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Version: 11.x

RSS

The RSS data source can automatically fetch and display content from an RSS feed. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a web format used to distribute frequently updated content, such as news articles, blog posts, or announcements.

You can use an external feed (for example, from a news site) or use Feeds in Smartsign to publish messages directly on your screens.

How it works​

  • Fetching Data - The system retrieves content from a specified RSS feed URL.
  • Extracting Information - Key details such as headlines, summaries, images, and publication dates are pulled from the feed.
  • Displaying Content - The extracted data is formatted and shown on screens, updating automatically when the RSS feed is refreshed.

Requirements​

  • A configured RSS datasource.
  • An RSS-compatible template to fetch and display the data.

Set up the datasource​

The first step is to configure your data source with the RSS URL you want to use.

In this example we will use an RSS from European Space Agency with their top space news feed. (https://www.esa.int/rssfeed/TopNews)

  • Go to Templates and Datasources. alt text
  • Select Add template datasource. alt text
  • Browse available datasources and choose RSS. alt text
  • Configure the datasource by adding Name, Description and RSS URL. alt text
  • Click Create to finish. alt text
  • Once created, you can confirm that data has been fetched.
    Datasource is now ready to be used. alt text

Use RSS template​

When the datasource is configured, you can use an RSS template to display the feed on your screens.

Smartsign offers a few default RSS templates available in the Marketplace and you can also design your own using the Template Creator.

Download template from Marketplace​

  • Go to Templates alt text
  • Select Get more templates. alt text
  • Browse or search for RSS templates. alt text
  • Select a template and click get now to download it. alt text
  • If you already have a configured RSS datasource, you can connect it directly to the template during download. It can otherwise be done when it's added to a booking or media library. alt text
  • Return to publisher where the new template is available. alt text

Publish template​

Once the template is available, you can publish it to a channel and display it on your screens.

  • Open the channel calendar (Publishing - Channels) and create a new booking. alt text
  • Select Add Media and Use Template. alt text alt text
  • Choose the downloaded RSS template. alt text
  • Set a name and media library storage location if you want to keep it in a specific folder. alt text
  • In the Datasource box, you can adjust the settings for posts and duration, or switch to RSS datasource if needed. alt text
  • Save when done and template is now ready to be published. alt text

Your screens will now display live, automatically updating RSS content — such as news headlines, announcements, or other information directly from your chosen feed.

Technical information​

The expected encoding for RSS feeds is UTF-8.

RSS datasource configuration options​

SettingDescriptionExample
RSS LinkThe complete URL to the RSS data including protocolhttps://www.esa.int/rssfeed/TopNews
Data Update TimeTime in seconds between updates3600 (updates every hour)
Time for each postTime in seconds to show each post10