RSS News Feed Help

What Is RSS?

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) news feeds make it possible for you to put together your own customized list of news and information. Thousands of Web sites, including FDA's, have started adding special code that allows RSS news readers (also called RSS aggregators) to pick up the content. Then, all you have to do is sign up with a news reader and choose the sites from which you want to get news.

I clicked on an RSS link and just saw a bunch of code. What does it mean?

What you saw is actually what’s supposed to happen. The link is the Web address of the RSS feed. It tells the RSS reader where to find the content. Copy the link into your reader to subscribe to the feed. With some readers, all you have to do is select the RSS symbol or the words "Subscribe to our RSS feed" on the Web site. Your reader will convert the code into an easy-to-read display.

Where can I find an RSS news reader?

News readers are available on the Internet. Some are separate software programs that you download onto your desktop. Others are Web-based. To find one, you can search on "RSS news reader" and find many news readers to choose from.

How do I find sites that have RSS content?

On your favorite sites, look for a link that says RSS news feed. FDA has several sites with RSS news feeds including Press Releases and Recalls. The USA.gov website also has a list of RSS feeds on sites throughout the federal government.