|
|
- What is a feed? What does it mean to subscribe?
- How can I subscribe to feeds?
- Why doesn't the entire story show up in the expanded view?
- How can I see the original source for what I'm reading?
- Are there any keyboard shortcuts?
- How does sharing work?
- What are tags and how do I use them?
- How does auto-sort work?
- Can I read my subscription starting with the oldest items?
- Can I use Google Reader even when my computer isn't connected to the Internet?
- Can I import an existing subscription list?
- How do I export my subscriptions from another feed reader?
- What is a Google Account?
- What are RSS and Atom?
- What are Google Reader's system requirements?
- I have another question or comment. Where can I send feedback?
1. What is a feed? What does it mean to subscribe?
Many websites publish lists of updates—called "feeds"—that indicate when they've posted new content. When you subscribe to a feed, Google Reader monitors that feed and keeps track of all updates. You don't have to give any personal information, it doesn't cost a dime, and it's easy to unsubscribe.
2. How can I subscribe to feeds?
If you know the address of the feed to which you want to subscribe, you can just click on the "Add Subscriptions" link and paste the address in the text field that appears. Otherwise, our directory offers an easy way to find and add feeds. Finally, you can find your own feeds.
3. Why doesn't the entire story show up in the expanded view?
Google Reader gathers what content owners and publishers provide. Some sites send out updates with entire stories; others give just a headline or brief summary of the story. If you want to see a story in its entirety, simply click on the gray arrow icon  and you'll go directly to the source website. You can also contact the publisher directly and ask that they include the full content in their feed.
4. How can I see the original source for what I'm reading?
Click the gray arrow icon in any item to go directly to the website where the item came from. In the expanded view, you can also click on the item's title.
5. Are there any keyboard shortcuts?
Keyboard shortcuts save you time by helping you quickly explore your reading list without moving back and forth between your keyboard and mouse. Here are the keyboard shortcuts for Google Reader:
| j/k | item down/up | selects the next/previous item in the list |
| space/shift-space | page down/up | moves the page down/up |
| n/p | scan down/up | in list view, selects the next item without opening it |
| o | open/close item | in list view, expands or collapses the selected item |
| enter | open/close item | in list view, expands or collapses the selected item |
| s | toggle star | stars the selected item |
| shift-s | toggle share | shares the selected item |
| m | mark as read/unread | switches the read state of the selected item |
| t | tag an item | opens the tagging field for the selected item |
| v | view original | opens the original source for this article in a new window |
| shift-a | mark all as read | marks all items in the current view as read |
| 1 | expanded view | displays the subscription as expanded items |
| 2 | list view | displays the subscription as a list of headlines |
| r | refresh | refreshes the unread counts in the navigation |
| shift-n/p | navigation down/up | selects the next/previous subscription or folder in the navigation |
| shift-x | navigation expand/collapse | expand or collapse a folder selected in the navigation |
| shift-o | navigation open subscription | opens the item currently selected in the navigation |
| gh | go to home | goes to the Google Reader homepage |
| ga | go to all items | goes to the "All items" view |
| gs | go to starred items | goes to the "Starred items" view |
| gt | go to tag | allows you to navigate to a tag by entering the tag name |
| gu | go to subscription | allows you to navigate to a subscription by entering the subscription name |
| u | toggle full screen mode | hides and shows the list of subscriptions |
| ? | keyboard shortcuts help | displays a quick guide to all of Reader's shortcuts |
6. How does sharing work?
Sharing is one of our favorite features. In fact, we like it so much that we've got a whole page of questions devoted to it. Find out more about sharing.
7. What are tags and how do I use them?
Tags provide a way to organize items that interest you. You can use any word as a tag. For example, you might have a tag for your favorite posts ("favs"), or a tag for items you want to follow up on ("follow-up"). Tags can also be used for sharing. To add a tag to a post, simply click "add tags" and enter the relevant tags.
8. How does auto-sort work?
When you're viewing all items, you can click "View settings" to choose a sorting order. Auto-sort prioritizes subscriptions with fewer items, so your friend who publishes one blog item per month won't be drowned out by higher-volume sites like the New York Times.
9. Can I read my subscription starting with the oldest items?
Certainly. Click on "View settings" and select "Sort by oldest". This will display items from the last 30 days, in the order they were posted. This is particularly useful for personal journals and other sites for which order is important. To go back even further, sort your items "newest first" and use our infinite scrolling to go back all the way to the first item we ever tracked for this subscription.
10. Can I use Google Reader even when my computer isn't connected to the Internet?
Yes, you can take your feeds with you and read them when you're not online. Find out more about offline reading.
11. Can I import an existing subscription list?
If you're switching from another feed reader, you can import your existing subscriptions into Google Reader. To do this, you first have to export your subscriptions in a standard format called OPML (see the next question to learn how to do this). Once you have your OPML file, go back to Google Reader and click "settings" at the top right, then "import/export." Choose the location of your OPML file and click "import"; Google Reader will add all the subscriptions in the list to your account and start checking them for updates.
12. How do I export my subscriptions from another feed reader?
Most feed readers allow you to export your subscriptions as an OPML file. Although we don't support non-Google applications, we've compiled a list of relevant links with instructions on how to export your subscriptions from various popular feed readers. If you can't find your former feed reader in the list, or if these instructions don't work for you, we suggest consulting your feed reader's help documentation.
13. What is a Google Account?
A Google Account is a single email address and password that gives you access to numerous Google services, including Google Reader, Google Groups, Google Alerts, Froogle Shopping List and iGoogle. If you've used any of those services before, you already have a Google Account, and can use your username and password to sign in to Reader. If you don't yet have a Google Account, you can create one here.
14. What are RSS and Atom?
RSS and Atom are the two most popular feed formats. Like most readers, Google Reader supports both formats.
15. What are Google Reader's system requirements?
For the best user experience, Google Reader requires an up-to-date browser. We recommend that you use Firefox (download: Windows Mac Linux) or Safari (download: Mac), but Internet Explorer will work too (download: Windows).
16 I have another question or comment. Where can I send feedback?
If you didn't see your question here and you're still experiencing problems, or if you have any comments or feedback about Google Reader, please feel free to post a message on our discussion board or contact us at labs+reader@google.com.
|
