers no longer point them out, and websites rarely prominently link to them anymore.

And yet, most sites do offer RSS feeds. Here are a few ways to find those feeds, quickly, when Googling just doesn't cut it.

I'll also show you how to create your own RSS feeds for apps that don't offer them.

How to find the RSS feed URL for most websites

A shocking number of websites are built using WordPress—over 40% of destinations on the web. This means there's a good chance that any website you visit is a WordPress site, and all of those sites offer RSS feeds that are easy to find.

To find a WordPress RSS feed, simply add /feed to the end of the URL; e.g., https://justinpot.com/feed. I do this any time I visit a website that I'd like an RSS feed for—it almost always works.

If it doesn't work, here are a few tricks for finding RSS feeds on other sites.

  • If a site is hosted on Tumblr, add /rss to the end of the URL. Like this: https://example.tumblr.com/rss

  • If a site is hosted on Blogger, add feeds/posts/default to the end of the URL. Like this: example.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

  • If a publication is hosted on Medium, add /feed/ before the publication's name. So medium.com/example-site becomes medium.com/feed/example-site

  • YouTube channel pages double as RSS feeds. Simply copy and paste the URL for the channel into your RSS reader. You can also find an OPML file for all of your subscriptions here.

Find an RSS feed for any site by checking the source code

Did none of the above tricks work? You can try finding an RSS feed by checking a web page's source code. Don't panic! It's easier than it sounds.

Right-click an empty space on the website you'd like an RSS feed for, then click View Page Source (the exact wording may vary depending on your browser).

View page source in Chrome

Now search the code by pressing Ctrl+F (Windows, Linux) or command+F (Mac). Start by searching for rss, like this:

Finding an RSS URL in web page source code

If searching for rss doesn't work, try atom instead. Look for an RSS URL, as you can see above, then copy it into your feed reader.

Create your own RSS feeds with Zapier

Some sites simply don't offer RSS feeds, which is disappointing, but you can use RSS by Zapier to create RSS feeds with data from thousands of apps.

For example, you could create RSS feeds for Twitter:

Or Instagram:

Or Reddit:

Send new hot Reddit posts to an RSS feed

Send new hot Reddit posts to an RSS feed
  • Reddit logo
  • RSS by Zapier logo
Reddit + RSS by Zapier

Post to an RSS feed for new posts or comments matching a search on Reddit

Post to an RSS feed for new posts or comments matching a search on Reddit
  • Reddit logo
  • RSS by Zapier logo
Reddit + RSS by Zapier

Your favorite Google services work with RSS, too:

Post approaching Google Calendar events to an RSS feed

Post approaching Google Calendar events to an RSS feed
  • Google Calendar logo
  • RSS by Zapier logo
Google Calendar + RSS by Zapier

Create RSS feed items from new Google Sheets spreadsheet rows

Create RSS feed items from new Google Sheets spreadsheet rows
  • Google Sheets logo
  • RSS by Zapier logo
Google Sheets + RSS by Zapier

Create an RSS feed of new Google Drive files in a folder

Create an RSS feed of new Google Drive files in a folder
  • Google Drive logo
  • RSS by Zapier logo
Google Drive + RSS by Zapier

Or you could manage your daily life through RSS with these automations:

Add new Eventbrite events to an RSS feed

Add new Eventbrite events to an RSS feed
  • Eventbrite logo
  • RSS by Zapier logo
Eventbrite + RSS by Zapier

Post daily weather forecasts to an RSS feed

Post daily weather forecasts to an RSS feed
  • Weather by Zapier logo
  • RSS by Zapier logo
Weather by Zapier + RSS by Zapier

These are just a few examples. You can create your own custom RSS feed that pulls in just about any information you can imagine.

RSS by Zapier also lets you use RSS feeds as the first step in an automation, so you can send them to your email, calendar, or whatever app you want. Here are some tips for putting your feeds to work with Zapier.

How to use your RSS feed URLs

The most classic use for RSS feed URLs is to add them to an RSS reader, which collects all of the updates from your RSS feeds in one place.

Each app has different ways to add RSS feeds, such as Feedly's Follow Websites, Twitter, Reddit, and Newsletters option or Inoreader's Add new > Feed option. Look for an option that lets you "add" or "follow" a new source—it might have the RSS icon, which you can see in this article's hero image.

Feedly's Follow Websites, Twitter, Reddit, and Newsletters page
Feedly's Follow Websites, Twitter, Reddit, and Newsletters page

Many RSS readers can automatically pull a source's feed for you. So if you can't find an RSS feed URL using the methods in this post, try pasting in the website's home page URL.

Related reading:

  • How to use RSS feeds to boost your productivity

  • Job hunting? Streamline your job sources in an RSS feed with Zapier

  • The best RSS readers for Mac

  • How to get email alerts from an RSS feed

This article was originally published in June 2019. The most recent update was in June 2023, with contributions from Melissa King.

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