Create a Google Gadget for your RSS Feed by using Google Toolbar

January 19th, 2007 Da Vinci

Adding Buttons to Google Toolbar Gallery

Here’s a neat trick to add an RSS feed botton to your Google Toolbar, similar to Firefox’s live bookmarks. In addition you can get your site listed in the Google Toolbar Gallery. Of course you can add any site’s RSS feed to your Toolbar, but you can only submit your own site’s button to the Google Toolbar Gallery.

    Add your RSS feed to the Google Toolbar

  1. Install the Google Toolbar if you don’t have it.
  2. Browse to your site or the site that’s feed you would like to add.
  3. Right-click in any textbox on the Web page and click on Generate Custom Search…
  4. google_toolbar_searchbox1.gif

  5. Click on Add in the Google Toolbar Custom Button Generator window. Click on OK to accept.
  6. google_toolbar_add.png

    Add your RSS feed to the Google Toolbar

  7. Click on Options in your Google Toolbar Settings.
  8. google_toolbar_settings_edit.png

  9. Select the Buttons tab. You should see your button in the Custom Buttons list.
    Highlight your button by clicking on it and click on Edit
  10. google_toolbar_options_edit.png

  11. Click on the Use the advanced editor… hyperlink. This opens the Google Toolbar Custom Button Editor page in your browser.
  12. google_toolbar_options_edit_advanced.png

  13. Add your feed's URL in the <feed> and </feed> tags:

    http://feeds.feedburner.com/DaVinciPlanet

    The refresh-interval is in seconds and specifies how frequently the feed should be reloaded.

  14. google_toolbar_insert_feed.png

  15. Before hitting the Save button, copy the entire XML text in the textbox and paste it into Notepad. This is needed if you want to submit your button to the Google Toolbar Gallery.
  16. Hit the Save to Google Toolbar… button.
  17. Your RSS feeds are now displayed when you hit the down-arrow next to your icon.
  18. google_toolbar_icon.png

    Submit your button to the Google Toolbar Gallery

  19. Save the button XML that you copied into notepad into a file on your Web site, e.g. http://www.davinciplanet.com/google_toolbar.xml
  20. Submit your button to the Google Toolbar Gallery.
  21. In addition you can also add a link or button on your site to give users an easy way to add your site to their Google Toolbar by linking to:
  22. http://toolbar.google.com/buttons/add?url=http://www.davinciplanet.com/google_toolbar.xml


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