The short version
Before social media algorithms decided what you see, there was RSS. A website publishes an RSS feed, a structured file listing its recent posts. A feed reader checks that file periodically and shows you what's new. No algorithm. No account. Just the content you asked for, in order.
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) has been around since the late 1990s. It's less visible than it used to be, but it still powers most news aggregation behind the scenes. Podcast apps use it. Newsletter platforms use it. Automated content pipelines use it.
How it works
An RSS feed is an XML file hosted at a URL, usually something like example.com/feed or example.com/rss.xml. It contains a list of items, each with:
- Title: the headline
- Link: the URL to the full article
- Description: a summary or excerpt
- Publication date: when it was published
Feed readers (like Feedly, Inoreader, or NetNewsWire) poll these URLs on a schedule, compare against what they've already seen, and surface new items.
The format is simple enough that most websites generate RSS feeds automatically. WordPress sites have one by default. Most news sites publish one. If you add /feed or /rss to a website URL, there's a decent chance it works.
Why it matters
RSS is the backbone of content automation. If you want to monitor a set of sources and get notified when something new appears, RSS is usually the simplest path. Tools like Zapier, Make.com, and custom scripts can all consume RSS feeds. It's unglamorous infrastructure, but it's reliable and it's everywhere.