Gmail Atom feed
A couple days ago an undocumented feature appeared on Gmail. It's an Atom feed, which is a syndication format (compare RSS), and as implemented in Gmail it gives you a summary of the unread mail in your inbox. Here are my observations; I'd appreciate corrections if I've gotten anything wrong or left anything out. In particular, have you had success or failure with a particular aggregator?
- The link to the feed is https://gmail.google.com/gmail/feed/atom.
- The feed requires SSL. http:// rather than https:// won't work (though it will redirect if your aggregator supports it).
The URL must be exact. Adding a trailing slash won't work.Fixed this 10/21/2004.- For most aggregators, the feed requires HTTP authentication. Your aggregator should prompt you for your Gmail username and password when you first subscribe.
- For most browsers or browser-integrated aggregators, the feed will work with your Gmail web cookie. You don't need to enter your username/password through HTTP authentication, but the feed will work only as long as you're logged in to Gmail, which isn't particularly useful.
- The content of the feed is the unread messages in your inbox. If you don't have any such messages, you won't see any interesting content in the feed!
- Sage: this Firefox extension works through session cookies.
- Feedreader: doesn't work because it doesn't support SSL.
- SharpReader: yes, it works because it supports SSL and HTTP authentication.
- Bloglines: doesn't work because it doesn't support SSL, and even if it did, I'm not willing to give my Gmail password to anyone else.
- FeedDemon: I've heard this works but I haven't tried it.
- NetNewsWire 2.0b3: works (Thanks, Matt!)
- BottomFeeder: works (Thanks, JH!)
- Shrook 2
- NetNewsWire
- NewzCrawler
- NewsGator
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gmail feed works in netnewswire 2.0b3 (http://ranchero.com/netnewswire/beta.php).
newsfire doesn't appear to work - won't even let me add the url. appears it may not support ssl and parses the url for 'https' before allowing it to be added.