While the term source can have a variety of bespoke meanings depending on its application, a Vable Source is any individual web page or RSS feed tracked within the platform as well as Curated Feeds, which host a collection of articles handpicked by Administrators. This article will outline in more detail what types of Sources can be added to the platform as well as best practice advice when adding new content to Vable.
What is a Source?
At a Glance:
A Vable Source is a URL— either a single web page or an RSS feed — that contains a stream of updates, such as articles or content items, each with its own unique URL.
In practice, this means:
A Source is not a single article or an entire website.
A website may have multiple Sources (for example, separate pages for “News” and “Events”).
Each Source brings in new content items (articles) that can then be searched against and used in Topics and Newsletters.
In addition to web pages and RSS feeds, Vable also supports Curated Feeds — bespoke collections of articles that Administrators can add to from existing items in Vable or upload directly.
Uploaded items can include:
Files imported from your computer such as PDFs, Word, or Excel documents
Article URLs from external websites
Best Practices: Choosing the Right URLs
Opt for RSS feeds when possible
Whenever possible, use RSS feeds instead of regular web pages. RSS feeds offer the most reliable and consistent results because:
They follow a structured format
Content updates appear in Vable faster
They’re less likely to break when a website is redesigned
Avoid Homepages
Avoid adding website homepages unless the content you need is only available there (for example, a blog that lists all new posts on its home page).
In most cases, you’ll want to locate a dedicated “News” or “Updates” section instead.
Untrackable Pages
The following types of web pages cannot be tracked:
Pages that do not link to individual articles or items
Static pages that never update (e.g., “About Us” pages)
Add Multiple Pages Separately
If you want to track multiple sections of a site (for example, “Technology News” and “Financial News”), add each URL as its own Source.
Similarly, if a site lists multiple RSS feeds on one page, add each feed URL individually rather than the list page itself.
Read More:
Source Visibility: Public vs. Private
The Vable Source Library contains both:
Public Sources — publicly available RSS feeds and web pages (added to the platform by the Vable team and clients), and
Private Sources — visible only to your organization.
When adding a new Source, Administrators can mark it as Private to their organization. Each submission is reviewed for accuracy by the Vable team.
Mark a Source as Private if the web page or RSS feed:
Is a custom link from a subscription-based or paywalled resource
Generates unique URLs for a specific search (e.g., Google Alerts)
Contains any identifying or organization-specific information
Note that Curated Feeds and any content routed into the Vable Inbox are always private to your organization.
Filtering by Visibility
To quickly filter by private or public Sources, click the +Add Filters option on the Sources list view and select Private from the dropdown menu. Within the dialog, select Yes to view only private Sources or No to view only public Sources, then select Apply.
Sources can only be added, viewed and managed by Administrators of the platform. End Users will only see content from these Sources as they are used in a Topic or Newsletter to which they are subscribed or if your organization’s subscription includes access to the MyVable self service platform.
Further Reading: