How does RSS work?

RSS is a file format that is used to let people know when a certain website or part of a website has been updated with new content.

The service which alerts users to these updates is known as an RSS feed. A feed, like a website, is a file of computer code that your computer converts into something that can be read on your screen. Unlike a website, an RSS feed cannot simply be viewed in your browser window. To view an RSS feed, you will need to download an RSS reader (also called a feed reader or RSS aggregator).

When loaded into an RSS reader, a feed will deliver a brief summary of each update that is made to the website it comes from, along with a link to the updated area of the website.

RSS feeds can usually be found linked from a small orange icon such as or or .