How To : Use an RSS Reader

How To... Use an RSS Reader

This document will help you understand the functionality of the RSS Reader widget and aid in diagnosing common issues.

  1. Why does my RSS reader widget title says ‘undefined’?
  2. Can I display only the titles with a clickable link in the RSS reader widget?
  3. How do I add a logo to my RSS reader widget?
  4. Can I add more than one feed to my RSS reader widget?
  5. Can I format the text in the RSS reader?
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1. Why does my RSS reader widget title says ‘undefined’?

If you are experiencing this problem, check to make sure the RSS feed has a defined title in the source code.

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2. Can I display only the titles with a clickable link in the RSS reader widget?

Yes. In the Preferences menu (located in the top-right corner of the widget) for the RSS reader widget, there is a check box that says, ‘Show headlines only’. Check this box and click on the OK button.

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3. How do I add a logo to my RSS reader widget?

You must have an image that has pixel dimensions 480 x 65 located on a publicly accessible URL. When you create an RSS reader widget through the Express process, paste the link to your image inside the ‘Brand URL:’ box. Then press ‘Preview’.

Note: If you are using a feed that is not your own, that owner might have already branded the feed with their logo that cannot be overwritten. This is the case when you see your logo for a brief moment and then it is covered by the original feed owner.

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4. Can I add more than one feed to my RSS reader widget?

Yes. When entering the URLs for your RSS reader (in the ‘Add Feeds’ box), separate them with the pipe character (‘|’). This is the key located underneath the Backspace button on the keyboard. For example, if you have two feed URLs: ‘http://www.myfeedurl1.com/rss’ and ‘http://www.myfeedurl2.com/rss’ you would enter them into the URL box when creating the widget like this:

http://www.myfeedurl1.com/rss|http://www.myfeedurl2.com/rss

(Notice the pipe character separating each feed. Do not get this character confused with a lower case ‘L’ or an upper case ‘i’.)

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5. Can I format the text in the RSS reader?

No. Currently the RSS Reader does not have the option of formatting the text.