SMF·FEEDLY
Can a prompt replace Feedly?
Read it later & RSS — RSS reader
Exhibit tracking slip
Verdict
Core RSS reading — polling feeds, folders, unread state, full-text search — is a textbook one-sitting build on an open protocol with mature open-source parts already available. What's missing is Feedly's own feed discovery and its AI-assisted filtering across a very large number of sources.
Exhibit A — The prompt
Received on31.07.2026Build a personal RSS reader that polls a list of feeds on a schedule (every 30 minutes is a reasonable default), parses new items, dedupes them by their feed-provided ID, and stores them in a database. Import an existing OPML export on first run so nothing has to be retyped. Build a reading UI with folders, per-folder unread counts, a keyboard-navigable article list, one-key mark-as-read, and starring; add full-text search across everything you've read. Add an optional 'summarize this article' feature that calls an LLM API if a key is present in the environment — hide the button entirely when no key is set, so the core reader works with zero API keys. Prune read items after a set retention window, keep starred items indefinitely.
Do not build a mobile app or Feedly's feed-discovery and suggestion system — adding a new feed means editing the OPML file, and that's a fine trade for owning your reading list.Opening prefills the prompt — press enter to run it.
Exhibit B — What you lose
- B.1 mobile apps
- B.2 feed discovery and suggestions
- B.3 Feedly's AI-assisted filtering (Leo)
- B.4 integrations with other tools
- B.5 someone else's uptime
Prior art
Exhibit C — Why people still pay: data ingestion/polish
People pay to avoid maintaining hundreds of feeds and reader apps across devices themselves — RSS is an open, well-understood protocol, so the value is mostly convenience and polish.
Questions
Can I import my existing Feedly feeds?
Yes — Feedly exports a standard OPML file with your feeds and folders, and importing that on first run is exactly how this build expects to be set up.
Will it work on my phone?
As a responsive web page, yes, if you host it somewhere reachable. There's no dedicated mobile app or offline sync.
What does it cost to run?
Hosting and a database, typically a few dollars a month; the optional AI summary feature adds a small per-article API cost only when you use it.
What's the one thing that doesn't survive the rebuild?
Discovering new sources. Feedly suggests feeds based on what its whole user base reads; here, finding a new feed to add is entirely on you.
Related tools
Receipt