Google has included a Feed delivery option to its Google Alerts service. This would mean that users can now once again get alerts for Web search results via RSS, apart from just email.
Google added RSS support for Google alerts for the first time in October 2008. The feature was no where to be seen in July 2013, however, after Google decided that it will do away with Google Reader, which resulted in alternatives popping up.
A message appears at the top of the Alerts page didn’t give users much to think about: “Google Reader is no longer available. To continue receiving Google Alerts, change to email delivery.”
Now the option has slyly returned, as can be clearly seen in the following screenshot:
In order to use this feature, log into Google Alerts and make sure you’ve made at-least one entry. If you don’t, you can even create one by picking a search query for Google to track for you.
Next up, you will have to click on Manage Alerts and press the Edit button on any particular alert you want to get an RSS feed for. under the “Deliver to” option, change the option from your email address to “Feed” and hit ‘Save’.
This suggests that Google doesn’t have a problem with the RSS standard, as many might have speculated when the company decided to do away with Google Reader and continued providing other proprietary services. While one cannot assume Google Reader to be back in action, at least Google isn’t eradicating RSS along with it.
As we know that Alert feeds were generated by Google Reader, the feature would presumably stop working anyway. However, at this point many would be elated just to have the feature back. Also read, Life after Google Reader: Best alternatives, how to save your Reader data and Google Reader Axe: Why it’s a buzz kill and how the world is reacting
Source:thenextweb