Changing readers usually means leaving a long list of feeds behind. You do not have to type them in again. Almost every feed reader can save its list as an OPML file, and FeedBro can read that file and follow everything in it. It works the other way too: you can take your FeedBro list with you whenever you like.
Get the file from your old reader
Look in your old reader's settings for an option called export, or export OPML. It saves a small file that usually ends in .opml or .xml. Keep it somewhere you can find it.
Check the file first (optional)
Open the free OPML checker at feedbro.com/tools/opml-checker, press Choose an OPML file and pick your file. You do not need an account. It shows how many feeds and folders the file holds, which feeds appear twice, and which addresses look broken. The file is read in your browser and is not uploaded anywhere.
Import it into FeedBro
- Sign in and open Settings, then Feeds.
- Find the Import & Export box and press Import OPML.
- Choose your file. The import starts at once and the page reloads when it is done.
Every feed in the file is followed within a second or two, so your list is full right away. Feeds FeedBro already reads show their articles immediately. The others are followed under the name your file gave them and are read in the background.
Watch the progress
While that happens, a banner on your dashboard says how many feeds have been read so far. Articles appear as each feed comes in, so you can start reading before the count is finished. When it is done the banner says all your feeds are in. If some sites have not answered yet, it tells you how many, and FeedBro keeps trying. You do not need to keep the page open.
Folders become collections
If your old reader sorted feeds into folders, FeedBro turns each folder into a collection with the same name. If you already have a collection with that name, the feeds go into it. If you have reached your plan's limit on collections, the feeds are still followed, just without a collection.
What to expect
- A file can be up to 2 MB, and FeedBro imports the first 200 feeds in it. For a longer list, split the file in two and import both.
- Feeds you already follow are skipped, and the message tells you how many.
- The Free plan follows up to 50 feeds. If your file has more, FeedBro stops at the limit and tells you how many were left out. Coffee Club raises that limit.
- If FeedBro says the file is not a feed list, open it in the OPML checker to see what is wrong, or export it again from your old reader.
Take your feeds with you
Exporting is free on every plan.
- Open Settings, then Feeds.
- In the Import & Export box, press Export OPML.
- Your browser saves a file called feedbro-feeds.opml.
The file lists every feed you follow. A feed that is in one of your collections goes inside a folder named after the collection, so importing the file somewhere else, or back into FeedBro, keeps your grouping. It is also a handy backup before you tidy up a big list.
If something in your import does not look right, tell us through the contact page and send the file if you can.
