Byline
Structured identity for syndication feeds
An open specification that adds author context to RSS, Atom, and JSON Feed. Readers finally know who wrote something and why they should care.
Feeds have a context problem
When content from a personal blog, a corporate press release, a journalist's reporting, and a satirical newsletter arrive in the same feed reader, they look identical.
Readers must rely on memory and domain recognition to answer basic questions: Who is this person? What is their relationship to this topic? Is this news, opinion, or satire?
Byline adds what's missing
A simple extension vocabulary that works alongside existing feed elements.
Identity
Who is this person? Name, bio, avatar, and verified profile links that follow IndieWeb conventions.
Perspective
What type of content is this? Personal opinion, news reporting, satire, official announcement, sponsored content.
Presence
Links to /now and /uses pages. Theme colors for author cards. The human context behind the content.
Add Byline to your feed
Start with name and context. Everything else is progressive enhancement.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:byline="https://bylinespec.org/1.0">
<channel>
<title>My Blog</title>
<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>
<item>
<title>My Post</title>
<byline:author ref="me"/>
<byline:perspective>personal</byline:perspective>
</item>
</channel>
</rss>Designed for the open web
Progressive Enhancement
Feeds work without Byline. Readers that don't support it degrade gracefully. Add what you need, when you need it.
Decentralized Identity
No registries, no central authority. Identity through URIs and mutual linking, following IndieWeb conventions.
Format Agnostic
Equal support for RSS 2.0, Atom, and JSON Feed. Use whichever format you prefer.
Privacy Respecting
No tracking mechanisms. No required PII. Pseudonymous identities are fully supported.
Ready to get started?
Read the full specification or explore real-world examples.