RSSHub

RSSHub is a self‑hosted, open‑source service that turns virtually any web resource into an RSS/Atom feed. At its core, it exposes a RESTful API that accepts a path describing the target source and returns a standardized feed. The system is built on Node.js with Express, leveraging asynchronous I/O to handle thousands of concurrent requests while keeping memory usage low. Its modular architecture allows developers to add new “routes” as simple JavaScript modules that encapsulate scraping, API consumption, or data transformation logic.

Technical Stack & Architecture

• Runtime: Node.js (v18+), using the express framework for HTTP routing.
• Core Engine: A lightweight router that maps URL patterns to route modules. Each module exports an async function returning a feed object or null on failure.
• Data Storage: Optional caching via Redis (recommended for production) or in‑memory LRU caches. The feed data itself is stateless; clients receive the XML/JSON directly.
• Containerization: Official Docker images (diygod/rsshub) are pre‑built, exposing port 1200. The Dockerfile uses a multi‑stage build to keep the runtime image slim.
• Testing & CI: GitHub Actions run unit tests (Mocha/Chai), linting, and code coverage. The project is also published to NPM (rsshub) for library‑style consumption.

Core Capabilities

• Dynamic Routing: Any URL under / is interpreted as a route; for example, /github/user/:username/repo/:repoName/commits yields a feed of recent commits.
• Extensibility: Developers can drop new route modules into the routes directory. Each module follows a standard interface (async (ctx) => { /* return feed */ }) and can use third‑party libraries like axios, cheerio, or native APIs.
• Feed Formats: Supports RSS 2.0, Atom, and JSON‑Feed (via Accept header negotiation).
• Rate Limiting & Caching: Built‑in per‑IP rate limiting (express-rate-limit) and optional Redis TTL caching for high‑traffic endpoints.
• Webhooks: Routes can expose a POST /webhook endpoint to trigger updates or push notifications to external services.

Deployment & Infrastructure

RSSHub is intentionally lightweight, making it suitable for single‑instance deployments on a Raspberry Pi or larger Kubernetes clusters. Key deployment considerations:

• Scalability: Stateless nature allows horizontal scaling behind a load balancer. Redis can be shared across instances for cache coherence.
• Resource Footprint: A single instance on a modest VM consumes ~200 MB RAM and minimal CPU under load, thanks to Node’s event loop.
• Monitoring: Exposes /metrics for Prometheus, and health checks (/ping) for readiness probes.
• Security: Runs behind HTTPS proxies; supports Basic Auth or JWT if exposed publicly. Route modules can implement custom authentication.

Integration & Extensibility

Developers looking to extend RSSHub have several options:

• Plugin System: Add custom middleware or modify existing route logic by editing the source tree. Contributions are merged via PRs, benefiting from the active community.
• API Consumption: External services can query RSSHub endpoints directly, or embed the generated XML in their own applications.
• Webhooks & Automation: Route modules can push updates to Slack, Discord, or other services using outgoing webhooks.
• Custom Domains: Configure a reverse proxy (NGINX, Caddy) to serve RSSHub under a branded domain with TLS termination.

Developer Experience

The project boasts comprehensive documentation (https://docs.rsshub.app) covering route creation, deployment, and contribution guidelines. The community is active on Telegram and X (Twitter), offering quick support for new contributors. Linting, automated tests, and code coverage ensure high code quality, making onboarding for new developers smooth. The use of standard Node.js libraries and a clear module interface lowers the learning curve.

Use Cases

1. Personal RSS Aggregation: Host a private instance to generate feeds for niche blogs or internal company sites that lack native RSS support.
2. Enterprise Integration: Embed RSSHub in an internal tooling stack to surface updates from external APIs (e.g., GitHub, Reddit) into a corporate feed reader.
3. API Abstraction Layer: Wrap third‑party APIs behind RSS feeds for downstream consumption by legacy systems that only understand RSS.
4. Event‑Driven Workflows: Use webhooks to trigger CI/CD pipelines or notification services whenever a new feed item appears.

Advantages Over Alternatives

• Open Source & Self‑Hosted: No vendor lock‑in; full control over data and scaling.
• Extensive Route Library: Over 5,000 live instances indicate a vast ecosystem of pre‑built routes.
• Performance: Asynchronous Node.js handling and optional Redis caching deliver low latency even under heavy load.
• Licensing: MIT license permits commercial use without royalties or mandatory disclosure.
• Community & Maintenance: Active development with frequent releases, high test coverage, and a responsive contributor base.

In summary, RSSHub offers developers a powerful, extensible platform to expose virtually any content as an RSS feed, with minimal operational overhead and strong community support.