RSS Feeds on Digital Signage: News Tickers & Headlines

ScreenTinker has a native RSS widget. Point it at a feed URL and it renders live headlines on screen - perfect for a news ticker, blog headlines, or an internal announcement board.

The short version

The RSS widget is built in - no plugins or embeds. You give it a feed URL like https://example.com/feed.xml and it pulls the latest items and renders the headlines on screen. Because it is a configurable widget, you can add it to playlists and layouts, and it can share a multi-zone layout with your main content so headlines run alongside images or video.

Step by step

1. Open the Content Library (or the layout editor) in your ScreenTinker dashboard.
2. Add the RSS widget.
3. Configure it with your feed URL, for example https://example.com/feed.xml. The widget fetches the feed and renders the current headlines.
4. Add the RSS widget to a Playlist, or place it in a zone of a multi-zone layout next to your other content.
5. Publish and schedule the playlist or layout, then assign it to one or more screens.

Tips & use cases

• News ticker. The classic use - a strip of scrolling or rotating headlines along the bottom or side of the screen while the main zone shows video or promos.
• Multi-zone layouts. Put the RSS widget in one zone and your primary content in another so headlines and the main message play at the same time instead of taking turns.
• Internal announcements. If your intranet, wiki, or CMS can publish an RSS feed, point the widget at it to broadcast staff updates without emailing everyone.
• Status pages. Many status and monitoring tools expose an RSS feed - surface incidents on an ops or NOC wall board.
• Blog and content marketing. Show your own latest posts in a waiting area or office lobby to keep visitors engaged with fresh material.
• Which feeds work. Any standard RSS or Atom feed URL that returns headline items. Feeds you control are the most reliable, since you know they will stay online and public.

FAQ

Is the RSS widget really built in?

Yes. RSS is a native ScreenTinker widget - you configure a feed URL and it renders headlines. There is no third-party plugin or embed code to manage.

What kind of feed URL do I use?

A standard RSS or Atom feed URL, such as https://example.com/feed.xml. Most blogs, news sites, CMSes, and status pages publish one.

Can the RSS ticker share the screen with other content?

Yes. Place the RSS widget in one zone of a multi-zone layout and your main content in another. Headlines and your primary message then display at the same time.

Can I use an internal or private feed?

The widget fetches a feed URL, so any feed the player can reach works - including an internal feed on your network for a self-hosted deployment. Publish your announcements as RSS and point the widget at that URL.

Does it work on all ScreenTinker players?

Yes. The RSS widget runs on Android TV, Fire TV, Tizen, webOS, Vega, Raspberry Pi, Windows, ChromeOS, and the browser player - all free.