How Do You Set Up RSS.app Bots?
1. Establish a Reliable Feed Source
A bot is a delivery layer; its performance is entirely dependent on the quality of its input. You must establish a stable feed before configuring the bot.
Native Feeds: Best for established blogs and news sites. Use the source's direct RSS/Atom URL for maximum stability.
Generated Feeds: Use the RSS.app Generator for sources lacking native RSS (e.g., social media or JavaScript-heavy sites).
Bundled Feeds: Combine multiple sources into a single feed to monitor an entire industry or competitor set through one bot.
A bot is only as effective as the feed it delivers. For a deep dive into how to transform any webpage into a structured data stream for your bot, see: What is the RSS Generator?
2. Platform Authorization
To enable auto-posting, you must authorize RSS.app to interact with your workspace. This creates a secure, authenticated link between our infrastructure and your channel.
Slack
Click the "Add to Slack" button in RSS.app. Slack presents an authorization screen asking which workspace and channel to connect. Approve the permissions, and the connection is established.
Discord
Authorize the RSS.app bot to join your Discord server. Select the server and channel where messages should appear. The bot joins as a server member with limited permissions focused on posting messages.
Telegram
Create or select a Telegram channel or group. Add the RSS.app bot to that channel with posting permissions. Provide the channel identifier to RSS.app to complete the connection.
Webhooks
For other platforms, configure a webhook URL. The bot sends HTTP POST requests to this URL with message payloads. Your receiving system must handle these requests and convert them to messages in your platform of choice.
After connecting, RSS.app stores the authorization credentials securely. The bot uses these credentials to post messages without requiring repeated authorization.
3. Advanced Filtering
Before the bot even sees the data, you can clean the feed itself using Auto-Hide and keyword rules:
Auto-Hide: Automatically remove posts that lack essential data, such as items missing images, descriptions, or publication dates.
Whitelists: The bot only posts items containing specific keywords (e.g., "Product Launch").
Blacklists: The bot ignores items containing specific terms (e.g., "Sponsored" or "Ad").
Freshness Controls: Use "Hide Posts Older Than" to ensure the feed only contains recent content.
Domain Blocking: Automatically hide all posts originating from specific, irrelevant domains.
4. Scheduling and Posting Rules
Control the rhythm of updates to match your team's workflow.
Check Frequency: Determined by your plan's refresh rate. Social media sources benefit from 15-minute refreshes, while industry blogs may only require hourly checks.
Throttling: The bot automatically manages "Rate Limits." If a source publishes 100 items at once, the bot will pace the delivery to avoid platform bans.
5. Maintenance and System Integrity
RSS.app Bots are designed for "set-and-forget" operation, but professional implementations benefit from occasional verification.
Configuration Logic: Changing a filter or formatting rule in the RSS.app dashboard takes effect on the next scheduled refresh. You do not need to re-authorize the platform for these changes.
Handling Broken Sources: If a source website undergoes a major redesign, the Generated Feed may break. In these cases, use the RSS Builder to update the extraction rules; the bot will resume posting once the feed is restored.
Platform Tokens: If a bot stops posting, it is usually due to a revoked permission. The RSS.app interface indicates connection status and prompts for reauthorization when required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I test the bot before enabling it for the team?
Yes. You can connect the bot to a private channel or direct message first. Verify that messages appear correctly before moving the bot to a team-wide channel. This lets you adjust formatting and filters without affecting others.
How do I change which channel the bot posts to?
Edit the bot configuration in RSS.app and update the destination channel. The bot will begin posting to the new channel on its next check. Messages already posted to the old channel remain there.
What permissions does the bot need on my messaging platform?
The bot needs permission to post messages in the target channel. During setup, the platform authorization flow requests the necessary permissions. You may need to be a channel admin or workspace admin depending on your platform's policies.
Can I pause the bot temporarily?
Yes. You can disable the bot in RSS.app without deleting the configuration. While disabled, the bot does not check the feed or post messages. Re-enable it to resume monitoring. Items published during the pause may be posted when the bot resumes, depending on whether they remain in the feed.
What happens if I delete the feed the bot uses?
The bot loses its data source and cannot function. Before deleting a feed, check whether any bots depend on it. If you accidentally delete a feed, recreate it with the same configuration to restore bot functionality.
Can I have multiple bots using the same feed?
A single feed can serve multiple bots posting to different channels or platforms. Each bot operates independently, so updates from one feed can reach Slack, Discord, and Telegram simultaneously through separate bot configurations.
How do I troubleshoot a bot that stopped posting?
Check three things: First, verify the feed is still accessible and contains items. Second, confirm the bot's platform connection is still authorized. Third, check that the bot is enabled and the target channel still exists. Most issues trace to one of these three areas.
Can the bot mention specific users or roles?
Some configurations support mentions. Check your platform's bot settings for options to include @channel, @here, or specific user/role mentions. Use mentions sparingly to avoid notification fatigue.