RSS stands for real simple syndication. It is a text feed that allows users to access updates to online content in a computer-readable format. Many major websites provide RSS feeds that will push out informational text. These can be read and displayed on a Carousel dynamic bulletin. If you want to add RSS to your display, click the RSS button.
On the dynamic screen, the first step is to type in the web address of the RSS feed. You can find RSS feeds with a simple web search. After finding the feed that you want, copy and paste the text into the URL box.
Since the feed contains multiple items, your next step will be to choose how the bulletin sorts them. On the sort by drop-down, choose whether you would like them sorted by feed default, publication date, title, author, or category. This will determine the order the text feeds to display.
Next, choose whether you want to sort them in ascending or descending order.
The limit options choose how many items and bulletins will be displayed. If you limit by the number of items, you can choose the number you want to pull in. Then, choose whether you would like to limit the number of items per bulletin. If you select no, the system will decide how many items will be placed on each bulletin. Selecting yes will allow you to choose.
Changing to limiting by the number of bulletins, you can choose the number of total bulletins you would like to display, and then you have the same options for choosing how many items go on each bulletin.
Switching to unlimited will not limit how many feed items are brought in, though you can still set how many items are placed on each bulletin.
Excluded words is a purely optional section, and it will do just that. Any word that you list here will be marked for exclusion by Carousel. This doesn't mean that it will just censor the word and bring the rest of the item in. If any RSS item contains an excluded word, Carousel will simply not bring in that item. For this reason, choose only words that you know should be excluded.
Item spacing adjusts the space between items when you have two or more on one bulletin. The bigger the number, the larger the space will be between items.
Finally, you can shorten the URLs included in the display of the RSS feed. Since many URLs are long, this is a good option to leave checked.
Clicking on the content tab will show what RSS information is being pulled into your bulletin. Since RSS feeds are pretty simple, there are not many fields to choose from.
As you can see in the dynamic text explanations listed at the bottom, fewer dynamic fields exist than other dynamic bulletin types. This section is broken up into two parts. The first part provides information from the feed source or where you get the information. The second section deals directly with the individual feed items you will be pulling in. Generally, you can leave the fields as is, and it will pull the correct information.
After making all your selections and edits, you can change the schedule and extras and then click publish.