How to Subscribe to RSS Feeds with Google

It's easy to create your own personal newspaper with RSS feeds and Google reader. I've written the following instructions in the hopes of helping anyone who's interested in creating their own feed. Ready? Here we go!

1. Log into your Google account.

If you don't already have one, create one. Just go to Gmail http://gmail.com and click on "create an account." Follow the steps to create a new account.

2. Go to your favorite website.

While you are logged into Google, go to your favorite website in another browser tab or browser window. Go to the websites you check regularly for updates. These can be news sites, blogs, web comics, or anything else.

3. Look for the "RSS" symbol on the page

Yes, its that easy. If you use Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, just hold down the "control" (ctrl) button and press "f" for "find" and then type "RSS". Click the RSS button if it appears.

4. When you click "RSS", it will give you a choice.

You can either add this website to your "Google home page" or to your "Google Reader". I prefer Google Reader, because it displays all my stories in a format that's natural to me. If you click "Google Reader", it will be immediately added to your reader, and you will be taken to your Reader, which will show you the last 10 posts that website released, with the most recent posts first.

5. Keep going.

Repeat steps 3-4 for every web page you view regularly. Google reader will update you whenever that website updates

6. Read your reader

Log into Gmail and click on "reader" in the top of the page, about a third of the way right of the left edge of the page. Ta-da! Here is your news feed. Check it as often as you like or keep it open for constant updates from your favorite sites. To delete feeds, click "manage subscriptions" at the very bottom left-hand corner of the screen, and click the trash can icon next to the feed you wish to remove.

7. What if there's no "RSS" option?

If your favorite webpage doesn't have that option, you can still add it to your Google Reader. In the upper left-hand corner of your reader, under the "Google Reader" logo, there is an option to "+ add a subscription". Click this button, and you can paste the URL of the website you wish to add. If there is a feed available for this website, Google Reader will add it.

8. Enjoy!

Use your reader to keep track of the news and your favorite websites everyday. Now you no longer have to go to your favorite websites to check your news: they're delivered right to your reader within minutes of the site's update. I usually spend an hour or so in the morning reading my news, web comics, and blogs while chatting with my friends, and an hour scattered throughout the day as my news feeds update.