RSS feed help
Why a feed fails—and what to try next
RSS Mixer reports bounded failure categories instead of exposing server details. These are the failures observed most often while checking imported and newly submitted public feeds.
Start with the validator
Test the URL in the RSS feed validator. A normal webpage can work when it advertises a feed; otherwise, use the publisher’s direct RSS, Atom, RDF, or JSON Feed URL.
Not found or access denied
404 Not Found usually means the publisher moved or removed the feed. Look for an RSS link on the current website and replace the old URL.
401, 402, 403, or 451 means the origin requires authentication, payment, permission, or applies a legal/geographic restriction. RSS Mixer supports public feeds and does not bypass those controls.
Hostname and network failures
DNS unresolved means the hostname no longer resolves or had a temporary DNS failure. Confirm the spelling and open the publisher’s website directly.
Private or reserved address is a safety rejection. RSS Mixer cannot fetch localhost, private networks, link-local services, or hosts whose DNS answers include non-public destinations.
Timeouts and server errors
Timeout means the origin did not finish within the public fetch limit. Retry later or find a lighter feed URL.
5xx errors mean the publisher, proxy, or CDN was unavailable. RSS Mixer backs off repeated failures and preserves a previously generated mix when it is safe to do so.
HTML without a feed link
The submitted page returned HTML but did not advertise an RSS, Atom, or JSON Feed link. Look for “RSS,” “Subscribe,” or a feed icon, or inspect the publisher’s documentation for a direct feed URL.
Unsupported or malformed feed
The response may be XML without a supported feed root, invalid JSON Feed, or malformed markup that cannot be parsed consistently. Validate the publisher’s direct feed and ask its owner to correct the document when you do not control it.
Response too large
Public validation and refreshes have response-size limits to control cost and abuse. Use a feed with fewer entries, a category-specific feed, or a publisher-provided lightweight endpoint.
A feed works in a browser but not in RSS Mixer
Browsers can use your cookies, local network, extensions, or interactive challenges. RSS Mixer fetches as an unauthenticated server and applies DNS, redirect, timeout, and response-size safeguards on every request.
If a public feed continues to fail and the validator’s advice does not explain it, send the feed URL and displayed category to support@rssmixer.com. Do not email private tokens or credentials.