Import-ant News for Google Reader Users
The big news on the internet the last couple of days has been that seminal RSS reader Google Reader will be shutting down on July 1, 2013. Google Reader had lots of fans, including many of us here at Automattic, but it’s time to move on.
Speaking of moving on from Google Reader, did you know that you can import your subscriptions directly from Google Reader into the WordPress.com Reader? We launched the Reader about 18 months ago; it’s responsive to fit any size screen, you can like and reblog WordPress.com content without leaving the news stream, and if you run out of new posts to read, you can discover new content in the Recommended Blogs section.
To import your subscriptions, just visit the WordPress.com Reader import page; you’ll be reading your feeds in the WordPress.com Reader in three clicks or less, or your money back.
The Reader can also import and export OPML, so you can try it out no matter what feed reader you’re using today.
Posted: Friday, March 15th, 2013 at 6:25 pm. Filed in Features, Feeds.
Tags: Feeds, Google Reader, WordPress.com Reader
Mar 15th at 6:30 pm
Thanks for this, I love the interface of the WordPress.com Reader!
Mar 15th at 6:37 pm
Reblogged this on Kentucky Mountain Girl's Blog and commented:
Google Reader shutting down came as a complete surprise to me today. I don’t often use Google Reader, but am quite used to going to it for certain feeds.
Mar 15th at 6:40 pm
Thank you a lot for this!
I’m using WP reader and I found it very good and easy to use.
However, even if on the iPad I found no issue, it seems to me that with the iPhone there is some bugs with the reader.
In particular, if I open a blog page from the reader there is not the possibility to return on the reader page (or maybe I didn’t find the right pulsant!!!)
I hope It is clear!
Bye
Mar 15th at 6:44 pm
I had heard about this. Thanks for the information and the update. And I AM glad to hear about the WordPress Reader, too.
Mar 15th at 6:44 pm
Reblogged this on Paw Print and commented:
This is a great alternative to Google Reader. Best of all, it’s free!
Mar 15th at 6:48 pm
The WordPress.com Reader won’t really be an acceptable substitute until it at least has a condensed “titles only” view. The current format uses too much space per entry for people used to scanning a hundred or so updates every morning.
If you’re looking to improve it, great. But as it stands now, not really an option.
Mar 15th at 6:50 pm
could this be included in Jetpack? It would be a very nice feature for self-hosted sites
Mar 15th at 6:51 pm
That way WAY too easy! Thank you!!
Mar 15th at 7:01 pm
can you import all news feeds or only blogs that come under WordPress.com?
Mar 15th at 7:19 pm
All of your subscriptions from Google Reader will be imported, not just WordPress.com blogs.
Mar 15th at 7:01 pm
Reblogged this on Tangent Sky and commented:
I was searching for a reader replacement and this is it. Thanks WordPress!!!
Mar 15th at 7:02 pm
I just moved my WordPress.com subscribers the opposite direction to the Google Reader a couple of days ago. Now I will move them back.
Mar 15th at 7:05 pm
I wish WP reader was more compact. With the amount of feeds I’ve got, it would take me forever to scan through them. Otherwise, it does look really nice!
Mar 15th at 7:15 pm
Oh, WordPress! I love you so much right now!
Mar 15th at 9:03 pm
I did not know this. I will be checking this out right away!
Mar 15th at 9:12 pm
I was just wondering this today! Yay for WordPress!!!
Mar 15th at 9:17 pm
I like using the reader through the WordPress iPhone app but it only shows me the WordPress blogs I’ve subscribed to and none of the non-Wordpress blogs I’ve added. Wish it showed everything, that would be very useful.
Mar 15th at 9:23 pm
Reblogged this on Sharper Than Any Two-Edged Sword… and commented:
For all my Blogger friends wondering what to do…I use this, it’s great!
Mar 15th at 9:26 pm
In your post you state, “you can like and reblog WordPress.com content”. If we’re reading content from a non-WordPress blog, are we also able to like and reblog? And are there any other limits to non-WordPress blogs. As an example of what I mean, Blogger shows WordPress bloggers as a ‘no reply’ when posting comments. Thanks for the update.
Mar 18th at 2:13 am
You are not able to like or reblog non-WordPress.com content.
Mar 15th at 9:39 pm
Reblogged this on Egill and commented:
Very Import-ant News for Very Import-ant People
Mar 15th at 9:42 pm
Reblogged this on stuwest.org.
Mar 15th at 9:48 pm
It seems to be a great option but I have been having a few problems with it loading posts/scrolling. Hopefully it can only improve as more people start using it
Mar 15th at 10:06 pm
That’s funny, I was just telling my husband this morning that I wished I could view all my blogs I read from the WordPress reader, not just the WordPress blogs. I didn’t realize this was an option. Thanks so much for sharing. I’m impressed with how easy that was!
~Jen
Mar 15th at 10:17 pm
I forgot about this option. I just imported my Google Reader blogs now. I like it, but I do wish it was more compact.
Mar 15th at 10:17 pm
Reblogged this on Carrie and commented:
This is good to know. I had loved Google Reader for a long time. At least now I can read everything still. And on one of my other favorite services too!
Mar 15th at 10:19 pm
Reblogged this on Ich sag mal und kommentierte:
Feine Sache! Import your Google Reader subscriptions directly.
Mar 15th at 10:40 pm
I switched as soon as I heard. I didn’t use the import option, didn’t know there was one. Truth is there were lots of feeds I no longer paid attention to. Now my daily feed is so much more interesting, engaging, and relevant.
Mar 15th at 11:06 pm
This is really a nice feature for those who are using Google Reader. Thanks for posting
Mar 15th at 11:11 pm
Reblogged this on Dancing to the Beat of the Wrong Drum and commented:
As a diehard Reader user, i was nigh frantic when I learned that Reader was being shut down. I don’t know if Word Press will be as good, but I’m willing to try.
Mar 15th at 11:16 pm
Good thing to have, but it is nothing like Google Reader. NO option to mark read, and have them disappear. Nope, nothing yet. I’m still struggling to find a good web-reader like (better than ?) google reader.
Mar 16th at 12:15 am
Reblogged this on Steven Rosenberg and commented:
I just wrote about the WordPress.com Reader a few days before Google’s announcement. I’m giving Reader a try now.
Mar 16th at 12:23 am
Reblogged this on jobsiteliberal and commented:
Problem solved…
Mar 16th at 1:02 am
Reblogged this on Serenity's Musings and commented:
Some more info on Google Reader’s shutting down…
Mar 16th at 1:45 am
I have a big list of subscriptions in my Google reader. WP Reader saved my life. I thought that we had to add them one by one. Thank you for this post. Now I can import them all at once!
Mar 16th at 1:49 am
Reblogged this on Beyond Beauty Tips and commented:
It took me only 2 minutes to do this. All I had to do this was allow WordPress Access my Google account. Fallen in love with WP all over again. Thank you Automattic for this timely post. I have started getting the updates from those blogs already!
Mar 16th at 2:05 am
Thanks for the heads up! I much prefer WordPress’ Reader anyhow.
Mar 16th at 2:48 am
Ha ha – ‘or your money back’. I like that.
Unfortunately, I don’t entirely understand all this. I’m hoping I’ll still be informed of when blogs I follow post, and will then be able to read them. It’s that simple to me. I don’t know what happens behind the scenes – but do hope it won’t change my simple needs: to be informed of new posts, to be able to read new posts.
But as usual, good on you WP for staying progressive. You’re the only blog platform I’ve been into, but I’ve heard some negative things about “the others” – so good on YOU WP, for being great.
Cheers.
Mar 16th at 12:14 pm
Just moved to WordPress Reader, but not for long. Only three messages are filling my screen and to see the rest I have to scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and………
Mar 16th at 1:50 pm
Super easy. Thanks! Love the title also.
Mar 16th at 4:24 pm
I’ve been meaning to move from blogger to wordpress for some time now. Google’s anouncement of its abandonment of Reader gave me the extra push to get to getting. Here I am, and I’m going to import my subscriptions. Gee I hope you can also do that with the free account…?
Mar 18th at 2:14 am
Yes, importing subscriptions and using the Reader are completely free.
Mar 16th at 4:32 pm
Thanks for the alternative. Is there any way to create folders to organize the feeds better with your solution? I had categorical folders for all my feeds in Google Reader…All sports feeds where in the “Sports” folder, WordPress related feeds had there own folder and so on. I have A LOT of feeds I imported from GR. A single stream I have to scroll through for literally thousands of potential updates to get to the ones I really want to read is not going to really work for me.
Mar 18th at 2:15 am
There is not currently a way to organize your feeds by folder, but I understand the need for that feature for some people.
Mar 16th at 7:12 pm
I have a lot of subscriptions, both in WPcom and in GR and while I love the WP Reader, it’s not my first choice mostly because I can’t push out to all my current sharing services. For me, it’s not just about reading. Regardless, the ability to import one’s subscriptions from Google Reader is much appreciated. Thank you for giving us this option!
Mar 17th at 12:54 am
Does this reader offer an option to read off-line? (previously loaded blogs)
Mar 18th at 1:28 am
Hi – are items marked as read as you scroll past them like in Google Reader? I can’t see how to manually mark something as read, and when I’ve gone back to the page, all articles I’ve already looked are still there.
Mar 18th at 2:16 am
The WordPress.com Reader doesn’t support the notion of read vs. unread, at least not yet.
Mar 18th at 4:39 pm
Reblogged this on j9sopinion and commented:
FYI for Google Readers
Mar 25th at 2:25 am
Reblogged this on darwinsoesanto and commented:
Kinda sad.. Because Google Reader has a really great feature for finding news
Mar 26th at 12:57 pm
Its a shame. I used Google Reader every day