How to find a website's RSS feed, manage its content, and protect against unauthorized use?

Key findings

• Discoverability: Many websites, especially those built with platforms like WordPress, automatically generate an RSS feed, often accessible by appending /feed/ or /rss/ to the main URL. You can also find them in a site's source code.
• Content control: Website owners can configure their RSS feeds to display full articles, summaries, or just titles, offering a level of control over how content is syndicated.
• Copyright protection: Content published online, including via RSS feeds, is generally protected by copyright by default. Unauthorized wholesale scraping and republishing is considered theft, even if an RSS feed is available.
• Mitigation strategies: To prevent content scraping, website owners can implement measures like restricting RSS feeds to summaries or utilizing legal avenues such as DMCA takedown notices.

Key considerations

• Audience engagement: While controlling content distribution, remember that RSS feeds can be a legitimate way for audiences to follow your content, contributing to overall engagement. Consider how your RSS feed contributes to your broader email click-through rates by driving traffic back to your site.
• Traffic impact: Wholesale scraping can divert traffic that would otherwise visit your website, potentially impacting ad revenue or direct engagement. This can also affect your domain reputation.
• Legal action: For severe cases of unauthorized content use, legal measures like DMCA takedown notices can be effective in removing stolen content.
• Technical adjustments: Platforms like WordPress offer settings to control the amount of content syndicated via RSS. Explore these options to strike a balance between syndication and protection. Learn more about embedding RSS feeds on your site.

Key opinions

• Content syndication: RSS feeds are a legitimate way to syndicate content, but the extent of what is shared (full article vs. summary) should be carefully controlled to drive traffic to the original source.
• Traffic concerns: A primary concern is that wholesale content scraping via RSS feeds can lead to lost website traffic and engagement, impacting business objectives.
• Copyright awareness: Marketers emphasize that content is automatically copyrighted, and unauthorized use, even from an RSS feed, constitutes theft of intellectual property.
• Monetization: If scraped content is monetized by third parties through ads, it is a direct infringement and loss of potential revenue for the original creator.

Key considerations

• Strategic RSS usage: Marketers should consciously decide how much content their RSS feed provides, aiming to tease interest and direct users to their site for the full experience. This aligns with preventing malicious bot sign-ups and other forms of abuse.
• Content promotion: Even with concerns about scraping, RSS feeds can still be an effective channel for promoting new articles and maintaining consistent communication with subscribers.
• Legal remedies: If content is stolen and re-published, pursuing DMCA takedown notices is a viable and necessary step to protect intellectual property.
• Platform settings: Marketers should familiarize themselves with their website platform's RSS settings to optimize for content display and protection, similar to how they manage email list signup forms.

One marketer shared insights on how RSS feeds simplify content consumption, making it easier for users to track updates from various sites in one place.

Key opinions

• Auto-generation: Many content management systems (CMS) like WordPress automatically generate RSS feeds, making them readily available unless explicitly customized or disabled.
• Header announcement: RSS feed URLs are commonly announced in the standard HTML headers of web pages, making them discoverable by browsers and aggregators.
• Copyright is automatic: All original works are protected by copyright by default, meaning a specific notice is not always required to assert ownership against content theft.
• Theft vs. syndication: Even with an RSS feed, unauthorized wholesale re-publication of content without permission is considered theft, distinct from legitimate syndication.

Key considerations

• Source code inspection: To find an RSS feed, checking the website's source code for <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"...> tags is a reliable method.
• Content restriction: Website owners can configure their RSS feeds to only publish introductory text rather than full articles to mitigate wholesale scraping. This is crucial for managing your email domain reputation.
• Legal recourse: For unauthorized content use, a DMCA takedown notice to the hosting provider is an effective legal step to enforce copyright, especially when dealing with sites that ignore polite requests. This is similar to how DMARC policies can protect against email spoofing.
• Licensing: Before publishing, ensure you have the necessary permissions or licenses for any content that is not your original work to avoid copyright infringement.

Key findings

• Standard URLs: Many content management systems (CMS) automatically generate RSS feeds accessible via common URL structures like /feed/ or /rss/ appended to the main domain.
• Source code discovery: RSS feed URLs are frequently embedded in the HTML source code of web pages, discoverable by looking for specific <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"...> tags.
• Content length control: Most platforms offer settings to control whether the RSS feed includes full posts or truncated summaries, allowing publishers to manage content exposure.
• Default copyright: Creative works published online are typically copyrighted upon creation, offering inherent legal protection against unauthorized copying, regardless of explicit notices.

Key considerations

• Platform-specific settings: Consult the documentation for your specific website platform (e.g., WordPress, Squarespace) to understand its unique RSS feed configurations and content control options. This includes settings that could impact how Google perceives your content.
• DMCA process: If content is stolen, utilize the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown process. This typically involves sending a notice to the infringing site's host. Find detailed steps on what a DMCA takedown is.
• Monitoring: While not directly an RSS function, routinely monitoring for unauthorized content use is essential for protecting your intellectual property, much like regular blocklist checks for email deliverability.
• Accessibility: Ensure your RSS feed is discoverable and functional for legitimate users who wish to subscribe, as it remains a valuable tool for content distribution.