Readybot is a free Discord bot that delivers RSS and Atom feed updates to your server automatically. Any website that publishes an RSS or Atom feed can be connected to your Discord channels. Here's how to set it up.
What are RSS and Atom feeds?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and Atom are standard formats that websites use to publish updates. Blogs, news sites, podcasts, and many other platforms offer RSS feeds so you can follow new content without checking the site manually. Readybot reads these feeds and posts new entries to Discord.
1. Connect your Discord server
Open the Readybot Dashboard and click "Add server" to connect the Discord server where you want feed updates to appear.
Select your server and click "Continue", then accept the permissions Readybot needs and click "Authorise".
2. Create a Feed Bot
Back on the Dashboard, click "Add bot" to create a new Feed Bot. Give it a name (e.g. "News Feed") and select the default Discord channel where new entries will be posted.
3. Add an RSS feed
In the Feed Bot page, click "Add feed" and paste the URL of an RSS or Atom feed. Readybot supports both formats interchangeably.
How to find a website's RSS feed
Many websites have RSS feeds but don't always make them obvious. Here are common ways to find one:
- Look for the feed icon (
) on the website, usually in the header, footer, or sidebar. - Try adding the page to Readybot. Any links to valid feeds will be discovered automatically.
- Try common URLs by appending
/feed,/rss, or/atom.xmlto the site's domain.
Read more about finding RSS feeds to use with Readybot.
Common RSS feed URL patterns
| Platform | Feed URL pattern |
|---|---|
| Blogger | https://example.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default |
| DEV.to | https://dev.to/feed/username |
| Discourse forums | https://forum.example.com/latest.rss |
| Ghost blogs | https://example.com/rss/ |
| Hashnode | https://example.hashnode.dev/rss.xml |
| Jekyll / GitHub Pages | https://example.github.io/feed.xml |
| Letterboxd | https://letterboxd.com/username/rss/ |
| Mastodon | https://mastodon.social/@username.rss |
| Medium | https://medium.com/feed/@username |
| Shopify blogs | https://example.com/blogs/news.atom |
| Squarespace | https://example.com/blog?format=rss |
| Substack | https://example.substack.com/feed |
| Tumblr | https://example.tumblr.com/rss |
| Wix | https://example.com/blog-feed.xml |
| WordPress blogs | https://example.com/feed/ |
4. Wait for the first notification
Readybot checks your feeds on a regular interval. The first notification typically arrives within a few minutes when the feed publishes new content.
Not seeing messages? Check these common issues:
- Refresh the bot page and check the feed status for any errors. Is the feed URL correct?
- Make sure the Discord channel still exists and Readybot has permission to post in it.
- The feed may not have published new content since you added it. Readybot only sends notifications for new entries.
- Some websites block bot access. See troubleshooting firewall blocks for details.
5. Add more feeds
Repeat step 3 for each feed you want to follow. You can add multiple feeds to the same bot or create separate bots for different Discord channels.
Tips & advanced usage
- Organize by topic: Create one bot for news feeds posting to
#newsand another for blog feeds posting to#blogs. - Filter entries: Use feed filters to only send entries matching certain keywords in the title, author, or description.
- Try Readybot Recommendations: Browse curated feed picks across news, technology, gaming, finance, and more.
- Custom message appearance: Customize the bot appearance to match your server's style.
- Faster updates: Free accounts check feeds every 10 minutes. Upgrade to a paid plan for checks as frequent as every minute.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between RSS and Atom?
RSS and Atom are both XML-based syndication formats that serve the same purpose. Atom is the newer standard with stricter formatting. Readybot supports both interchangeably — you don't need to worry about which one a site uses.
My website doesn't have an RSS feed. What can I do?
Not all websites offer RSS feeds. If you can't find one, check if the site has a newsletter or social media account you could follow through one of Readybot's other integrations (YouTube, Reddit, Bluesky, X).
Can Readybot handle authenticated or paywalled feeds?
No. Readybot can only access publicly available feeds. Feeds behind a login or paywall are not supported.
Why is my feed not updating?
There are several possible reasons:
- The website may not have published new content since you added the feed.
- The website's firewall may be blocking Readybot. See firewall troubleshooting.
- The feed URL may have changed. Check the bot page for error messages.
Read more in Feed Bot not updating a feed.
Is there a limit on how many feeds I can add?
Yes. The number of feeds depends on your plan. Check the Plans page or the Readybot Dashboard for info on your current limits. Readybot Recommendations feeds do not count toward this limit.