Trigger Zaps from new RSS feed items

An RSS (which stands for really simple syndication) feed is a way to get simple, stripped-down content from a source on the internet. You often find them on blogs and news sites.

As an example, you can take a look at the Zapier blog RSS to see how it looks in your browser.

If you’re building a Zap that you’d like to trigger off of an RSS feed, you’ll need to follow a few steps to get that RSS feed up and running with Zapier.

1. Add an RSS trigger 

  • In the Zap editor, select the Trigger step. A dialog box will open.
  • In the search box, search for and select RSS by Zapier. The right sidebar will open to the Setup tab.
  • Click the Trigger event field to open the modal.
    • Select the event that you want to trigger the Zap. You can choose between:
      • New Item in Feed: Best to monitor one RSS feed.
      • New Items in Multiple Feeds: Best for monitoring multiple RSS feeds.
  • Click Continue.

2. Enter the RSS feed URL

  • In the Configure tab, in the Feed URL field, copy and paste the URL of the RSS feed. 
    • If your RSS feed is private, enter the username and password needed to access it in the relevant fields.

3. (Advanced) Select what triggers this Zap

Zapier recommends using the default option “Different Guid/URL”, as it works best for most scenarios. However, advanced users can select from the following three options to trigger this Zap:

  • Different Guid/URL (recommended): Triggers whenever a new URL is added to the RSS feed. 
  • Different Content: Triggers when any other content other than the URL changes or is added to the feed. 
  • Anything is Different: Triggers whenever any part of the feed changes, including URLs or other content. 

Once you’ve set your RSS trigger, you’re ready to continue setting up the rest of your Zap.

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