RSS identity reference

Feed identity glossary

A compact reference to the terms used across RSS, Atom, JSON Feed, podcast syndication, discovery, and identity systems.

Identity terms

An immutable application or registry identifier for a logical publication, distinct from its current URL.

The RSS item element used to identify one entry. It may be a permalink or an opaque string.

A required permanent IRI for an Atom feed or entry.

A required string that uniquely and durably identifies a JSON Feed item.

A byte, structural, or semantic signature used to compare feed observations. Different fingerprint types answer different questions.

The preferred current address for retrieving a feed.

A historic or alternate URL related to the same logical feed.

An HTML link rel="alternate" declaration that points feed-aware software to RSS, Atom, or JSON Feed.

A service that accepts a URL or ID and returns the associated feed record plus evidence.

An XML web syndication format organized around a channel and items.

An XML syndication format with required feed and entry IDs and typed link relationships.

A JSON-based feed format with required item IDs and explicit page, feed, and attachment fields.

An XML mechanism that allows extensions such as full content, media, Atom links, or podcast metadata without colliding with core element names.

A time-stamped record of what a system fetched or parsed.

A claim made by a publisher, user, or integration.

A conclusion derived from observations and rules, such as a likely alias relationship.

A retained record explaining that an ID was merged, retired, or replaced rather than silently reused.