{"id":32743,"date":"2013-03-14T21:05:17","date_gmt":"2013-03-14T15:35:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=32743"},"modified":"2026-10-15T14:02:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T08:32:13","slug":"google-reader-shuts-down-feedburner-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/03\/google-reader-shuts-down-feedburner-next\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Reader Shut Down: What Happened to It and FeedBurner"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It was a sad day in March 2013 when Google announced that <strong>Google Reader<\/strong> was shutting down, and I wondered whether FeedBurner would be next. This updated article explains what happened to Google Reader and FeedBurner, and which RSS readers and feed tools to use instead today.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Google Reader shut down on July 1, 2013, so you can no longer use it or recover old Reader data. FeedBurner did not close, but Google moved it to maintenance mode in 2021 and turned off its email subscriptions. To follow sites by RSS today, use a reader such as Feedly, Inoreader, NewsBlur or The Old Reader.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aec7612d2b0c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aec7612d2b0c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/03\/google-reader-shuts-down-feedburner-next\/#Why_Google_Reader_shut_down\" >Why Google Reader shut down<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/03\/google-reader-shuts-down-feedburner-next\/#Did_FeedBurner_shut_down_too\" >Did FeedBurner shut down too?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/03\/google-reader-shuts-down-feedburner-next\/#Best_Google_Reader_alternatives_today\" >Best Google Reader alternatives today<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/03\/google-reader-shuts-down-feedburner-next\/#How_to_move_your_feeds_to_a_new_reader\" >How to move your feeds to a new reader<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/03\/google-reader-shuts-down-feedburner-next\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/03\/google-reader-shuts-down-feedburner-next\/#When_did_Google_Reader_shut_down\" >When did Google Reader shut down?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/03\/google-reader-shuts-down-feedburner-next\/#Can_I_still_get_my_old_Google_Reader_data\" >Can I still get my old Google Reader data?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/03\/google-reader-shuts-down-feedburner-next\/#Is_FeedBurner_still_working\" >Is FeedBurner still working?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/03\/google-reader-shuts-down-feedburner-next\/#What_is_the_closest_thing_to_Google_Reader\" >What is the closest thing to Google Reader?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Google_Reader_shut_down\"><\/span>Why Google Reader shut down<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-32746\" alt=\"Google Reader logo and interface\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-reader.png\" width=\"499\" height=\"252\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-reader.png 499w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-reader-300x151.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 499px) 100vw, 499px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Google Reader was my main RSS aggregator, the tool I used to track breaking news and read my favourite blogs. Google announced the closure in its <a href=\"https:\/\/googleblog.blogspot.com\/2013\/03\/a-second-spring-of-cleaning.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">second spring cleaning<\/a> post and gave two reasons:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>There are two simple reasons for this: usage of Google Reader has declined, and as a company we\u2019re pouring all of our energy into fewer products.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It made sense for Google to focus on its core products. People were already reading headlines on Twitter, Facebook and smartphone apps. Still, I&#8217;m sure thousands of users like me would have paid for a premium account to keep it running.<\/p>\n<p>It was also a lesson about relying on a single service. My first RSS reader, Bloglines, was hugely popular and then shut down. I later read feeds on iGoogle, which also went away, and then on Netvibes. Popular services like Digg, Delicious and Myspace had also changed or faded. Any free service can disappear, so keep your own export of anything important.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Did_FeedBurner_shut_down_too\"><\/span>Did FeedBurner shut down too?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We wrote earlier that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/09\/google-feedburner-shutting-down\/\">FeedBurner might shut down<\/a> because Google had stopped developing it. It did not close completely. In 2021 Google announced that FeedBurner would move to a maintenance mode with only core feed features, and the FeedBurner email subscription service was turned off in July 2021. Existing feeds kept working.<\/p>\n<p>For a blog, that means:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your FeedBurner feed can still deliver posts to RSS readers, but don&#8217;t expect new features.<\/li>\n<li>If you relied on FeedBurner email, export your subscriber list and move to an email tool. We describe how we <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2015\/07\/moving-feedburnerfeedblitz-email-subscribers-to-amazon-ses\/\">moved FeedBurner subscribers to Amazon SES via Sendy<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>If your feed stops updating, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/02\/fix-feedburner-feeds-not-updating\/\">how to fix FeedBurner feeds not updating<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Promote your site&#8217;s own feed (for WordPress, usually <code>\/feed\/<\/code>) as the main feed so you don&#8217;t depend on one provider.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Best_Google_Reader_alternatives_today\"><\/span>Best Google Reader alternatives today<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>RSS is still a great way to follow sites without an algorithm deciding what you see. These readers are actively run today:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/feedly.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Feedly<\/a><\/strong>: the reader I switched to in 2013. Web, iPhone and Android apps with a free plan. See how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/03\/google-reader-to-feedly\/\">switch from Google Reader to Feedly<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inoreader.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Inoreader<\/a><\/strong>: a feature-rich reader with rules, search and a free plan.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/newsblur.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NewsBlur<\/a><\/strong>: an open-source reader that learns which stories you like.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/theoldreader.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Old Reader<\/a><\/strong>: a simple reader built to feel like the classic Google Reader.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/reederapp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reeder<\/a><\/strong>: a polished reader for iPhone, iPad and Mac.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_move_your_feeds_to_a_new_reader\"><\/span>How to move your feeds to a new reader<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Export your subscriptions from your current reader as an OPML file (most readers offer this in settings).<\/li>\n<li>Sign up for the new reader and look for an Import or OPML option.<\/li>\n<li>Upload the OPML file. Your feeds and folders come across in one step.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_did_Google_Reader_shut_down\"><\/span>When did Google Reader shut down?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Google Reader closed on July 1, 2013, a few months after Google announced it in March 2013.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_still_get_my_old_Google_Reader_data\"><\/span>Can I still get my old Google Reader data?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. Google offered an export through Google Takeout before the shutdown, but that option ended with the service.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_FeedBurner_still_working\"><\/span>Is FeedBurner still working?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, for feeds. It runs in maintenance mode with core feed features, but its email subscription service was turned off in 2021.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_closest_thing_to_Google_Reader\"><\/span>What is the closest thing to Google Reader?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Feedly and The Old Reader are the closest in feel. Inoreader suits people who want more power features.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It was a sad day in March 2013 when Google announced that Google Reader was shutting down, and I wondered&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":32746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogging","category-google"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32743"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32743\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67162,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32743\/revisions\/67162"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}