google plus and rssA lot of you have requested Google Plus support be added to FlowReader in our feedback forum, and we have definitely placed adding a Google+ home stream on our roadmap. (Hey, we’d like to add a whole lot more than that!)

But here’s the truth: we’re just not ready for that moment yet.

So, until that day comes, we’ve got a solution to help you out. In today’s post, I’m going to show you how to keep tabs on Google+ with RSS feeds using a very handy tool.

Google Plus does not currently offer RSS feeds. However, it’s easy to generate customized feeds on your own using a Chrome app called Feed+ . This Chrome app was written in Google Apps script and developed by Eric Koleda, an engineer working with developer relations team at Google.

 

 How to create an RSS feed for Google Plus

To get started, go to the Feed+ app in the Chrome Web Store and add it to your apps for free. Once its installed, launch the app and accept the request to access your Google services. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be all set to start creating feeds! Feed+ lets you generate RSS feeds for specific profiles, communities, business pages, and search results on Google Plus. 

Here’s how:

  1. Select whether you’d like to generate a feed for “User’s or Page’s Public Feed” or “Search Results”
  2. Type in the profile or page’s ID or URL or enter a search term
  3. Click “Preview” to see the content
  4. Click “Add” to set up the RSS feedCheck out the feed below that I created for the search results for the term “social media”:
rss feed for google plus search results

RSS Feed for Search Results

Add your Google+ Feed to FlowReader

Once your feed is created, you’re ready to add it to your FlowReader account.

  1. Click on the “RSS” link in your Feed+ library
  2. A new tab will open. Copy the URL from the new RSS feed tab.
  3. Go to your FlowReader “Settings” Page
  4. I added a new category just for Google+ (This step is optional!)

    add a new google plus category in flowreader

    Add a New Category

  5. Paste your RSS feed subscription URL, select a category, and click “Add”

    adding a google plus rss feed to flowreader

    Adding an RSS feed

  6. Go check out your new Google+ RSS feed in FlowReader!
    feed for google plus search in flowreader

    Feed for Google+ Search Results

     

The feed you’ve generated is public, meaning you (or anyone else) can subscribe to these feeds. However, apparently FeedBurner doesn’t recognize them as valid, even though we can add them straight into FlowReader.

You can manage your feeds directly in the Feed+ library. If you’d ever like to disable a feed, simply delete it in the Feed+ app, by clicking “Delete”. Currently, you’re not able to generate feeds for separate circles, which is something we hope to have in our social reader in FlowReader in the future. However, you do have the option of generating single feeds for each member of a circle if you’re willing to take the time to do so.

How do you like to handle Google+ and RSS? Are you using a different app or tool? Leave us a comment here or catch up with us on Facebook or tweet to us directly, @flow_reader. We’d love to hear what other solutions you’ve come up with.