October 28, 2025
rssprivacyproductivityaccessibilityblogging

RSS in 2025: read the web without algorithms (lazy setup)

What RSS is, why it rules, the best reader apps, how to subscribe, and a tiny AI prompt to add RSS to your own site. Fast, clear, today-proof.

TL;DR: RSS is your calm feed: one file (/rss.xml), one reader, zero algorithms. Below: what it is, why it’s great, readers to try, how to subscribe, and a tiny AI prompt to add RSS to your site.

What is RSS (super short)

RSS is a simple updates file. A reader app checks it and shows new posts in one neat list.
No “For You”, no mystery sauce. Just your sources.

Why it’s good

  • No algorithms. You pick sources, you see posts.
  • Faster reading. Scan titles, open what matters.
  • Offline-ish. Many readers cache content.
  • Less noise. No infinite doom-scroll.
  • More privacy. Fewer trackers by default.

Reader apps (quick picks)

Simple & cute: Reeder (macOS/iOS), NetNewsWire (macOS/iOS)
Power & filters: Feedly, Inoreader, NewsBlur, BazQux
Desktop: Fluent Reader, RSS Guard, Thunderbird
Android: Read You, Feeder, Flym, Palabre
Self-host: FreshRSS, Miniflux, Tiny Tiny RSS
Browser add-ons: Feeder, RSS Reader (Chrome/Firefox)

Subscribe in ~30 seconds

  1. Find the feed link — often /rss.xml, /feed, or an orange icon.
  2. In your reader: Add / Subscribe → paste the link.
  3. Make folders (Web, Design, Games). Optional: rules and keywords.

Add RSS to your site

Option A — AI assistant (the lazy speedrun)

Paste this prompt into your coding AI (Cursor, Copilot Chat, Claude, ChatGPT) inside your repo:

I need a production-ready RSS feed for my blog.

Requirements:

Generate rss.xml at build from my posts (title, description, date YYYY-MM-DD, tags, URL).

Use absolute URLs with my domain (ask me if missing).

Sort newest first.

Add per item.

Keep descriptions 140–180 chars.

Inject into .

Provide a tiny validator step or instructions.

Make it framework-agnostic (plain Node script or my build tool).

If posts have OG images, keep them in pages (not required in RSS).

Output a short README: how to run, change fields, and where rss.xml lands.

markdown Copy code

Review what the AI generates, run, and ship.

Option B — WordPress (it’s already there)

Your feed works out of the box: https://example.com/feed/
Add the <link rel="alternate" ...> to <head> and a small RSS button on your Blog page.

Tiny pre-flight checklist

  • [ ] /rss.xml (or /feed) opens in a browser.
  • [ ] <head> has the rel="alternate" link.
  • [ ] Every post: title, short description, ISO date, tags.
  • [ ] Items sorted by newest first.
  • [ ] Subscribes cleanly in a reader.
  • [ ] Optional button “RSS” on the blog page.

Bottom line

RSS is the no-drama way to read the web you actually want. Add a feed, pick a reader, and breathe.

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