How to Find the Right RSSHub Route in the Docs

Updated

Open docs.rsshub.app and use the site search or the left-hand category tree to locate the service you want. RSSHub organizes routes by category (social media, news, programming, university, etc.) and then by service name. Once you find the service page, copy the route path shown, replace the :parameter placeholders with real values, and prepend your RSSHub instance domain to get a working feed URL.

Two ways to locate a route

1. Search the docs

The documentation site includes a search box. Type the name of the website or service (for example, a social platform, a news outlet, or a video site). Search matches route titles and paths, so partial names usually work.

2. Browse the category tree

If you don't know the exact name, browse the sidebar. Routes are grouped under broad categories, then under individual services. This is useful when you want to discover what's available for a given platform (e.g., all routes for one social network).

Reading a route entry

Each route page typically shows:

Element What it tells you
Route path The URL pattern, e.g. /service/user/:uid
Parameters What each :placeholder means and its accepted values
Example A concrete path with real values filled in
Output What the feed returns (posts, videos, etc.)

The path is relative to your RSSHub instance. If your instance is https://rsshub.example.com, a route /service/user/:uid with uid=123 becomes:

https://rsshub.example.com/service/user/123

Steps to get a working feed

  1. Find the service — search or browse to its page.
  2. Identify the route — note the path and which parameters are required vs. optional.
  3. Collect parameter values — these usually come from the target site's URL. For example, a user ID or a channel slug.
  4. Substitute the values — replace every :parameter with the real value, keeping the slashes.
  5. Prepend your instance domain — combine the base URL with the path.
  6. Test in a browser — open the full URL. A valid feed returns XML; an error page or empty result means a wrong parameter or an unsupported route.
  7. Add to your reader — paste the URL into your RSS client.

Common snags

  • Missing a required parameter — the route won't resolve. Check the parameter table for which ones are mandatory.
  • Wrong parameter format — some routes expect an ID, others a username or a full path segment. Match the example exactly.
  • Route requires configuration — some routes need environment variables or credentials set on the RSSHub instance (for example, API keys for certain platforms). The route page notes this; without it, the feed fails.
  • Self-hosted vs. public instance — the public demo instance may rate-limit or block certain routes. If a route works in the docs example but not on your instance, check instance-level configuration.

Choosing between similar routes

When a service has multiple routes, compare them on:

  • Scope — does it cover a whole site, a category, or a single user?
  • Parameters — fewer required parameters means easier setup.
  • Output type — some routes return full articles, others only titles or links.

Pick the narrowest route that matches what you actually want to follow; it's usually more stable and produces less noise.