What is RSS?

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RSS is a technical term for news feeds. RSS is a form of Web site summary that can carry information about almost any subject, it does not have to be about the sort of current affairs, sports and business stories covered on television news. You can use RSS to summarise items available in an online shop, forthcoming concert dates or sports fixtures, even weather forecasts.

RSS is commonly called a news feed because it has a similar format to the "news wire" services provided by agencies like Reuters and the British Associated Press. Each item summarises the "full story" available on your Web site:

• A title, like a news headline
• A description that introduces the item or highlights the key points
• A link, so readers can go to your site and read the full story

Taking this comparison further, RSS news feeds can be included in other people's Web sites, like local newspapers that print international news from Reuters. This is why you may find the term "syndicate" used with RSS, because Web sites collectively distribute the news.

The greatest strengths of RSS are its simple and standard format, which means that lots of software is available to read news feeds. Feed readers usually work closely with your standard Web browser or email package, including Microsoft Outlook and Internet Explorer, so you can go straight to the source of the news.

See also:

• What does RSS stand for?
• What is syndication?