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FAQs
General
What is RSS?
What is a Podcast?

Adding/Deleting Content
How do I find and add new content?
Can I add content from any website to eRSS Reader?
What if the website I want doesn't have an RSS feed?
How do I delete content or unsubscribe?
How will I know when new content arrives?
Can I have topics automatically updated or deleted at certain times?

Creating and Publishing Feeds
Can I create a feed to link to existing articles on my website?
Why can't I save my feed using "Save" or "Save as..."?
How do I manually create an RSS or Podcast feed from scratch?
How do I view code for my new feed?
How can I preview my new feed before it goes live?
How do I publish my feed to the Internet?
I can't login to my account, what's wrong?
What if the website I want doesn't have an RSS feed?

Error Messages
Why do I get this message: "Cannot open eRSS Builder document file. Please make sure it is accessible for reading and writing"?
I get this message "Error reading index of -- channel" or "Stream read error" and eRSS Reader then hangs - what can I do?
When I'm trying to publish a feed using eRSS Writer, I get "FTP Connection Failed" - why?

Importing/Exporting Content
How do I import or export my content and folders?
Can I save a topic to my hard drive for viewing when offline?

Managing Content
How can I better organize content?

Podcasting/Downloads/Enclosures
How do I view and download feed attachments/enclosures?
How do I add music to my iPod or iTunes or other media players?

Uninstalling
I uninstalled a branded reader but still see old logos/branding - how do I remove them?

Viewing Content
Can I change the way I can view content in the eRSS Builder?
How will I know when new content has been updated?
Can I have eRSS Reader load automatically when starting my computer?
How do I flag topics that I want to read again later?
Why don't scripts or pop-ups work in the Topic Panel?


What is RSS?
RSS is an XML format that stands for "Really Simple Syndication" or "Rich Site Summary", depending on who you talk to. Basically it's really just a standardized format for sharing content over the Internet. RSS is a lot like TiVo but for the Internet - you get to choose what content you want and when.

What is a Podcast?
A Podcast is similar to an RSS feed with the benefit of attaching a file called an enclosure. You can attach sound or video files, documents, etc. Click here for Podcasting 101

eRSS Reader

How do I find and add new content?
To add new channel/content feeds;

1. Find a ,, or icon or link next to the content you want to add or use the "Search web for feeds:" search bar to search for content feeds by keyword.
2. Right click the XML, Atom, RSS or Podcast icon or link and select "Copy Shortcut", "Copy Link Location" or "Add Content To eRSS Builder".
3. Click on the green "+" icon in the top left of your screen (or File pull-down menu) in your eRSS Reader to "Add a Content Channel", click "Add" and then browse the new content.

NEW: You may now also right click and hold your mouse over a feed link or orange icon, and then drag it into the Folder Panel (left panel) of your eRSS Reader and release to confirm. If you have your reader minimized to the Windows System Tray or in your Task Bar, you will need to right click and drag your feed link over the eRSS Builder Icon first, and then move it to the Folder Panel.

Can I add content from any website to eRSS Reader?
Only websites which provide (syndicate) their content in XML format (RSS, Podcast or Atom) can be added to your eRSS Reader. This is because XML uses a standardized template to organize only content which is different from how web pages are presented in HTML. There are millions of websites that do offer content in RSS format such as Yahoo.com, and Atom format such as Blogger.com as well as most news sites and many more being added each day. By using the "Search web for feeds:" search box in eRSS Builder, or using a content aggregator website such as Syndic8.com, you can search to find which websites do offer XML formats for your Reader. You may also quickly create a RSS or Atom feed from a website using eRSS Writer.

What if the website I want doesn't have an RSS feed?
To create an RSS feed for a website that doesn't offer one, use eRSS Writer.

How do I delete content or unsubscribe?
To delete content and unsubscribe from a content channel, you simply highlight the channel title in the Folder Panel (left side panel), and click on the red "X" icon in the top menu. If you want to keep the channel but clear all topics within that channel, you can right click your mouse while highlighting the channel you want to clear, and select "Clear Channel". To delete all topics but keep channels intact, right click and select "Clear All Channels".

If you want to delete individual topics from within a content channel, simply highlight the topic in the Channel Panel (top right) and right-click on your mouse to select "Delete A Topic". Under the "View / Preferences" pull-down menu, you can also indicate how often content should be deleted from eRSS Reader (e.g. every 30 days is the default).

How will I know when new content arrives?
When new content arrives, a small pop-up message will appear on your system tray to alert you of fresh content and will then disappear after a specified number of seconds, or can be closed by clicking on the "X" in the top right corner. This pop-up reminder can be disabled under the "View / Preferences" pull-down menu options and the length of time it displays for can also be adjusted.

How can I better organize content?
eRSS Builder enables you to create folders and drag and drop topics and channels into them to help organize your content feeds. Simply click on the "File" pull-down menu and select "Create Folder" to add a folder to the left side Folder Panel. You can also delete or rename folders under the "File" pull-down menu. By clicking on the grey "Folders" header bar, you can also sort your folders alphabetically.

How do I import or export my content and folders?
To import content folders, channels and topics from a friend or a second computer, click on the "File / Import Channels" pull-down menu item and select the file name which you would like to import (ends with an .opml extension). Once imported, click on the Refresh icon to load new topics. Import files do not have to originate from eRSS Builder, and can be any .opml file formatted for RSS or Atom feeds.

To export your content settings, select "File / Export Channels" and then save your settings to a file stored on your computer for sharing with others (will require an .opml extension).

Can I save a topic to my hard drive for viewing when offline?
Yes, you can right click your mouse over the Topic Panel (top right) to "Export Topic" as an HTML file to your PC's hard drive, for viewing feeds while working remotely without Net access.

Can I change the way I can view content in eRSS Reader?
Yes, you can easily hide folders, channels or topics by selecing from the "View" pull-down menu, and unchecking the Panel which you would like to hide from view.

How will I know when new content has been updated?
When new content has been added or updated to one of your channels, a pop-up window will appear for 10 seconds indicating the channels which contain new topics, and the number of new topics within each feed will also appear next to the channel title. If you do not want this pop-up window to appear at all, simply click on the "View" pull-down menu, select "Preferences" and uncheck this option. You may also close the pop-up window at any time by clicking the "X" in the top right corner.

Can I have topics automatically updated or deleted at certain times?
To update or refresh topics at a regular time interval, simply click on the "View" pull-down menu, select "Preferences", check the box next to the option: "Check topics every: X hours/minutes" and select your desired time interval. To delete topics after a set period of time, under this same menu item, check the box next to: "Automatically delete topics after: X days" and modify the number of days before topics will be deleted.

Can I have eRSS Reader load automatically when starting my computer?
Yes, click on the "View/Preferences" pull-down menu option and check the box next to this option.

Why do I get this message: "Cannot open eRSS Builder document file. Please make sure it is accessible for reading and writing"?
You may already have eRSS Builder running in the background while you are trying to open or start another instance. Check your "Windows Task Bar" menu for a "eRSS" icon, and either click that icon to open eRSS Reader, or close/exit and try restarting eRSS Builder again. You may also want to view the "Windows Task Manager" (hold down: Ctrl, Alt and Del) to see if it is already running there.

I get this message "Error reading index of -- channel" or "Stream read error" and eRSS Reader then hangs - what can I do?
In this case, your data file may be broken. Try exporting channels to an OPML file, exit
eRSS Reader, delete My eRSS Builder folder from My Documents folder, run Reader again and import OPML list again.

How do I flag topics that I want to read again later?
To flag items to read later, simply highlight the feed topic in the Channel Panel (top right) and right click your mouse. You can then select "Toggle Topic Flag" to add a flag icon next to the topic feed you want highlight. You can also select "More Flags" to add up to 5 different colours of flags next to each item.

Why don't scripts or pop-ups work in the Topic Panel?
As a result of overwhelming feedback, all scripts have been disabled in the Topic Panel (Bottom Right) area by default. This has been done to stop pop-up advertisements from automatically displaying while trying to view a feed. However, if you wish to enable scripts - you can do so in the "View / Preferences" pull-down and check "Allow scripting in web browser."

How do I view and download feed attachments/enclosures?
Feeds that contain attachments (also called "enclosures") to be downloaded have a paper-clip next to them. To download those attachments, such as music, video or audio files, simply double-click on the feed in the Channel Panel. To view download activity - under the "View" pull-down menu, click on "Downloads" to view attachments.

How do I add music to my iPod or iTunes or other media players?
To automatically sync music downloaded from feeds with attachments (enclosures) in eRSS Reader, you must select "View / Attachments and Podcasting..." from the pull-down menu, and click on the "Podcasting Options..." tab, and check the box under "Playlists Control" that says "Populate iTunes playlist with downloaded file". There are also similar options for downloading music to Windows Media Player or WinAmp music players.

eRSS Writer

Can I create a feed to link to existing articles on my website?
Yes. Using eRSS Writer you can instantly scan an existing web page to create RSS or Atom feeds. To do this, click on the "Scan feed from page" icon in the top left corner (page with the globe on it) and then type in the full URL of the web page that you would like to convert to an XML feed. Click "Next" to proceed to scan the web page of your choice. Assuming that eRSS Writer could successfully scan your page (not all pages can be scanned due to different coding methods and dynamic content), you will then see a summary screen of the XML elements which the software was able to search and find in the code.

Please note that if you are not satisfied with the elements that eRSS Writer picks up from your web page, you may wish to click "Cancel" and try again, but check "Strict parsing" for your next attempt. Again, please note that every web page is coded differently, and so it is very difficult to scan a web page and prepopulate it with XML elements each time. You will very likely have to input the Description or other elements manually to get the feed set up with the content that you want.

Why can't I save my feed using "Save Button"?
You have likely not completed all of the required fields for your feed. Please fill in the empty fields which are marked as required, and then try again to save your feed.

How do I manually create an RSS or Podcast feed from scratch?
Using eRSS Writer you can easily create RSS or Podcast feeds from scratch. When you login to your account, click on "Create Feed", you will need to input the required field elements: Title, Description, Link, Language and Copyright. Take a free 14 day trial of the eRSS Writer today.

You may choose to add some optional Metadata elements further below including: Image elements: Title, Resource Link (hyperlink to destinate web page), and Link to Image (source of image graphic). You must then add a Article by clicking the "Add Article or Edit Feed" button to open up the "Add Article" page. Title, Link, Author and Description elements are all required for your feeds. To edit an existing Article, simply click "Edit Feed" and then click "Edit Article" link. You can also delete an article here as well.

You may also format your Description using the icons above the larger text box (e.g. font, underline, bold, list, add image, add hyperlink etc). You may wish to add more Articles using the "Edit Feed" link at the top of the page. With eRSS Writer, you can also add enclosures such as mp3 or other media files (similar to email attachments) to your RSS or Podcast feeds.

How do I view the code of my RSS or Podcast feed?
To view the code of your feed, click the "Edit Feed" link and choose the "Post Feed". When your feed has been posted it will provide you with a link to your feed. Just put that URL into your browser and you can view the code that has been produced for your feed.

How can I view my new feed once it's published?
After you have completed creating a feed and have posted it, you can add your feed URL to your RSS Reader. If you don't have an RSS Reader download our Free RSS Reader today!

How do I publish my feed to the Internet?
When you are ready to publish your feed to the Internet, click on the "Edit Feed" link. Choose the feed you want to post and click "Post Feed" link. When you've completed the posting process you will be brought to a page with your feeds link and options for adding RSS Feed icons to your website.

I cannot login to my account, what's wrong?
This is usually either a problem with your Username or Password being entered wrong. Remember, passwords are case sensitive so make sure you are entering it correctly.

If you still can't login use the "Forgot my Password" link on the login page and you'll ba asked for your email address and then we'll send you your Username and Password. Make sure your email address you enter is the same one you registered with. If you still have problems please contact .

eRSS Publisher

I uninstalled a branded reader but still see old logos/branding - how do I remove them?
Some operating systems store old branding images, logos etc in your computer's registry, so try uninstalling the old readers, delete the "My ABC Reader" folder from "My Computer" and clear your registry as follows; Click on "Start" and "Run.." and type in "regedit", find the "HKEY CURRENT USER/Software/eRSS Builder/eRSS Customizer" folder and delete that directory.

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