RSS feeds

What is RSS?

RSS allows you to see when websites have added new content. You can get the latest news without having to visit the websites themselves. There is some discussion as to what RSS stands for, but it is generally accepted to be ‘Really Simple Syndication’. In essence, RSS feeds are just webpages, designed to be read by computers rather than people.

How do I start using feeds?

In general the first thing you need is a ‘news reader’. This is a piece of software that checks the feeds and lets you read any new articles that have been added. Most news readers are accessed through a browser or via a downloadable application.

Browser-based news readers let you catch up with your RSS feed subscriptions from any computer, whereas downloadable applications let your store them on your main computer in the same way that you either download your e-mail using Outlook, or keep it on a web-based service like Hotmail.

Once you have chosen a news reader, all you have to do is decide what content you want it to receive. For example, if you would like the latest publications, press releases and web magazine articles from Statistics Netherlands, you simply use the feed for www.cbs.nl on the home page or at the bottom of this page.

If you would like the latest information on a theme page, simply visit the theme page and you will notice an orange button at the bottom of the page, or select the theme from the list at the bottom of this page.

Some browsers, including Firefox, Opera and Safari, automatically check for feeds when you visit a website and display an icon when they find one. This can make subscribing to feeds much easier.

How do I get a news reader?

There is a range of different news readers available and new versions are appearing all the time. Different news readers work on different operating systems so you will need to choose one that will work with your computer.

Using Statistics Netherlands news feeds on your site

If you have your own website, you can display the latest headlines from Statistics Netherlands using RSS. Statistics Netherlands permits the use of its news feeds as part of a website, on the condition that the source is stated clearly.