YouTube RSS Feed Generator
Generate the RSS feed, preview the latest uploads, inspect the raw XML, and copy the feed URL for your favorite RSS reader or automation platform — all from one channel URL or @handle.
What is a YouTube RSS feed?
Every YouTube channel publishes a free, public Atom 1.0 feed at youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=UC…. It lists that channel’s 15 most recent uploads — title, link, publish date, and thumbnail — and updates automatically as new videos go live. No API key, no login, no YouTube account required to read it. If you only need the raw channel ID for something else, our YouTube Channel ID Finder can extract it instantly.
Why use a YouTube RSS feed?
Follow creators, not the algorithm
See every upload the moment it's published — no recommendations, no autoplay, no missed videos buried in a feed you don't control.
Track competitors and industry leaders
Watch what competing channels publish without subscribing, liking, or leaving a trace in your YouTube activity.
Monitor multiple channels in one place
Drop several channel feeds into a single RSS reader and scan every new upload from one screen.
Get updates without signing in
No Google account, no login, no cookies. The feed is a public XML file anyone can read.
Build your own YouTube dashboard
Pipe the feed into Notion, a spreadsheet, or a custom app to build exactly the view you want.
Plug straight into automation tools
RSS is the universal input format for Zapier, Make, n8n, and dozens of other no-code platforms.
RSS feed vs. YouTube subscription
| Feature | YouTube Subscription | RSS Feed |
|---|---|---|
| Requires a YouTube account | ||
| Strictly chronological (no algorithm) | ||
| Works with automation tools (Zapier, Make, n8n) | ||
| Works in RSS readers (Feedly, Inoreader…) | ||
| No recommended or suggested videos mixed in | ||
| Privacy-friendly — no login, no tracking |
Real use cases
A YouTube RSS feed is a small, flexible building block. Here’s how different people put it to work.
For Content Creators
Monitor competitors and industry leaders to spot trends and posting patterns before they go mainstream.
For Developers
Fetch the latest uploads into your app or site without touching the YouTube Data API or its quota.
For Businesses
Track company, partner, or sponsor channels automatically and route new uploads into internal tools.
For Researchers
Archive new uploads from selected channels for longitudinal studies or media analysis.
For Journalists
Get notified the moment an official channel publishes a new video — useful for press conferences and announcements.
For Educators
Follow educational channels and course playlists without the distraction of YouTube's homepage.
RSS + automation
Most people searching for a YouTube RSS feed don’t want the feed itself — they want what happens next. Feed the URL into Zapier, Make, or n8n and every new upload can trigger a message, a row, or a record automatically.
A few real workflows
Monitor a competitor
Follow a university channel
Track a company channel
How it works
Paste a channel URL or @handle
Enter a channel URL (youtube.com/@handle), an @handle, a UC… channel ID, or even a video URL. We resolve the channel automatically.
Click "Generate"
We resolve the channel via the YouTube Data API and fetch the official Atom 1.0 RSS feed from youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml.
Copy, preview, or download
Get the RSS feed URL, channel ID, latest 5 videos, a syntax-highlighted XML preview, and feed statistics. Copy or download the XML.
What’s inside a YouTube RSS feed?
Each entry in the feed’s XML is a self-contained record for one video. This is exactly what you see rendered above in Latest Videos and in the raw XML Preview once you generate a feed.
Video title
The exact title of the uploaded video.
Video URL
A direct link to watch the video on YouTube.
Publish date
The ISO 8601 timestamp the video went live.
Channel name
The name of the channel that published it.
Video ID
YouTube's unique identifier for the video.
Thumbnail URL
A direct link to the video's thumbnail image.
What one entry looks like
<entry> <id>yt:video:dQw4w9WgXcQ</id> <yt:videoId>dQw4w9WgXcQ</yt:videoId> <yt:channelId>UCuAXFkgsw1L7xaCfnd5JJOw</yt:channelId> <title>Latest Video Title</title> <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"/> <author> <name>Channel Name</name> </author> <published>2026-07-24T15:00:00+00:00</published> <updated>2026-07-24T16:12:03+00:00</updated> <media:group> <media:thumbnail url="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dQw4w9WgXcQ/hqdefault.jpg"/> </media:group> </entry>
Want to inspect the latest videos before subscribing? Open a feed in our RSS Feed Viewer.
Common problems
Feed not updating
YouTube's RSS feed is cached and can take a few minutes to reflect a new upload. If it still looks stale after 10–15 minutes, re-fetch the feed URL directly in your browser to confirm.
Why is my feed empty?
The channel may have no public uploads, or every recent video is unlisted, members-only, or a live stream still in progress. Feeds only include standard public video uploads.
Why doesn't a channel have a feed?
Every standard channel has one. If it seems missing, you're likely pointed at a brand account without uploads yet, a terminated channel, or a URL that doesn't resolve to a channel ID — regenerate it here to confirm.
Wrong channel URL
Double-check you're pointing at the channel, not a specific video or playlist. If in doubt, paste any video URL from the channel here and we'll resolve the correct channel for you.
Why does my @handle not work?
Handles are case-sensitive-looking but resolved case-insensitively by YouTube, so a typo is the usual cause. Confirm the handle by visiting youtube.com/@handle directly, or paste the full channel URL instead.
Custom URLs vs. @handles
Older channels may use a legacy /c/customname URL instead of an @handle. Both work — we resolve either format to the underlying channel ID automatically.
Private or deleted videos
The RSS feed only lists public videos. Private, unlisted, and deleted videos won't appear, and removed videos will silently drop out of the feed on the next refresh.
How long before a new upload appears?
Typically within a few minutes of publishing. Your automation platform's own polling interval adds on top of that — Zapier, Make, and n8n usually check feeds every 5–15 minutes depending on your plan.
Why isn't my automation triggering?
Most automation platforms only fire on a change since the last poll, so republishing or editing an old video won't trigger it. Confirm the platform's RSS module is polling this exact feed URL and that the trigger is turned on.
Playlist feeds
This tool generates channel feeds. If you need a feed scoped to a single playlist, use our Playlist Analyser to generate a playlist-specific feed instead.
Frequently asked questions
Continue your workflow
Got the RSS feed? Here’s what most people do next.
Got the RSS feed?
YouTube RSS Feed Viewer
View the latest videos from any feed directly in your browser, no reader required.
Need the channel ID?
YouTube Channel ID Finder
Look up the UC… channel ID behind any handle, custom URL, or video.
Want to monitor a creator?
Channel Age Checker
Check how long a channel has been active before you start tracking it.
Need the thumbnail from a new upload?
Thumbnail Downloader
Grab the full-resolution thumbnail the moment a video from your feed goes live.
Only need one playlist?
Playlist Analyser
Generate a scoped RSS feed for a single playlist instead of the whole channel.
Tracking discussion, not just uploads?
Comment Downloader
Pull comments on the new videos your feed picks up.
Everything you need from a YouTube RSS feed, in one place
Paste a channel URL or @handle to generate the feed URL, preview the latest videos, inspect the XML, and copy it into your RSS reader or automation platform. Free, no account needed.