RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a way to share frequently updated content like blog posts, news articles, or podcasts in a standardized XML format. Django provides built-in support for generating RSS feeds using the django.contrib.syndication framework.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

• Understand the basics of RSS in Django

• Create and configure a feed

• Link it to your models (e.g., blog posts)

• Publish and test the feed

• Follow best practices and avoid common issues

Prerequisites

Ensure the following:

• You have a Django project running

• You have an app (e.g., blog) with a model like Post

Step 1: Enable the Syndication Framework

Make sure django.contrib.syndication is added in your INSTALLED_APPS in settings.py.

INSTALLED_APPS = [
    ...
    'django.contrib.syndication',
]

No migrations or extra installation are required.

Step 2: Define a Feed

You’ll create a class-based feed using Django’s Feed class.

Example: Blog Feed for Latest Posts

Create a file feeds.py in your app directory:

# blog/feeds.py

from django.contrib.syndication.views import Feed
from django.urls import reverse
from .models import Post

class LatestPostsFeed(Feed):
    title = "My Blog"
    link = "/rss/"
    description = "Latest posts from my blog."

    def items(self):
        return Post.objects.order_by('-created_at')[:5]

    def item_title(self, item):
        return item.title

    def item_description(self, item):
        return item.body[:200]  # Short snippet

    def item_link(self, item):
        return reverse('post_detail', args=[item.pk])

Step 3: Wire Up the Feed to URLs

Add the feed to your urls.py.

blog/urls.py or main urls.py

from django.urls import path
from .feeds import LatestPostsFeed

urlpatterns = [
    path('rss/', LatestPostsFeed(), name='post_feed'),
]

Now visiting http://127.0.0.1:8000/rss/ will serve your RSS feed.

Example Output

When you visit /rss/, Django returns an RSS XML document:

<rss version="2.0">
  <channel>
    <title>My Blog</title>
    <link>/rss/</link>
    <description>Latest posts from my blog.</description>
    <item>
      <title>Welcome to My Blog</title>
      <link>/post/1/</link>
      <description>This is the first post on my blog...</description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2025 18:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    ...
  </channel>
</rss>

You can view this in any RSS reader or browser with XML support.

Optional Enhancements

1. Add item_pubdate

def item_pubdate(self, item):
    return item.created_at

2. Include Author

def item_author_name(self, item):
    return item.author.username

3. Custom Feed Titles

If you're filtering feeds by category or user, you can override get_object:

def get_object(self, request, category_slug):
    return get_object_or_404(Category, slug=category_slug)

def items(self, obj):
    return Post.objects.filter(category=obj)

And update urls.py:

path('rss/category/<slug:category_slug>/', CategoryFeed(), name='category_feed'),

Best Practices

❌ Common Pitfalls

Final Project Structure

blog/
├── feeds.py          # Feed classes
├── models.py         # Post model
├── urls.py           # Include feed URL
├── views.py
├── templates/

✅ Summary

Django's RSS support makes it easy to share content with users and applications in a standardized way.

You’ve learned how to:

• Create an RSS feed using Django’s syndication framework

• Customize the feed with titles, descriptions, and links

• Integrate it with your Django project

• Enhance it with pubDates and filtering

Want More?

Let me know if you’d like to extend this with:

• Atom feed support

• RSS feed for comments

• Email or webhook integration