Feed Formats
RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is an XML (Extensible Markup Language) file format that can be used by multiple tools and applications to get updates from websites and services that create/support RSS. The most common generators of RSS files are weblog tools/content management systems (WordPress, Blogspot, Movable Type, Jekyll, Hugo, etc.). These RSS files are typically called feeds. The most common tools that use/consume feeds are called feed readers. Other significant producers of RSS feeds are news websites (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, NY Times, Washington Post, etc.).
- Specification
- RSS Advisory Board
- Feed Validator
Atom
Atom was created as a response to RSS. It is also produced by most weblog tools/content management systems (WordPress, Blogspot, Movable Type, Jekyll, Hugo, etc.)
- Specification
- Feed Validator
JSON Feed
Created by Manton Reece and Brent Simmons, this is a JSON-based feed format similar to RSS and Atom
- Specification
- Mapping RSS and Atom - Highlights areas of simlarities between JSON Feed and RSS/Atom
River.js
River.js is the format used in the rivers generated by the River4 and River5 RSS aggregator tools by Dave Winer. It’s called river.js because it represents a river of news in JSON. It represents the flow from a collection of feeds, not just a single feed. However, it is not the collection, it’s the news from the collection.
- Main site
- Structure of river.js
RSS in JSON
A mapping of RSS elements in a JSON structure
- Main Site
- Example mapping of RSS to JSON
Media RSS
- Specification
Resource Description Framework (RDF)
RDF is a standard model for data interchange on the Web. RDF has features that facilitate data merging even if the underlying schemas differ, and it specifically supports the evolution of schemas over time without requiring all the data consumers to be changed.
- Home page
Microformats
h-feed is a simple, open format for publishing a stream or feed of h-entry posts, like complete posts on a home page or archive pages, or summaries or other brief lists of posts. h-feed is one of several open microformat draft standards suitable for embedding data in HTML.
- Specification