Click Library in the left sidebar, then the Import & Export tab. Use Import from file to bring in feeds from another reader, or Export to OPML to download yours. Import and export work on every plan, Free included.
What is an OPML file?
OPML is a small text file that lists feed addresses and the folders they belong to. Nearly every RSS reader can export and import one, so it is how you move your feeds between readers. Feeder reads files that end in .opml or .xml.
How do I import feeds into Feeder?
- Export an OPML file from your old reader (see below).
- In Feeder, click Library in the left sidebar, then open the Import & Export tab. The direct link is feeder.co/library/import-export.
- Under Import, click Import from file and choose your file.
- When you see Import was successful!, your feeds are in your feed list.
A few hundred feeds usually take about a minute. Thousands of feeds can take up to an hour. New feeds fill up with posts as Feeder checks each one for the first time.
What happens to my folders?
- Folders in the file become folders in Feeder, including folders inside folders.
- If you already have a folder with the same name in the same place, Feeder adds the feeds to it.
- Feeds you already follow are not added twice, so importing the same file again is safe.
To tidy up afterward, see Manage feeds with folders.
Can I import a CSV or Excel file?
Yes. Feeder also imports CSV and Excel (XLS) files.
- A plain list of links: put one feed address per line in a single column and save it as a .csv file.
- Several columns: Feeder asks you to Choose what each column means. Set the column with the feed addresses to Source, and optionally pick a Folder and a Title (optional) column. Then click Continue Import.
JSON files can't be imported. Copy the feed addresses into a CSV file instead.
What if the file has more feeds than my plan allows?
Feeder imports every feed, then shows Feed limit exceeded. Only the first feeds on your account keep updating, up to your plan's limit: 200 on Free and 2,500 on Plus. The rest stay in your Library marked Disabled. Remove feeds you don't need and the locked ones switch back on, in the order you added them. Or upgrade: Plus is $7.99 a month billed yearly ($9.99 billed monthly). See What's included in Feeder's Free plan.
How do I export my feeds?
- Click Library in the left sidebar, then open the Import & Export tab.
- Under Export, click Export to OPML.
Feeder downloads an .opml file with all your feeds and folders. Keep it as a backup or import it into another reader. It lists your feeds, not the posts in them.
Can I import or export in the extension or the mobile apps?
- Browser extension (called RSS Feed Reader in the Chrome Web Store): it has the same Library page. If you use the extension without an account, your feeds live in that browser, so export them from there.
- iPhone, iPad and Android: open the Discover tab. Import from file is under Feeds, and Export as OPML is at the bottom.
How do I export from another reader?
- Feedly: sign in on the web and open feedly.com/i/opml. The file has your RSS feeds, not Boards or Read Later.
- Inoreader: go to Preferences, then Import, Export, Backup.
- Other readers: look for Export or OPML in the settings.
Common questions
Why did my import fail?
Feeder tells you why right after the import, and your import history shows the reason next to the file:
- One feed, not a list of feeds: the file is a single feed. Feeder opens it in Add feed, ready to follow, and your import history offers Add this feed.
- Not an OPML file or a spreadsheet: export an OPML file from your other reader and import that.
- Couldn't read the spreadsheet: save it as CSV and try again.
- Too many feeds for one import or Too many folders for one import: one file must have fewer than 10,000 feeds and no more than 750 folders. Split a bigger file into smaller ones.
- Your library is full: your account already has 10,000 feeds, so an import can't add more.
Why is a feed empty after the import?
If a feed stays empty, the file may list a web page rather than its feed. Feeder imports each address as it is. Unfollow that one, then paste the page's address into Add feed: Feeder finds the site's feed if it has one, or offers to build a feed from the page. See How to follow a website without an RSS feed.
Why does my export have fewer feeds than I expected?
The export has the feeds of the account you are signed in to, so check that it is the right one. Feeds you added in the browser extension without an account are only in that browser.
Still stuck? E-mail support@feeder.co with the file attached, and we'll take a look.