---
title: "Finding the RSS in Amazon searches"
date: 2003-07-26T14:59:13-04:00
url: https://blog.lmorchard.com/2003/07/26/amazon-rss/
author: Les Orchard
---

# Finding the RSS in Amazon searches

<blockquote cite="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/xs/syndicate.html/104-1066435-9294366"><i>Amazon.com Syndicated Content is delivered in RSS format. RSS is a standard format (in  XML) for delivering  content that changes on a regular basis. Content is delivered in small chunks, generally a synopsis, preview, or headline. Selected categories, subcategories and  search results in Amazon.com stores now have RSS feeds associated with them, delivering a headline-view of the top 10 bestsellers in that category or set of  search results.</i></blockquote><div class="credit" align="right"><small>Source: <cite><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/xs/syndicate.html/104-1066435-9294366">Amazon.com Syndicated Content </a></cite> (via <a href="http://weblog.siliconvalley.com/column/dangillmor/archives/001232.shtml">Silicon Valley - Dan Gillmor's eJournal - Amazon Does RSS, Officially</a>)</small></div>	<p>This is very cool, though the feeds a little hard to find at first.  Don&#8217;t look for the orange <span class="caps">XML</span> or <span class="caps">RSS</span> buttons &#8211; use <a href="http://diveintomark.org/archives/2002/05/30/rss_autodiscovery.html"><span class="caps">RSS</span> autodiscovery</a> to find the feed associated with a search.  (In other words, the <span class="caps">URL</span> will be in a link tag in the header of a search results page.)</p>

	<p>And though I don&#8217;t really want to stir up trouble, I find it strange that Amazon uses <span class="caps">RSS</span> v0.91, and that they link to <i>Netscape</i> (an all but defunct entity) and not a spec hosted by UserLand or <a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/today/article348552.html">Harvard</a>.</p>

	<p>Anyway, at least they&#8216;re providing feeds in <strong>some</strong> format!</p>
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