Mass RSS Feed Subscribing with an OPML
If you are unfamiliar with RSS Feeds, or RSS Feed Readers, you will want to read the post What is RSS? before reading this one.
The RSS Feed Campaign I created called RSS Subscriber Campaign, has a request to use an OPML file so that it is easier to import all of your RSS feeds into a reader in a quick and easy manner. Since that campaign has enough information in it, I decided to break it into another post so that I could explain what an OPML file is and how to use it for mass subscribing.
An OPML file is a program that will take a list of RSS feeds and create another file in which you can save it in a format that feed readers will understand. Once that file is created you can mass import all of your subscriptions so that you do not have to do it one by one. Originally these were created if you wanted to export your list of feeds to another computer, or simply switch to a new feed reader. The technology, however is perfect for this campaign that we are all going to jump into now.
How to create and use an OPML file
First you need to find a site that runs an OPML program to input your list of feeds into. The site that I use is here.
On this site you will see a few options, but the big, blank box is the first thing that you are concerned with. Disregard everything else. Copy your entire list of RSS Feeds and paste them into that box. Next, scroll a little ways down and click on the button that says “Create OPML”.
This creates a page on your browser with the file you need to copy. Copy this XML page and paste it into a NOTEPAD file. There is one thing you need to adjust, however before you save it. At the beginning of several lines there will be a dash (looks like this: “-”). Delete all instances of that dash after you have pasted it into the notepad file. Save the file.
Now that you have the notepad file you will need to go to your RSS Feed Reader. Find where it allows you to “import” feeds and upload the OPML file you just created. Manage the feeds any way you want to after that. I just created a special folder for all of the feeds from this campaign so that they would be bundled together.
That’s it. You have just subscribed to our entire list. Now pass it along!
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Filed under: Blogging Tips and SEO by JMH
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Trackbacks
- A little link love - Week Five » Ordinary Folk
- RSS Feed Subscriber Campaign | Internet. Serious Business.
- RSS Feed Subscriber Campaign | JMH Techtronics
- Sir Post’s Entertainment Blog » Blog Archive » Get More Subscribers to Your Blog
This was really helpful. I’ve been looking for a simple way to move all of my Firefox live feed bookmarks to an RSS reader. Perhaps I can use this method to do it
Thanks for the comment. I just learned about this OPML deal recently and it has been very helpful. Works like a charm for changing readers, or just adding a large list if you happen to need that
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Gah. I still haven’t had a chance to actually try it out yet…lol. I finally have a free moment this evening so I’m going to give it a whirl and see what happens. It would be most excellent to finally clean out all of the live bookmarks in Firefox. It’s not the most organized way to subscribe to feeds
Great help! Thx!