What is RSS?

The content of a RSS document is called a RSS "feed" and can be viewed by many different programs including "RSS readers", "feed readers" and "news aggregators". These can be web-based (e.g. a feature of your web browser), desktop-based (a program specifically loaded onto your computer), or mobile-device-based (an app on your iPhone).

To subscribe to a feed, simply enter the web address of the RSS feed into your RSS reader. Sometimes clicking on a RSS feed icon  in a web browser will automatically initiate the subscription process too.

Once subscribed, the RSS reader regularly checks the feeds you have subscribed to for new content and provides a means of viewing the feeds. RSS saves you from having to manually check websites you are interested in, instead pushing any new content onto your reader when it becomes available.