Rssnotes is an open source bridge that turns RSS and Atom feeds into Nostr profiles and notes. It suits publishers, bloggers and news readers who want their updates to reach the Nostr network without writing any code themselves. If you already follow blogs or news sites through a feed reader, Rssnotes lets those same sources appear as people you can follow on Nostr.
The program works as a read-only relay. It pulls content from the feeds you configure, creates a Nostr identity for each one, and publishes new items as notes under that identity. The relay also has its own key and follows every feed profile automatically, so a client connected to it can see the whole set of sources in one place. The project is a fork of rsslay, and it is written in Go.
What Problem Does an RSS to Nostr Bridge Solve?
Most websites still publish through RSS or Atom, while a growing share of decentralized social activity happens on Nostr. A bridge like Rssnotes sits between these two worlds. Instead of asking every publisher to adopt Nostr directly, it reads the feeds that already exist and republishes their items as signed Nostr notes.
The result is that a news site, a personal blog or a podcast feed can gain a presence on Nostr without changing its own software. Readers who prefer Nostr clients get the updates in the place they already spend time.
Who Is Rssnotes For?
The tool is most useful for three groups. The first is operators of Nostr infrastructure who want to fill their relays with content from the open web. The second is publishers who want a Nostr presence but lack the time to post manually. The third is curious users who run a small personal relay and want to experiment with feeds they already follow.
Someone who only wants to read Nostr posts from people they know will not need a bridge. Rssnotes is a tool for connecting an existing content source to the network.
Real-World Use Cases
A small newsroom might run Rssnotes on a home server so that each of its section feeds appears as a separate profile. Followers can choose to subscribe only to the topics they care about. Each profile carries its own QR code, which the newsroom can print on a page or display at an event.
A hobbyist maintaining a list of technical blogs could import an OPML file exported from a feed reader, then let the relay follow all of them at once. Because old notes are cleaned up automatically, the relay stays small even after months of operation.
How Feeds Become Nostr Notes
Nostr identifies users and content with public keys and signatures. When Rssnotes creates a profile for a feed, it generates a key pair for that feed and signs each note it publishes with that key. A client that follows the profile verifies those signatures, which means the notes are tied to the bridge's identity rather than to the original website.
This is worth understanding because the bridge is effectively the signer for each feed. Anyone running a public instance is making publishing decisions on behalf of the sources they include, so choosing sources carefully matters.
Key features
Feed-to-profile conversion
QR code for every feed profile
Relay with its own identity
OPML import and export
Automatic cleanup of old notes
Configurable metrics on the main page
Prometheus metrics endpoint
Built on khatru
Supported coins
The project documentation mentions Nostr and Nano as the networks and assets it relates to. Rssnotes is focused on content distribution rather than on handling payments, so its role with these networks is limited to how content is published and discovered.
How to install Rssnotes on Windows
- 1
Download the program
Go to the official project page on GitHub at github.com/trinidz/rssnotes and open the Releases section. Download the latest release, currently v0.1.6. Only download from the official site or the GitHub repository.
- 2
Verify the file
Check the SHA-256 checksum of the downloaded archive against the value published with the release, or verify the signature if one is provided. This confirms the file was not altered in transit.
- 3
Prepare the configuration
Extract the files and open the .env file. The project asks you to add values for several required environment variables. Fill them in with your own settings before starting the relay.
- 4
Run the relay
Start Rssnotes either directly from the extracted build or through Docker, which the project lists as a supported platform. Open the local web address shown in the console to confirm the main page loads.
-
Add your feeds
Add feed URLs manually or import an OPML file. The relay will create a profile for each feed and begin publishing notes. Check the main page to confirm that feeds are being read.
System requirements
- Docker is listed as a supported platform for running Rssnotes.
- A configured .env file with values for the required environment variables.
How to use Rssnotes
Rssnotes is set up once and then mostly runs on its own. The steps below cover the typical first session. Plan on about fifteen minutes if you have a list of feeds ready to import.
- Start the relay and open the main page in your browser.
- Choose which statistics you want to display on the main page.
- Import your feed list from an OPML file, or add feed URLs one by one.
- Open a feed profile and scan its npub QR code with a Nostr client to confirm it appears.
- Check the /metrics path if you plan to monitor the relay with Prometheus.
- Review the note retention behavior and adjust your expectations for how far back old items remain available.
- Export your feed list to OPML occasionally so you have a backup.
Pros & cons
- Free and open source, with source code available on GitHub.
- Turns existing RSS and Atom feeds into Nostr content without publisher effort.
- Generates QR codes for each feed profile, which makes sharing simple.
- Supports OPML import and export for moving feed lists in and out.
- Automatically removes old notes, keeping storage under control.
- Exposes Prometheus metrics for monitoring.
- It is a read-only relay, so it cannot be used to post as a regular user.
- Statistics other than the feed count reset when the relay restarts.
- Setup requires editing environment variables, which may be unfamiliar to non-technical users.
- It is a fork of another project, so its development path depends on its own maintainers.
Is Rssnotes safe?
Rssnotes is open source, so its code can be reviewed on GitHub. Download the program only from the official GitHub repository or from the project's own release page. Before running it, check the SHA-256 checksum or signature of the downloaded file against the value the maintainers publish. If no checksum is available, treat the file with caution.
Also keep in mind that a public instance signs content on behalf of the feeds you add. Only include sources you are comfortable republishing. Run the relay with the least privilege needed, and keep the .env file private because it holds your configuration values. Antivirus software should not flag a Go binary from the official source, but if it does, investigate rather than disabling protection.
- Official source only. Download from github.com/trinidz/rssnotes. Ignore ads and lookalike domains.
- Check the SHA-256. Compare the installer hash with the value the developer publishes before running it.
- Never share your seed phrase. No developer, support agent or website — including CryptApps — will ever ask for it.
Alternatives
Rssnotes stands out among Nostr tools because its job is narrow: it bridges feeds and publishes them as read-only content. Tools like Amethyst, Gossip and Vega are full clients where you read, post and manage an identity. Rssnotes does not replace those; it supplies content they can display.
Compared with a general-purpose command-line tool such as nak, Rssnotes offers a dedicated workflow for feeds, including OPML handling and per-feed profiles. If your goal is to run a relay that carries news and blog content, it is the more direct option. If you need to interact with Nostr events from a terminal, a tool like nak or Nostr Commander RS fits better. HAVEN is a closer neighbor in the sense that it is also a relay, but it is built for personal sovereignty rather than feed ingestion.
Specifications
- Price
- Free
- Type
- Open source
- License
- —
- Latest version
- v0.1.6
- Last update
- 24 Sept 2026
- Windows support
- Likely (builds for Windows; check releases)
- Source code
- github.com/trinidz/rssnotes
Frequently asked questions
Yes, Rssnotes is free and open source. You can download the program from its GitHub repository and run it without paying a license fee. The source code is publicly available for review.
Rssnotes reads RSS and Atom feeds and turns each feed into a Nostr profile, then publishes its items as notes. It also runs as a read-only relay that follows all of those profiles automatically.
The project lists Docker as a supported platform, and the release notes indicate that builds are available for Windows. Check the latest release on GitHub to confirm the file you need, then follow the installation steps on this page.
No. Rssnotes is a read-only relay. It publishes content from the feeds you configure, but it does not provide a way to write new notes from your personal account. Use a Nostr client for that.
Each feed profile has an npub QR code that Rssnotes generates. Scan it with a Nostr client or share the code image on your website so followers can add the profile quickly.
No. Rssnotes deletes old notes automatically, which keeps storage from growing indefinitely. Metrics other than the feed count are session-based and reset on restart, so they reflect only the current run.
Yes. Rssnotes supports importing and exporting feed lists in OPML format, which is the standard used by most feed readers. Import your existing file and the relay will create profiles for each feed.
The relay exposes Prometheus metrics at the /metrics path. Point your Prometheus server at that endpoint to collect data and build dashboards for uptime and activity.
Verdict
Rssnotes is a focused, free tool for anyone who wants to bring RSS and Atom content onto the Nostr network. It is a good fit for publishers, news operators and hobbyists who run their own relay and want their feeds visible to Nostr users. Because it is a read-only bridge, it is not a replacement for a full client. Check the latest release on GitHub before installing, and be deliberate about which feeds you republish.