# RSS & Atom Feed Reader / Monitor (`cliqtomedia/rss-atom-feed-reader-monitor`) Actor

Read public RSS, Atom and RDF feeds, save clean item rows, and track new or changed items.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/cliqtomedia/rss-atom-feed-reader-monitor.md
- **Developed by:** [Cliqto Media](https://apify.com/cliqtomedia) (community)
- **Categories:** News, Developer tools, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$0.75 / 1,000 saved feed items

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## RSS & Atom Feed Reader / Monitor

Read public RSS and Atom feeds and save clean items as JSON or CSV. This RSS
feed reader accepts the feed URLs you provide. It does not crawl article pages.

### What you get

- RSS 2.0, RSS 1.0/RDF and Atom 1.0 items;
- feed title and type;
- item title, link, authors, categories and dates;
- feed summary and optional feed-provided content;
- enclosure details without downloading the file;
- stable item IDs and clear change values;
- a final run summary with feed results and errors.

### Snapshot and monitor modes

Snapshot mode reads the current items in each feed.

Monitor mode keeps a small current window for each feed. The first run creates
a baseline. Later runs can show `NEW`, `UPDATED`, `UNCHANGED` and
`NO_LONGER_IN_CURRENT_FEED`. A missing item is not called deleted.

Use `stateKey` to keep monitor jobs separate. Use `resetState` to start a new
baseline. The Actor keeps monitor state only in its current Apify storage
context.

### How to use it

1. Add one or more direct public RSS or Atom feed URLs.
2. Choose `snapshot` or `monitor`.
3. Set the item limits and optional filters.
4. Start the run and download the dataset as JSON, CSV or another Apify format.

For a repeating RSS feed monitor, create an Apify schedule yourself. This Actor
does not create schedules, webhooks or notifications.

### Input limits

- 1–100 feed URLs per run;
- up to 1,000 items from one feed;
- up to 5,000 item rows in one run;
- the default uses one feed, Snapshot mode and no feed content.

Use `maxItemsPerFeed` and `maxItemsTotal` to keep a run small. Date and keyword
filters can reduce the result count.

### Safe direct-feed reading

The Actor reads public HTTP(S) feed documents only. It rejects credentials,
unsafe ports and private network destinations. Redirects and XML external
entities are checked. Item links, image links and enclosure links are data only
and are never fetched.

### Pricing

The price is USD 0.00075 for each saved `ITEM` or requested monitor status row.
There is no run-start fee. The run summary, empty feeds, 304 responses,
suppressed duplicate rows, blocked URLs and failed feeds do not create an item
charge. If you turn on `emitUnchanged`, the unchanged rows you ask the Actor
to save are charged like other saved item rows.

### Output fields

The main item fields are `feedUrl`, `feedType`, `feedTitle`, `itemKey`, `title`,
`link`, `authors`, `categories`, `publishedAt`, `updatedAt`, `summary`,
`content`, `enclosures` and `changeType`. The final `RUN_SUMMARY` explains the
feed outcomes, limits, errors and monitor state.

### Important limits

This Actor does not discover feeds from a website. It does not fetch full web
pages, download media, use login cookies, bypass access controls or claim that
a missing item was deleted. Feed content can change after a run, so use the
observation time in each row.

### Examples

Examples are in [`examples/`](examples/):

- [`input-snapshot.json`](examples/input-snapshot.json) — a small snapshot;
- [`input-monitor.json`](examples/input-monitor.json) — a separate monitor.

Runtime and output details are in [`docs/SPEC.md`](docs/SPEC.md),
[`docs/OUTPUT-CONTRACT.md`](docs/OUTPUT-CONTRACT.md),
[`docs/STATE-CONTRACT.md`](docs/STATE-CONTRACT.md) and
[`docs/TEST-PLAN.md`](docs/TEST-PLAN.md).

# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/cliqtomedia/rss-atom-feed-reader-monitor/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `feedUrls` (type: `array`):

Direct public HTTP(S) feed URLs. Homepages, login details and private network addresses are rejected.

## `mode` (type: `string`):

Read current items or compare with the previous monitor run.

## `maxItemsPerFeed` (type: `integer`):

Stop after this many items from each feed.

## `maxItemsTotal` (type: `integer`):

Stop after this many saved item rows in one run.

## `sort` (type: `string`):

Keep feed order or show newer published items first.

## `publishedAfter` (type: `string`):

Keep items published at or after this UTC time.

## `publishedBefore` (type: `string`):

Keep items published before this UTC time.

## `includeKeywords` (type: `array`):

Keep items whose title, summary or feed content contains these words.

## `excludeKeywords` (type: `array`):

Skip items whose title, summary or feed content contains these words.

## `dedupeAcrossFeeds` (type: `boolean`):

Keep the first copy when the same item appears in more than one feed.

## `includeContent` (type: `boolean`):

Save content supplied by the feed. The Actor does not open item links.

## `maxSummaryChars` (type: `integer`):

Limit the saved feed summary to this many characters.

## `maxContentChars` (type: `integer`):

Limit the saved feed content to this many characters.

## `requestTimeoutMs` (type: `integer`):

Stop waiting for one feed after this many milliseconds.

## `maxRetries` (type: `integer`):

Retry a temporary feed problem this many times.

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

Read no more than this many feeds at the same time.

## `stateKey` (type: `string`):

Name a monitor so separate jobs use separate saved state.

## `resetState` (type: `boolean`):

Forget the selected monitor baseline before this run.

## `emitBaselineItems` (type: `boolean`):

In monitor mode, show the first baseline items as NEW rows.

## `emitUnchanged` (type: `boolean`):

In monitor mode, also show items that did not change. Each saved unchanged item is charged like any other saved item.

## `emitNoLongerCurrent` (type: `boolean`):

Show items missing from the current feed window. This does not mean they were deleted.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "feedUrls": [
    "https://hnrss.org/frontpage"
  ],
  "mode": "snapshot",
  "maxItemsPerFeed": 50,
  "maxItemsTotal": 1000,
  "sort": "source",
  "publishedAfter": null,
  "publishedBefore": null,
  "includeKeywords": [],
  "excludeKeywords": [],
  "dedupeAcrossFeeds": false,
  "includeContent": false,
  "maxSummaryChars": 4000,
  "maxContentChars": 20000,
  "requestTimeoutMs": 15000,
  "maxRetries": 2,
  "maxConcurrency": 5,
  "stateKey": null,
  "resetState": false,
  "emitBaselineItems": false,
  "emitUnchanged": false,
  "emitNoLongerCurrent": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

Open the saved item rows and final run summary.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("cliqtomedia/rss-atom-feed-reader-monitor").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("cliqtomedia/rss-atom-feed-reader-monitor").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{}' |
apify call cliqtomedia/rss-atom-feed-reader-monitor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,cliqtomedia/rss-atom-feed-reader-monitor"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/naprVLGbTcnbs7b53/builds/uNNoNvRAZQWoHmGoF/openapi.json