RSS Feed Validator

Introduction to Feed Validation

The RSS Feed Validator is a browser-based tool designed to analyze the XML content of RSS 2.0 and Atom 1.0 feeds. By pasting the raw XML of a feed directly into the input area, you can identify its format, parse its entries, and uncover structural issues, missing required fields, and unparseable link references.

This tool is built for website operators, content publishers, developers, teams migrating RSS/Atom feeds, and anyone who needs to check the format of an RSS 2.0 or Atom 1.0 feed. It helps users quickly identify malformed markup, missing feed or entry fields, and invalid link references.

Supported Formats and Version Rules

The validator is designed to check current RSS 2.0 and Atom 1.0 documents. While it can identify older feed formats, it applies specific rules to prevent incorrect validation results:

• RSS 2.0 and Atom 1.0: These are fully validated against their respective structural and field requirements.
• Older and Alternative Formats: Older RSS, RDF/RSS 1.0, and Atom 0.3 feeds are identified by the tool, but they are not checked against the wrong rules.
• Unknown Formats: If the pasted XML does not match recognized feed standards, the tool reports an Unknown feed format.

The validator accepts a complete feed containing its RSS or Atom root element, with a maximum input limit of 500,000 characters per check.

How the Validator Analyzes Feeds

When you paste your XML and run the validator, the tool performs a series of checks on the document structure and elements:

1. XML Integrity: It checks for malformed XML and alerts you to fix any parsing errors. It also checks for DOCTYPE declarations, which must be removed before validation.
2. Format and Version Verification: The tool verifies that the feed matches the expected version. If a mismatch occurs, it reports: This validator supports ‹format› ‹expected›; detected ‹actual›.
3. Channel and Root Constraints: For RSS feeds, the tool ensures there is exactly one direct channel element, reporting an error if the count is incorrect.
4. Link Parsing and Resolution: The tool parses link-bearing fields and resolves Atom relative references using xml:base. However, it never opens the URLs, meaning that destination content, redirects, SSL certificates, and server availability are not tested.
5. Field Presence and Counts: It checks for missing required fields and ensures that specific fields are not duplicated where only one is permitted.

RSS 2.0 Validation Rules

For RSS 2.0 feeds, the validator checks specific item-level rules to ensure compatibility with feed readers:

• Title or Description: The tool checks for the presence of a title-or-description.
• Item Fields: It reads and validates the GUID, link, and publication date for RSS items.
• Date Validity: It checks that publication dates use a real date in the format required by the feed.

If any required fields are missing, or if links and dates are invalid, the tool flags these issues with their exact line and column numbers.

Atom 1.0 Validation Rules

Atom 1.0 feeds have strict metadata and structural requirements. The validator checks the following rules for Atom entries:

• Core Identifiers: It checks the ID, title, and updated fields. Atom IDs must be absolute IRIs; relative identifiers are flagged as invalid.
• Author Inheritance: The tool verifies author requirements. If an entry lacks an author, it checks for author inheritance from the feed or source.
• Alternate Links: It checks for alternate links, especially when an Atom entry has no inline content.
• Content and Summary Rules: The validator checks the relationship between content and summaries. If the content element uses a src attribute, inline text and child elements must be removed. A summary must be added when the Atom content is external or not readable as text.

Understanding the Validation Report

After processing the feed, the tool generates a detailed Feed report containing several output metrics:

• Summary Counts: It displays the number of ‹count› errors, ‹count› warnings, ‹count› entries, and ‹count› links checked.
• Issue Locations: For every issue found, the report provides the exact location, formatted as Line ‹line›, column ‹column› along with the XML path under Fix: ‹path›. You can click Go to ‹path› at line ‹line› to locate the issue.
• Parsed Entries: The tool displays the Parsed entries found in the feed. If a feed or entry lacks a title, it is labeled as an Untitled feed or Untitled entry.
• Truncation Limits: To keep the report manageable, the tool displays a maximum of 200 issues and 100 entries. If your feed exceeds these limits, it displays messages such as Showing the first ‹shown› of ‹total› issues. or Showing the first ‹shown› of ‹total› entries..

Please note that this report checks structure and common format rules only. It does not prove that the feed content is accurate, safe, accepted by every reader, or ready to publish.

Privacy and Data Handling

Your privacy is maintained while using this tool. Your feed is checked entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or saved by BroBroGo, ensuring your XML data remains local to your machine.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which feed formats does this validator support?

It validates current RSS 2.0 and Atom 1.0 documents. Older RSS, RDF/RSS 1.0, and Atom 0.3 feeds are identified but not checked against the wrong rules.

Does it open or test links in the feed?

It parses link-bearing fields and resolves Atom relative references with xml:base. It never opens the URLs, so availability, redirects, certificates, and destination content are not tested.

Which entry fields are checked?

For RSS items it checks title-or-description and reads GUID, link, and publication date. For Atom entries it checks ID, title, updated, author inheritance, alternate links, and content or summary rules.