Embedding an RSS Feed

An RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed allows you to embed regularly published content from another website directly onto your own site. When new content is posted to the original site, your site is automatically updated.

For example, many websites provide RSS feeds of their blog posts or news articles. PubMed and WashU Medicine Research Profiles provide RSS feeds to automatically embed an individual’s or an entire departments’s publications list.

The WashU Web Theme provides an easy way to embed an RSS feed using the RSS block.

How to use the RSS block

New to building pages in blocks? Get to know the block editor »

1. Add an RSS block to the page where the content will be listed.
2. Enter the URL of the RSS feed and click Use URL.
   • RSS URL – The Source / WashU News: https://source.wustl.edu/feed/
   • RSS URL – WashU Medicine News: https://medicine.wustl.edu/feed/
   • How to find the RSS feed URL for almost any site »

3. In the block settings panel on the right, choose what to display.
   • Number of items
   • Author name
   • Date published
   • Excerpt
   • Max number of words in excerpt: For the Source and WashU Medicine, we find 25 words works well
4. Because the RSS block limits the total number of items embedded, we recommend adding a paragraph or button block below the RSS feed to include a link to all items on the original website.
   For example: See more news from The Source »

RSS block example

Here the RSS block is being used to embed publications from WashU Medicine Research Profiles, followed by a button block with a link to more publications.

• Early depletion of gut microbiota shape oligodendrocyte response after traumatic brain injury
  December 1, 2024
  Early depletion of gut microbiota shape oligodendrocyte response after traumatic brain injuryShumilov, K., Ni, A., Garcia Bonilla, M., Celorrio, M. & Friess, S. H., Dec 2024, In: Journal of Neuroinflammation. 21, 1, 171.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• Increased triacylglycerol production in Rhodococcus opacus by overexpressing transcriptional regulators
  December 1, 2024
  Increased triacylglycerol production in Rhodococcus opacus by overexpressing transcriptional regulatorsAnthony, W. E., Geng, W., Diao, J., Carr, R. R., Wang, B., Ning, J., Moon, T. S., Dantas, G. & Zhang, F., Dec 2024, In: Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts. 17, 1, 83.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• Tensor Landmark Analysis With Application to ADNI data
  December 1, 2024
  Tensor Landmark Analysis With Application to ADNI dataPark, S., Zhou, R., Zhang, X., Li, L. & Liu, L., Dec 2024, In: Stat. 13, 4, e70014.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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