When I started building Jottings, I wanted every microblog to have great RSS feeds out of the box. But as creators told me what they needed, I realized there was more to the story.

The truth is, RSS 2.0 isn't the only feed standard—and for serious creators, it might not be the best one.

That's why I built Atom 1.0 feeds into Jottings PRO.

Why Atom? Why Now?

Atom is the modern alternative to RSS. It's a standardized format that fixes a lot of what makes RSS clunky, but it's been quietly used by developers and power users for years.

Here's what makes Atom better than RSS:

1. Better Date Handling

RSS uses RFC 822 date format (like Mon, 06 Dec 2025 14:30:00 GMT). It's a mess to parse if you're a developer. Atom uses ISO 8601 (2025-12-06T14:30:00Z), which is the standard every modern system understands.

This might sound boring, but it matters. Atom dates work consistently across every system, every timezone, every feed reader. No confusion, no bugs.

2. Enhanced Metadata

Atom feeds include richer metadata out of the box:

• Full author information: Name, email, and website for each post
• Post summaries and full content: Both included, so readers can see a preview and read the full post
• Categorization: Tags and topics are properly structured
• Update timestamps: Know when a post was modified, not just published
• Feed rights/license: Declare ownership and usage rights

RSS has some of this stuff too, but Atom makes it standard and reliable.

3. Proper XML Specification

This is technical, but important: Atom has a strict specification. Every Atom feed follows the same rules, which means every Atom reader knows exactly what to expect. RSS is more loosely defined, which leads to inconsistencies and workarounds.

What PRO Atom Feeds Include

With Jottings PRO, your Atom feed is available at:

https://yourname.jottings.me/atom.xml

Your feed includes:

• Full metadata for every jot (author, timestamp, categories)
• Tag-based feeds: /tag/photography/atom.xml for subscribing to specific topics
• Proper HTML/text handling: Your jots display beautifully in all readers
• Update tracking: Know when posts are edited, not just created
• Consistent formatting: Every single field follows Atom 1.0 standards

This means professional feed readers, aggregators, and publishing tools can consume your content reliably.

Who Benefits from Atom Feeds?

Content Curators & Aggregators

If you're building a content hub that pulls from multiple creators, Atom's structured metadata makes it trivial to parse and organize. You get author info, categories, and timestamps automatically.

Enterprise RSS Readers

Companies using advanced feed readers (Inoreader, NewsBlur, FreshRSS) have better Atom support and more features enabled when using Atom feeds.

Developers & Tools

If you're building tools that consume feeds—workflow automation, content republishing, social scheduling—Atom's consistent specification saves you from dealing with RSS quirks and edge cases.

Podcast & Media Networks

If your Jottings site includes media-rich content or podcasts, Atom's robust enclosure handling (the technical term for file attachments) is more reliable than RSS.

Atom vs RSS vs JSON Feed: The Quick Guide

You might be wondering: Do I even need to think about this?

The good news: You don't have to choose. Every Jottings site includes all three formats:

• RSS 2.0: The universal standard. Works everywhere. Good for casual readers.
• Atom 1.0: The modern standard. Better for serious tools and publishing workflows.
• JSON Feed: Human-readable, developer-friendly, but less widely supported.

Promote all three on your site. Let your readers pick what works for them. With Jottings, they're all available automatically.

How to Promote Your Atom Feed

If you're on Jottings PRO and want to highlight your Atom feed:

1. Add it to your site bio or footer: Link directly to /atom.xml
2. Tell your audience: "Follow my writing via Atom feed" works great in social media bios
3. Email it to subscribers: Include the Atom feed URL in your email signature or newsletter
4. Submit to directories: Feed discovery sites like Feedbase and We Use RSS let you list your Atom feed

The Bigger Picture

I believe in the open web. That means your content should be portable, standardized, and not locked into any platform.

RSS feeds—and Atom feeds—are how we keep that promise. They let readers consume your content however they want, in whatever app they prefer, without algorithms or ads getting in the way.

With Jottings, you get that freedom. All three feed formats. Professional-grade metadata. Complete control.

Ready to Use Atom Feeds?

If you're already on Jottings PRO, your Atom feed is already live. Copy your feed URL and share it wherever you want your audience to discover you.

If you're thinking about PRO, enhanced feeds are just the beginning. You'll also unlock markdown rendering, custom domains, and more powerful content features.

Start your creator journey at jottings.me and bring your readers with you—feed first, algorithm-free.

The best distribution is the one you control.