PubMed RSS: turn any search into a feed

PubMed can produce an RSS feed for any search you run. The exact clicks, how to write a search worth following, and how the feed compares with My NCBI e-mail alerts.

The clicks

Go to pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov and run your search.
Under the search box, click Create RSS.
Choose how many items the feed should hold (15, 20, 50 or 100) and click Create RSS.
Copy the feed address PubMed shows and paste it into Vite Research (Discover, Add feed) or any reader.

The address contains a key tied to your exact search. Changing the search means creating a new feed; the old one keeps working for the old query.

Write a search worth following

A feed repeats your query every time it is fetched, so narrow it: combine a subject heading with a concept ("Neoplasms"[Mesh] AND immunotherapy[tiab]), restrict to article types you read, and add a journal filter if you follow specific titles. Test the query on the results page first; a feed that returns hundreds of items a week will not be read.

Feed or e-mail alert?

My NCBI e-mail alerts need an NCBI account and arrive on a schedule you choose. The RSS feed needs no account, can be read in any app, and can be shared with colleagues by giving them the address. Many people keep one of each.

The builder

The PubMed feed builder prepares the search link with your terms so you land on the results page with Create RSS ready.