Frequently Asked Questions

What is DashDork?

DashDork is your personal, customizable dashboard. It was built as an alternative to the beloved Netvibes. It allows you to organize various widgets, such as RSS feeds, notes, weather information, and more, all in one place. You can create multiple tabs to organize your widgets by topic or context.

How do I add a new widget?

To add a new widget, look for an "Add Widget" button or link, usually found in the header or on an empty dashboard. You'll be able to choose the type of widget (e.g., RSS, Notes) and configure its settings.

How do RSS widgets work and get updated?

RSS widgets in DashDork automatically fetch and cache content from RSS feeds to provide you with the latest information:

  • Caching: Each RSS widget stores up to 100 recent items from the feed to ensure fast loading and provide reading history.
  • Updates: Widgets automatically refresh their content every 5 minutes when you're actively viewing the dashboard.
  • Background updates: If content becomes older than 5 minutes, widgets will refresh in the background to show fresh content.
  • Smart deduplication: The system prevents duplicate articles from appearing when feeds are updated.
  • Display limit: While up to 100 items may be cached, only the number you specify (default: 8) are shown in the widget.

This caching system ensures your dashboard loads quickly while keeping you informed with the latest content from your favorite RSS feeds.

How do I find RSS feeds for my favorite websites?

RSS feeds are not always obvious to find, but here are several methods to discover them:

Method 1: Look for RSS icons

Many websites display an RSS/Atom icon (usually orange or with wavy lines) in their footer, sidebar, or address bar. Click this icon to access the feed URL directly.

Method 2: Common URL patterns

Try adding these common patterns to any website URL:

  • /feed - Example: example.com/feed
  • /rss - Example: example.com/rss
  • /atom.xml - Example: example.com/atom.xml
  • ?feed=rss - Example: example.com?feed=rss
  • /feeds/posts/default - For Blogger sites
  • /.rss - For Reddit (e.g., reddit.com/r/news/.rss)

Method 3: Browser tools

Use browser extensions or built-in tools:

  • Chrome/Edge: Install "RSS Feed Reader" or "Feedly" extensions
  • Firefox: Look for the RSS icon in the address bar, or use "RSS Preview" addon
  • Safari: Check the address bar for an RSS icon, or use "RSS Button" extension
  • Right-click method: Right-click on a webpage and select "View Page Source" to search for "rss" or "feed" in the HTML

Method 4: RSS search engines and directories

Use these services to search for feeds:

  • Feedly: Search for any website to find its RSS feeds
  • Inoreader: Has a feed discovery tool
  • Feedreader: Online RSS search engine
  • RSS Search Hub: Directory of RSS feeds by category

Method 5: Third-party RSS generators

For sites without RSS feeds, you can create them using:

  • RSS Bridge: Open-source tool to generate RSS feeds from dynamic websites
  • Feed43: Service to create RSS feeds from any webpage
  • FiveFilters: Full-text RSS creation service

💡 Tip: Not all websites offer RSS feeds. If a site doesn't have one, you might find third-party aggregators or use RSS creation tools to generate feeds from their content.

How can I manage my tabs?

You can add new tabs using the "Add Tab" button, typically located in the header area. You can also edit or delete existing tabs, often through a menu associated with each tab (sometimes appearing on hover or a click).

Can I customize the look of my dashboard?

Yes, DashDork includes theme settings that allow you to change the appearance of your dashboard. Look for a "Theme Settings" option, usually accessible from the main header or a settings menu.

How do I move widgets around?

You can typically drag and drop widgets to rearrange them within a column or move them to different columns on your dashboard.

Is my data private?

DashDork is designed to be your personal dashboard. Your widget configurations and data are associated with your user account.

How can I support DashDork?

If you find DashDork useful and would like to support its development and maintenance, you can make a donation. Please visit our Donation Page for more details on how to contribute. We appreciate your support!