Google Reader Synchronization

Google Reader is a free service which enables reading feeds through your web browser. Because your feed subscriptions are stored online, you can access them from any computer, as well as from any application or device that synchronizes with Google Reader.

The downside is that web-based readers generally aren't as feature rich or as responsive as desktop applications like FeedDemon, nor can they offer an offline experience that matches a desktop reader. Perhaps more importantly, web-based readers can't subscribe to password-protected feeds or feeds that only exist behind your firewall (for example, Intranet feeds), whereas FeedDemon supports these types of feeds.

Luckily, you can have the best of both worlds by synchronizing FeedDemon with Google Reader.

How do I enable Google Reader sync?

Simply select Tools > Enable Google Reader Synchronization and follow the steps provided.

How does Google Reader Sync work?

FeedDemon enables synchronization at the folder level, so you can choose to have some folders shared between all of your locations, and others private to a specific computer (useful for feeds that are password-protected or lie behind your firewall). To enable synchronization for a specific folder, just right click on it, choose "Folder Properties," then place a checkmark in the box labeled "Synchronize this folder with Google Reader."

[Folder properties]

After enabling synchronization for a folder, it will be added to Google Reader and all of its feeds will be available from any computer you use. Any feeds you add to this folder will automatically be added to your online subscriptions. Likewise, any feed you remove from this folder will be removed online. And when you read an item in one of these feeds, it will automatically be marked read online - so items you read in one location will remain read on any computer you use.

Note: Folders that are synchronized with Google Reader have a blue feed icon next to them. Folders that aren't synchronized don't have this icon.

Synchronized folder    Non-synchronized folder

Synchronization and Performance

When FeedDemon isn't synchronized, retrieving new articles requires checking every single feed you're subscribed to for changes - a very slow process, especially when you're subscribed to a lot of feeds.

Synchronization, on the other hand, enables FeedDemon to ask Google Reader which feeds have new articles, and it then requests only those new articles when downloading your feeds. This makes FeedDemon much faster, so it's recommended that you enable synchronization even if you access your feeds on a single computer.