What is Google Reader?
Google Reader is a web-based tool that allows you to keep up with multiple RSS feeds.
What is RSS?
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It is a web feed format that syndicates the content of a website.
An RSS feed is made up of the text (and some limited meta data) of all of the new posts of a website in reverse chronological order. It essentially strips out the actual website and creates a way to distribute that content in its simplest form.
What can be syndicated with RSS?
Essentially any web page that is made up of distinct content posts can be syndicated.
For example:
- Most blogs have an RSS feed built in that syndicates the latest blog posts
- News sites use RSS to publish the latest news stories
- Podcasts are essentially RSS feeds of audio files
- Tools like flickr and Twitter use RSS feeds so users can keep up with the updates of their friends
How do I get started?
1. Create a Google account
If you don't have a Google account already, you can sign up for free
2. If you already have a Google account (for Gmail, Google Analytics, etc.), you already have access to Google Reader! Just go to google.com/reader
Getting Started
When you first open Google Reader, it will look like the screenshot below. Watch the video or take the online tour if you need more help getting started!
When you add feeds, they will show up in the left column of the window. The posts in each feed will show up in the right column, in reverse chronological order.
To add a feed
There are several ways to add a feed to your favorite blog or news site.
1. From Google Reader
In the top left of Google Reader, click the "Add a Subscription" button.
It will pop open a box, in which you can either paste the feed URL or search for the blog or news source you are looking for.
Note: Google has not indexed every single feed on the internet. The search feature is best suited for major publications like CNN news and the Wall Street Journal.
2. From the website you want to subscribe to
Note: Different browsers and websites handle RSS feeds differently, but these general instructions should get you through most situations.
To subscribe from a website, look for the RSS feed icon 
and click to add the feed. If you can't find the link within the page, in most browsers the RSS icon will appear next to the URL in the top navigation bar.
and click to add the feed. If you can't find the link within the page, in most browsers the RSS icon will appear next to the URL in the top navigation bar.
There are mulitiple ways for websites to handle feeds, but if you are logged in to Google already you will typically see a screen with the following options. Choose "Add to Google Reader" to add the RSS feed content to your Google Reader Feed list.
Updating Feed Settings and Removing Feeds
Once you start growing your feeds list, you can organize them by Folder. To add a feed to a folder, click on the feed and click the drop down titled "Feed Settings..."
Click to add the feed to a folder, or to create a new folder click "New Folder." From this drop down you can also click "Unsubscribe" to remove the feed from your Reader.
Advanced Features
Google Reader has several advanced features like Sharing Content with Google friends and mobile applications. For more on these features, visit Google Reader's Official Help guide.
E-mail this page to a friend (requires login).
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