RSS Feeds
Dynamic content collections (e.g. news) can be shared on or outside your site.
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Last reviewed: May 24, 2022
Browser Dependent
Browsers handle RSS feeds differently and those without a built-in RSS reader will display your feed as raw XML code or even throw up an error (e.g. Firefox and IE have RSS readers, but Chrome does not).
Sample RSS feed: Music Library news.
Building an RSS Feed from Your UBCMS Content
An RSS feed can be built of your UBCMS content that can then be shared with visitors or embedded onto another website. Currently this requires additional steps in the 'backend' (in CRX/DE).
Embedding an External Feed on Your UBCMS Page
To pull an external RSS feed into your UBCMS page, you will need to create a Shared Content page, and then place that page onto your website using a Shared Content Reference.
Build the Shared Content Page
- In your shared content folder, create a new parent page folder called "feeds".
- This folder must have the name "feeds", but its Title can be anything you wish.
- You can build more than one feed in that folder.
- The 'feeds' folder must be activated.
- This folder must have the name "feeds", but its Title can be anything you wish.
- Within the 'feeds' folder, create a new page using the Feed Importer Template.
- Your new page will be empty except for a Feed Importer component where you will configure your feed.
- Source URL - Enter your target RSS feed's URL (e.g. http://libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/blog/music/?feed=rss2).
- Update Interval - Define how frequently you wish your page to check for changes in the source feed in seconds (minimum is 300 seconds, or five minutes). The feed will initially populate after the first interval passes (e.g. 300 seconds after you create and configure the page).
- Removal Strategy - You have two choices:
- 'remove items not present in feed' (default)
- 'keep all items'
Be careful to use the right folder name. /content/shared/..../feeds is required for this to work automatically.
Learn more about using shared content.
Display the Feed on Your Web Page
Simple Solution
Use a Shared Content Reference to pull the feed through your new Shared Content page onto your UBCMS Web page.
> Read more about using the Shared Content Reference.
Please Note: This solution does not allow any control over the feed, such as the number of entries displayed.
Advanced Solution
Use a List Builder Component to gain more control , including the number of items revealed from the feed.
Using a List Builder, you can control how many items from the feed you wish to display.
> Read more about the List Builder Component.
- Choose the 'Child Pages' option.
- Point the component to your new Shared Content page.
- In the Advanced Settings, select how many 'child pages' you wish to see, starting from the top of the feed (most recently added items).
An example -- below are the first entries from the Music Library's news feed (http://libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/blog/music/?feed=rss2) displayed using a List Builder component.