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Social media algorithms decide what you see. RSS feeds put you in control. If you want to follow websites, blogs, news sources, and creators without relying on Facebook, Twitter, or any algorithmic middleman, RSS is the answer — and it is far more alive in 2026 than most people realise. A 2024 survey by Feedly found that over 15 million users actively read RSS feeds daily, and the number of RSS-capable websites has continued to grow alongside the newsletter and independent publishing boom. This guide explains exactly how to set up RSS feeds to follow any website, what tools to use, and how to build a feed system that replaces your social media habit entirely.
What RSS Is and How It Works
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It is a standardised format that allows websites to publish a machine-readable list of their latest content — articles, podcast episodes, videos, or any other structured updates. When a site publishes something new, its RSS feed updates automatically. An RSS reader application checks the feeds you subscribe to and pulls in the new content, presenting it to you in a clean, ad-free interface.
Why RSS Outperforms Algorithmic Feeds
When you subscribe to a website via RSS, you see every post that website publishes, in chronological order, with no filtering, no promoted content, and no tracking of what makes you emotionally reactive. This is a fundamentally different model from social media feeds, which only show you content that their algorithm predicts will keep you engaged — a mechanism that systematically surfaces outrage, controversy, and addictive content over balanced information.
RSS also eliminates the dependency on a platform. If Twitter shuts down, your curated list of follows disappears. Your RSS feed subscriptions live in your reader app and can be exported and imported as an OPML file to any other reader at any time.
Why You Should Follow Websites via RSS Instead of Social Media
The benefits of switching to RSS go beyond avoiding algorithmic manipulation. Here is the practical case for building an RSS-first information diet:
- You read what you chose to subscribe to: No surprise content from brands, trending posts, or people you followed three years ago and forgot about.
- Full articles in one place: Many RSS feeds deliver the full content of articles, meaning you can read without visiting the original site and encountering pop-ups, cookie banners, and autoplay video.
- Works across any device: RSS readers are available for every platform — desktop, mobile, browser — and sync across them seamlessly.
- Supports independent publishers: Small blogs, independent journalists, and niche experts often have RSS feeds but minimal social media presence. RSS lets you follow them directly without a platform intermediary.
- Podcast support: RSS is the underlying technology for podcasts. The same reader infrastructure that handles blogs can handle your podcast subscriptions.
- Zero engagement farming: RSS readers do not show you engagement counts, likes, or reply threads designed to pull you into discussions. Read what you want, then close the app.
For more ways to take back control of your information environment, see the How-To section on this site.
How to Set Up RSS Feeds: Step by Step
Setting up an RSS system takes less than 15 minutes. Here is the complete process:
- Choose an RSS reader: The most popular options in 2026 are Feedly (free tier available, strong organisation features), NetNewsWire (free, open source, excellent for Mac and iOS), Inoreader (powerful filtering and rules), and Miniflux (self-hosted, for those who want full control). Start with Feedly or NetNewsWire if you are new to RSS.
- Find the RSS feed URL for a website: Most websites have an RSS feed, but they do not always advertise it prominently. Try adding /feed or /rss to the end of any WordPress site’s URL (e.g., hubkub.com/feed). For other sites, look for an orange RSS icon or check the site’s footer. You can also paste the site’s homepage URL directly into most modern RSS readers and they will auto-detect the feed.
- Use a browser extension to find feeds: The “RSS Feed Reader” extension for Chrome and Firefox automatically detects RSS feeds on any page you visit and lets you subscribe in one click.
- Subscribe to your first feeds: Start with 5-10 sources you already know you want to follow. Add the RSS feed URL to your reader. Common sources: major news sites, personal blogs in your field, newsletters that offer RSS, YouTube channels (YouTube provides RSS feeds per channel), and podcasts.
- Organise with folders or tags: As your subscriptions grow, use folders to separate categories — News, Technology, Finance, Blogs, and so on. This prevents a single overwhelming feed.
- Set a reading routine: RSS works best as a scheduled check — morning coffee, lunch break — rather than a constant notification stream. Turn off notifications in your reader and treat it like reading a newspaper, not a chat app.
- Export your feeds as OPML: Once you have built a good list, export it as an OPML file and save it somewhere safe. This is your backup — it lets you switch readers instantly without losing subscriptions.
The About Feeds project at aboutfeeds.com is an excellent, plain-language resource explaining RSS to new users and helping them find feeds on sites they already read.
Common Questions — RSS Feeds
Do all websites have RSS feeds?
Most do, but not all. WordPress sites have RSS feeds enabled by default. Many major news sites and blogs support RSS. Social media platforms like Twitter/X, Facebook, and Instagram do not offer RSS feeds for following accounts (though third-party services can sometimes create them). Some newer website builders have disabled RSS by default, but you can often request or find the feed URL regardless. If a site truly has no RSS feed, services like Feed43 or RSS.app can create one from almost any webpage.
Is RSS still relevant in 2026?
Yes. RSS never went away — it just became less visible. The independent publishing boom, frustration with social media algorithms, and the newsletter renaissance have all contributed to renewed interest in RSS. Major platforms and tools continue to support it, and the underlying technology is simple enough that it is not going to be deprecated. If anything, the shift away from algorithmic social feeds is making RSS more relevant than it has been since the early 2010s.
Can I follow YouTube channels via RSS?
Yes. Every YouTube channel has an RSS feed. The format is: https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=CHANNEL_ID_HERE. You can find a channel’s ID in its About page or by looking at the URL. Paste this into your RSS reader to get new video notifications without needing the YouTube app or algorithm.
What is the difference between RSS and a newsletter?
RSS is a pull system — you actively check your reader for updates. Newsletters are a push system — content arrives in your email inbox. Many publications offer both. RSS is generally cleaner and less intrusive, while newsletters land in a place (email) most people check habitually. A good information diet often uses both: RSS for websites and blogs, email newsletters for publications where you want delivery reliability.
Conclusion: Build Your Own Information Feed
RSS is one of the most underused tools for anyone who wants to stay informed without being manipulated by platform algorithms. Three key takeaways:
- RSS gives you full control over your information diet — you choose the sources, you see everything they publish, and no algorithm interferes.
- Setup is simple and takes less than 15 minutes — pick a reader, find feed URLs, subscribe, and you have a functioning personal news feed.
- Your feed is portable and platform-independent — OPML export means your subscriptions are yours forever, not locked to any company’s platform.
For more practical guides on building independent, algorithm-free workflows, visit the How-To section. Start with five feeds from sites you already love — and notice how different it feels to read without an algorithm deciding what matters.
See also: How-To Guides: Practical Technology Tutorials for 2026 — browse all How-to articles on Hubkub.
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Last Updated: April 13, 2026
