Feeds allow you to see when Websites have added new content. You can get the latest content and media in one place, as soon as it's published, without having to visit the Websites you have taken the feed from.

Feeds are also known as RSS. RSS stands for 'Really Simple Syndication.' In essence, the feeds themselves are just Web pages, designed to be read by computers and devices rather than people.


How do I start using feeds?

In general, the first thing you need is something called a feed reader. This is a piece of software that checks the feeds and lets you read any new articles that have been added. There are many different versions, some of which are accessed using a browser, and some of which are downloadable applications.

Browser-based feed readers let you catch up with your RSS feed subscriptions from any computer, whereas downloadable applications let you store them on your main computer, in the same way that you either download your e-mail using Outlook, or keep it on a Web-based service like Hotmail, iGoogle, or myYahoo.

Once you have chosen a feed reader, all you have to do is to decide what content you want it to receive. For example, if you would like the latest Toledo Stories, simply visit the Watch section and you will notice an orange button under the menu on the left hand side.

If you click on the RSS button, you can subscribe to the feed in various ways:

Dragging the URL of the feed into your feed reader 
Cutting and pasting the same URL into a new feed in your feed reader.

Most sites that offer feeds use a similar orange button, but some may just have a normal Web link.

Most current browsers automatically check for feeds for you when you visit a Website and display an icon when they find one. This can make subscribing to feeds much easier. For more details on these, please check their Websites.


Using Metroparks of Toledo Area feeds on your site

If you run your own Website, you can display the latest content from other Websites on your own site using RSS.

We encourage the use of Metroparks of Toledo Area feeds as part of a Website, however, we do require that the proper format and attribution is used when Metroparks of Toledo Area content appears. The attribution text should read "Metroparks of Toledo Area" or "www.metroparkstoledo.com" as appropriate. You may not use any Metroparks of Toledo Area logo or other Metroparks of Toledo Area trademark.

We reserve the right to prevent the distribution of Metroparks of Toledo Area content and Metroparks of Toledo Area does not accept any liability for its feeds.