Free Website Content
RSS Feed Etiquette
RSS Feed Etiquette
By Sharon Housley
The arguments continue to rage over the ambiguities
in the RSS specifications. But the fact is: RSS is here
to stay, and the current defined RSS 2.0 specification
is likely going to be as good as it is going to get.
Attempts have been made to create "best practice" documents
and specification clarifications. We felt it would be
helpful to provide general guidelines for those constructing
an RSS 2.0 feed. In general, the following are guidelines
for constructing an RSS feed. It is good to get into
the habit of validating the RSS feed, either with software,
or with an online validator.
Here are some general guidelines for
creating RSS Feeds:
1. Enclosures
Include only one enclosure per item for
maximum compatibility. The RSS 2.0 specification does
not clearly state whether multiple enclosures are allowed
or not, but most RSS readers will only support a single
enclosure. Therefore, it is best to conform to the readers,
and only include a single enclosure in each RSS feed
item.
2. Date Formats
Date formats can be very tricky; be sure
that all dates are properly formatted.
3. Encoding
Encoding is required for certain characters.
If you are using software to create the feed, it should
handle character encoding for you.
4. HTML
While the specification is not explicit,
it is generally a good idea to not use HTML coding within
the Channel or Item titles. For maximum feed compatibility,
the only place you should use HTML is in the RSS Feed
Item Description.
5. GUID
GUID (Global Unique IDentifiers) are not
required. However, publishers are encouraged to use
a unique string in the GUID field. Many RSS readers
look for GUID changes to determine if new items are
available in an RSS feed.
6. Images
If you are including an image with the
feed, the suggested image size is 88x31 (the maximum
allowed size is 144x400). If you are including an image
in the RSS feed's Item Description or Enclosure fields,
there are no size limitations, but keep in mind that
excessively large graphics will negatively impact the
amount of time it takes to load the feed.
7. Favicons
Some RSS readers and search engines will
display the favicon of the hosting domain beside the
listing for an RSS feed. In order for your feed to stand
out, be sure that you include a favicon in the root
directory of your website's domain.
8. URLs
Use "absolute" URLs for images, websites,
and links, instead of "relative" URLs. The intent of
RSS is to syndicate content, so the RSS feed may not
always be local to the person viewing the feed. As such,
the full web path to all images, websites, and links
should be used. In other words, do not use " ../imageurl.gif
", but instead use the full URL " http://www.mydomain.com/imageurl.gif
" when linking to any content.
9. Titles
Use a meaningful title for the Channel
feed and RSS feed Items. Most RSS directories and search
engines use the words in the Channel Title and Item
Title to classify the RSS feeds.
10. Mime Types
If you are including a file in the enclosure
field of an RSS feed, be sure to properly define the
"file size" and the "mime type" of the file enclosure.
A list of proper mime type formats can be found here
- http://www.feedforall.com/mime-types.htm
.
11. Auto-Discovery
Include RSS feed "auto-discovery" code
in your HTML page header. This will allow certain browsers
and RSS feed readers to automatically know that an RSS
feed is available for specific content.
Tool to Create AutoDiscovery Code - http://www.feedforall.com/autodiscovery.htm
12. Volume
The number of items contained in a feed
is important. Establish a history and expand the feed
on a regular basis. Prune the RSS feed if it becomes
excessively long; this will help make the RSS feed load
faster.
About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com
software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds
and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for
RecordForAll http://www.recordforall.com
audio recording and editing software.
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This article may be used freely in opt-in
publications and websites, provided that the resource
box is included and the links are active. A courtesy
copy of the issue or a link to any online posting would
be greatly appreciated send an email to sharon@notepage.net
.
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