Multi RSS Read

Reads data from multiple RSS Feeds in parallel

Overview

The Multi RSS Read node reads and parses multiple RSS feeds in parallel, allowing users to aggregate data from various sources efficiently. It is useful for scenarios where you want to monitor several news sites, blogs, or any content syndication feeds simultaneously and process their items collectively.

Practical examples include:

  • Aggregating news headlines from multiple news outlets.
  • Collecting blog posts from different authors or websites.
  • Monitoring updates from various podcasts or video channels that provide RSS feeds.

This node fetches each RSS feed URL provided, parses the feed content, and outputs the individual feed items as separate JSON objects. It supports customization such as adding HTTP headers, user-agent strings, and handling SSL issues.

Properties

Name Meaning
URLs A collection of one or more RSS feed URLs to read from. Each URL must be a valid RSS feed address.
Options Various options to customize the behavior of the node:
- Continue On Error Whether to continue processing other feeds if one feed fails (true/false).
- Custom Fields Comma-separated list of additional custom fields to include from the RSS feed items (e.g., "author, contentSnippet").
- Custom Headers Add custom HTTP headers to each request. You can specify multiple headers by name and value, which will be sent when fetching the RSS feeds.
- Ignore SSL Issues (Insecure) Whether to ignore SSL/TLS certificate validation errors when fetching feeds. Useful for feeds with self-signed or invalid certificates but insecure.
- Include Source URL Whether to include the source URL of the RSS feed in each output item. This helps identify which feed an item came from.
- User Agents Multiple User-Agent strings can be added; one will be randomly selected for each HTTP request. This can help avoid blocking by some servers that restrict automated requests.

Output

The node outputs two streams:

  • Success output: An array of items, each representing a parsed RSS feed entry. Each item contains a json object with the RSS feed item properties. If enabled, the source URL of the feed is included in each item under the property sourceUrl.

  • Error output: Items representing failed feed fetches or parsing errors. Each error item includes a json object with:

    • error: The error message describing what went wrong.
    • sourceUrl: The URL of the feed that caused the error.
    • message: A human-readable message indicating failure to fetch the feed.

No binary data is output by this node.

Dependencies

  • Requires internet access to fetch RSS feeds via HTTP(S).
  • Uses the rss-parser library to parse RSS feed XML content.
  • Uses axios for HTTP requests.
  • Supports optional HTTPS agent configuration to ignore SSL certificate errors.
  • No special n8n credentials are required, but custom HTTP headers or user agents can be configured.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  • Invalid URLs: The node validates URLs before fetching. Invalid URLs will cause an error.
  • Network errors: Connection refused, timeouts, or DNS resolution failures may occur if the feed URL is unreachable.
  • HTTP errors: Status codes like 403 (forbidden), 404 (not found), or 429 (too many requests) indicate server-side issues or restrictions.
  • SSL issues: If the feed uses an invalid or self-signed certificate, fetching may fail unless "Ignore SSL Issues" is enabled.
  • Blocked requests: Some sites block automated requests. Adding custom headers or user agents may help bypass these restrictions.

Error Messages and Resolutions

Error Message Explanation & Resolution
"At least one URL must be provided!" No RSS feed URLs were entered. Add at least one valid RSS feed URL.
"The following URLs are not valid: ..." One or more URLs are malformed. Check and correct the URLs.
"Access forbidden (403)" The site blocked the request. Try adding custom headers or user agents, or contact the site administrator.
"Too many requests (429)" Rate limit exceeded. Wait and try again later.
"RSS feed not found (404)" The feed URL is incorrect or the feed has moved. Verify the URL.
"Domain not found" DNS resolution failed. Check the URL domain spelling and network connectivity.
"Connection refused" Server is down or blocking connections. Verify server status or firewall settings.
"Connection timeout" Server took too long to respond. Check network connection or server load.
"Network error" General network issue. Check your internet connection.

If "Continue On Error" is enabled, errors for individual feeds do not stop the entire execution; instead, they appear on the error output.

Links and References

Discussion