HTTP Redirects [Universal Feed Parser]
Keywords: RSS, Atom, CDF, XML, feed, parser, Python

# Universal Feed Parser

Parse RSS and Atom feeds in Python. 3000 unit tests. Open source.

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## HTTP Redirects

###

When you download a feed from a remote web server, Universal Feed Parser exposes the HTTP status code. You need to understand the different codes, including permanent and temporary redirects, and feeds that have been marked “gone”.

When a feed has temporarily moved to a new location, the web server will return a `302` status code. Universal Feed Parser makes this available in `d.status`.

There is nothing special you need to do with temporary redirects; by the time you learn about it, Universal Feed Parser has already followed the redirect to the new location (available in `d.href`), downloaded the feed, and parsed it. Since the redirect is temporary, you should continue requesting the original URL the next time you want to parse the feed.

### Example: Noticing temporary redirects

    >>> import feedparser
    >>> d = feedparser.parse('http://feedparser.org/docs/examples/temporary.xml')
    >>> d.status
    302
    >>> d.href
    'http://feedparser.org/docs/examples/atom10.xml'
    >>> d.feed.title
    u'Sample Feed'

When a feed has permanently moved to a new location, the web server will return a `301` status code. Again, Universal Feed Parser makes this available in `d.status`.

If you are polling a feed on a regular basis, it is very important to check the status code (`d.status`) every time you download. If the feed has been permanently redirected, you should update your database or configuration file with the new address (`d.href`). Repeatedly requesting the original address of a feed that has been permanently redirected is very rude, and may get you banned from the server.

### Example: Noticing permanent redirects

    >>> import feedparser
    >>> d = feedparser.parse('http://feedparser.org/docs/examples/permanent.xml')
    >>> d.status
    301
    >>> d.href
    'http://feedparser.org/docs/examples/atom10.xml'
    >>> d.feed.title
    u'Sample Feed'

When a feed has been permanently deleted, the web server will return a `410` status code. If you ever receive a `410`, you should stop polling the feed and inform the end user that the feed is gone for good.

Repeatedly requesting a feed that has been marked as “gone” is very rude, and may get you banned from the server.

### Example: Noticing feeds marked “gone”

    >>> import feedparser
    >>> d = feedparser.parse('http://feedparser.org/docs/examples/gone.xml')
    >>> d.status
    410

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