# RSS and Atom feeds

[en français](https://wiki.unil.ch/ci/books/navigateurs-web/page/flux-rss-et-atom "Flux RSS et Atom")

**RSS** (for Really Simple Syndication) is a tool that allows you to stay informed of what's new on a website, without having to visit it.

It's a format that indicates what has changed or been added, clearly and automatically. **Atom** works in the same way, with a few technical differences. These formats are mainly used to easily track updates to blogs, news sites or podcasts.

#### How do I use an RSS/Atom feed ?

To read and follow an RSS/Atom feed, you need a **feed reader**, also known as an **aggregator**. The following are just a few of the tools available :

- on the computer or mobile [Feedly](https://feedly.com/) , [Inoreader](https://www.inoreader.com/) or [The Old Reader](https://theoldreader.com/)
- Browser extensions: [RSS subscription extension](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/rss-subscription-extensio/nlbjncdgjeocebhnmkbbbdekmmmcbfjd) by Google for Chrome

#### How do I subscribe to a feed ?

- Find the URL of the RSS/Atom feed : on a site, look for an orange RSS icon [![rss-icon.png](https://wiki.unil.ch/ci/uploads/images/gallery/2025-05/scaled-1680-/rss-icon.png)](https://wiki.unil.ch/ci/uploads/images/gallery/2025-05/rss-icon.png) or a link with the word “RSS” or “Atom”. The URL often ends with .xml, /feed, /rss, etc. Example : [https://wp.unil.ch/newsci/feed](https://wp.unil.ch/newsci/feed)
- Add the feed to your reader : copy and paste the URL into your application/feed reader
- You'll then see the list of new articles automatically updated

#### Advantages of RSS/Atom feeds :

- They enable you to centralize information from several sites in one place
- They are generally free of advertising or tracking (depending on the reader used)
- In some cases, they can be a simple replacement for a newsletter, and the person who visits a site and subscribes to its RSS/Atom feed does not need to provide their email address or personal details in order to do so.
- They are very practical for journalists, researchers and anyone interested in monitoring information or technology in a wide range of fields.