RSS feeds

Version: 8.1

An RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a web feed that can publish frequently updated material — such as blogs, news headlines, audio, video, and so on — in a standardized format. An RSS feed can contain either the full text of the material or a summarized version, as well as metadata, such as, publishing dates, and authorship.

In Sitecore, there are two types of RSS feeds:

  • RSS feeds – feeds that website visitors can subscribe to.

  • Client RSS feeds – feeds in the Content Editor that Sitecore users can subscribe to.

RSS feeds

With RSS feeds, publishers can make a summary or update of recently added content available to the website visitor. In this way, the visitors can subscribe to these feeds and automatically receive updates from their favorite websites.

A visitor subscribes to a feed by clicking an RSS icon in a browser and this initiates the subscription process. The RSS reader checks the visitor’s subscribed feeds regularly to see if there are any updates to download, and provides the visitor with an interface to monitor and read the feeds.

Client RSS feeds

In the Content Editor, you can use Client RSS feeds to stay informed about any item that you are interested in. Unlike the regular RSS feeds, you can subscribe to a Client RSS feed for any item in the Content Editor and receive updates on all the changes that are made to the item. In addition, if you have the appropriate permissions, you can run workflow commands directly from the item feed and move the item through the workflow.

Sitecore contains the following Client RSS feeds that content authors and other users of Sitecore can subscribe to:

  • Item feeds – keeps you up to date on the entire item and is useful for content authors.

  • Workflow feeds – this keeps you up to date on the entire workflow and is useful for administrators and super users who have access to every workflow state that the workflow contains.

  • Workflow state feeds – this client feed keeps you up to date on this particular workflow state. This client feed is useful for content authors and managers who only have access to particular workflow states.

Security and Client RSS feeds

The RSS technology allows users who follow a link in an RSS feed to be directed to the specific item.

Most RSS readers do not support authentication, which means that users who subscribe to a Sitecore Client RSS feeds have direct access to the item that is specified in the URL of the RSS feed – they do not have to identify themselves to the Sitecore security system. However, the Sitecore security system verifies that they are authorized users if they try to perform any actions associated with the feed.

If an unauthorized user gains access to the URL of the RSS feed:

  • They can follow the link and view all the content contained in the RSS feed even though their own security permissions do not give them access to this item.

  • They cannot perform any actions on the content.

  • They cannot view any other content.

  • They cannot gain access to the username or password of the original owner of the RSS feed.

  • They cannot modify the link to gain access to any other content.

Important

Sitecore users should not share RSS feeds.

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