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For Publishers

Add Byline to your feed in a few minutes. Start minimal and add more as you need it.

Step 1: Add the Namespace

First, declare the Byline namespace in your feed's root element.

RSS 2.0

<rss version="2.0" xmlns:byline="https://bylinespec.org/1.0">

Atom

<feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
      xmlns:byline="https://bylinespec.org/1.0">

JSON Feed

No namespace declaration needed. Use the _byline extension key.

Step 2: Define Yourself

Add a person definition with your name and a brief context. This is the minimum viable Byline implementation.

<byline:contributors>
  <byline:person id="me">
    <byline:name>Your Name</byline:name>
    <byline:context>One sentence about who you are.</byline:context>
  </byline:person>
</byline:contributors>
Context matters
Your context should help readers understand who you are and what to expect. Keep it under 280 characters. Focus on relevant information: your background, expertise, or the nature of your content.

Step 3: Reference from Items

Link each post to its author and optionally add a perspective.

<item>
  <title>My Post</title>
  <link>https://example.com/post</link>
  <byline:author ref="me"/>
  <byline:perspective>personal</byline:perspective>
</item>

Step 4: Progressive Enhancement

Once you have the basics working, consider adding more context:

Level 2: Identity

  • • Add your url (personal site)
  • • Add your avatar
  • • Add profile links for verification

Level 3: Presence

  • • Link your now page (if you have one)
  • • Link your uses page (if you have one)

Level 4: Theming

  • • Add theme with your brand colors

Level 5: Perspective

  • • Add perspective to posts where it adds clarity
  • • Add affiliation for posts with relevant disclosures

Platform-Specific Tips

WordPress

If using a custom feed template, add the namespace to your functions.php and extend the feed XML output. Several plugins are in development.

Ghost

Ghost's custom RSS theme support allows you to modify the feed template. Add Byline elements to your rss.hbs template.

Hugo / Jekyll / Eleventy

Static site generators make this straightforward. Just modify your feed template to include the Byline elements.

Custom Implementation

If you're generating feeds programmatically, see the examples for complete implementations in all three formats.

Testing Your Implementation

Validate your feed to ensure the Byline elements are well-formed:

  1. 1. Check that your feed still validates as valid RSS/Atom/JSON Feed
  2. 2. Verify Byline elements are properly namespaced (for XML)
  3. 3. Test in a Byline-aware feed reader (if available)
  4. 4. Use the validator tool (coming soon)
Keep standard elements
Always keep your standard feed author elements alongside Byline. This ensures compatibility with readers that don't support Byline yet.

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