I practically live in an RSS reader. If I am already checking my feeds for the day, it makes sense to have new YouTube videos show up there too instead of jumping between YouTube, websites, and apps.
The frustrating part is that YouTube does not make the RSS link easy to find anymore. Years ago it was more obvious, but now you need to know the URL trick.
Quick Answer
If you have an older-style YouTube user URL, you can turn it into an RSS feed by adding `rss/` before `user` and adding `/feed.rss` after the username.
For example, if the channel URL is `youtube.com/user/lifewithtechnet`, the RSS version becomes `youtube.com/rss/user/lifewithtechnet/feed.rss`. Paste that feed URL into Feedly or your RSS reader, and new uploads should appear with your other feeds.
Why Use RSS For YouTube
For me, the point is convenience. I already use Feedly to keep up with websites and other tech sources, so adding YouTube channels there keeps everything in one place.
Once the feed is added, new videos show up alongside the rest of the day’s reading. I can open the video item right from the reader, mark it as read, or keep moving through everything else I follow.
This is especially useful if you follow a lot of channels and do not want to rely only on YouTube’s subscription page or notifications.
The URL Trick
On the YouTube channel page, you may not see an RSS button or feed link anywhere. The trick is to manually build the RSS URL.
Start with the channel’s user URL. Then insert `rss/` right before the word `user`. After the username, add `/feed.rss`.
That gives you a feed URL your RSS reader can understand. In Feedly, I used Add Content, pasted the modified URL, and Feedly recognized it as the channel’s uploads feed.
- Start with the YouTube user URL.
- Add `rss/` before `user`.
- Add `/feed.rss` after the username.
- Paste the finished URL into Feedly or another RSS reader.
Adding It In Feedly
In the video, I used Feedly because that is my RSS reader of choice. After pasting the YouTube RSS URL into Feedly’s Add Content box, it found the uploads feed for LifeWithTech.
From there, I added it to a videos folder. Since I had just added the feed again for testing, the existing videos showed up as new, which is normal when adding a feed for the first time.
I like using card view for video feeds because it makes the thumbnails easy to scan. Clicking the folder then shows the video feeds I follow in one place.
A Note About Subscriptions
One thing I pointed out in the walkthrough is that I am not completely sure how RSS access affects YouTube subscriptions or creator support.
Because of that, I still recommend subscribing to channels inside YouTube itself. Use the RSS feed for convenience, but subscribe on YouTube so the channel still gets the normal subscription signal.
Where This Helps Most
This works best if you already spend time in an RSS reader and want YouTube uploads to appear in the same daily workflow.
Instead of remembering to check multiple places, the videos come in while you are already reading other sites. For tech channels, podcasts with video versions, and regular shows, that can make keeping up much easier.
Other video services may expose RSS more directly, but YouTube is the one where knowing the feed URL format helps.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube may not show an obvious RSS link on channel pages.
- For older-style YouTube user URLs, add `rss/` before `user` and `/feed.rss` after the username.
- Feedly can recognize the modified URL as a YouTube uploads feed.
- Putting YouTube channels in an RSS reader keeps videos alongside the rest of your daily feeds.
- It is still a good idea to subscribe to channels directly on YouTube.
Watch the Video
The video above above to see the Feedly setup step by step, including how the YouTube RSS URL is built and how the videos appear once the feed is added.
