blogwatcher

---
name: blogwatcher
description: Monitor blogs and RSS/Atom feeds for updates using the blogwatcher-cli tool. Add blogs, scan for new articles, track read status, and filter by category.
version: 2.0.0
author: JulienTant (fork of Hyaxia/blogwatcher)
license: MIT
metadata:
  hermes:
    tags: [RSS, Blogs, Feed-Reader, Monitoring]
    homepage: https://github.com/JulienTant/blogwatcher-cli
prerequisites:
  commands: [blogwatcher-cli]
---

# Blogwatcher

Track blog and RSS/Atom feed updates with the `blogwatcher-cli` tool. Supports automatic feed discovery, HTML scraping fallback, OPML import, and read/unread article management.

## Installation

Pick one method:

- **Go:** `go install github.com/JulienTant/blogwatcher-cli/cmd/blogwatcher-cli@latest`
- **Docker:** `docker run --rm -v blogwatcher-cli:/data ghcr.io/julientant/blogwatcher-cli`
- **Binary (Linux amd64):** `curl -sL https://github.com/JulienTant/blogwatcher-cli/releases/latest/download/blogwatcher-cli_linux_amd64.tar.gz | tar xz -C /usr/local/bin blogwatcher-cli`
- **Binary (Linux arm64):** `curl -sL https://github.com/JulienTant/blogwatcher-cli/releases/latest/download/blogwatcher-cli_linux_arm64.tar.gz | tar xz -C /usr/local/bin blogwatcher-cli`
- **Binary (macOS Apple Silicon):** `curl -sL https://github.com/JulienTant/blogwatcher-cli/releases/latest/download/blogwatcher-cli_darwin_arm64.tar.gz | tar xz -C /usr/local/bin blogwatcher-cli`
- **Binary (macOS Intel):** `curl -sL https://github.com/JulienTant/blogwatcher-cli/releases/latest/download/blogwatcher-cli_darwin_amd64.tar.gz | tar xz -C /usr/local/bin blogwatcher-cli`

All releases: https://github.com/JulienTant/blogwatcher-cli/releases

### Docker with persistent storage

By default the database lives at `~/.blogwatcher-cli/blogwatcher-cli.db`. In Docker this is lost on container restart. Use `BLOGWATCHER_DB` or a volume mount to persist it:

```bash
# Named volume (simplest)
docker run --rm -v blogwatcher-cli:/data -e BLOGWATCHER_DB=/data/blogwatcher-cli.db ghcr.io/julientant/blogwatcher-cli scan

# Host bind mount
docker run --rm -v /path/on/host:/data -e BLOGWATCHER_DB=/data/blogwatcher-cli.db ghcr.io/julientant/blogwatcher-cli scan
```

### Migrating from the original blogwatcher

If upgrading from `Hyaxia/blogwatcher`, move your database:

```bash
mv ~/.blogwatcher/blogwatcher.db ~/.blogwatcher-cli/blogwatcher-cli.db
```

The binary name changed from `blogwatcher` to `blogwatcher-cli`.

## Common Commands

### Managing blogs

- Add a blog: `blogwatcher-cli add "My Blog" https://example.com`
- Add with explicit feed: `blogwatcher-cli add "My Blog" https://example.com --feed-url https://example.com/feed.xml`
- Add with HTML scraping: `blogwatcher-cli add "My Blog" https://example.com --scrape-selector "article h2 a"`
- List tracked blogs: `blogwatcher-cli blogs`
- Remove a blog: `blogwatcher-cli remove "My Blog" --yes`
- Import from OPML: `blogwatcher-cli import subscriptions.opml`

### Scanning and reading

- Scan all blogs: `blogwatcher-cli scan`
- Scan one blog: `blogwatcher-cli scan "My Blog"`
- List unread articles: `blogwatcher-cli articles`
- List all articles: `blogwatcher-cli articles --all`
- Filter by blog: `blogwatcher-cli articles --blog "My Blog"`
- Filter by category: `blogwatcher-cli articles --category "Engineering"`
- Mark article read: `blogwatcher-cli read 1`
- Mark article unread: `blogwatcher-cli unread 1`
- Mark all read: `blogwatcher-cli read-all`
- Mark all read for a blog: `blogwatcher-cli read-all --blog "My Blog" --yes`

## Environment Variables

All flags can be set via environment variables with the `BLOGWATCHER_` prefix:

| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| `BLOGWATCHER_DB` | Path to SQLite database file |
| `BLOGWATCHER_WORKERS` | Number of concurrent scan workers (default: 8) |
| `BLOGWATCHER_SILENT` | Only output "scan done" when scanning |
| `BLOGWATCHER_YES` | Skip confirmation prompts |
| `BLOGWATCHER_CATEGORY` | Default filter for articles by category |

## Example Output

```
$ blogwatcher-cli blogs
Tracked blogs (1):

  xkcd
    URL: https://xkcd.com
    Feed: https://xkcd.com/atom.xml
    Last scanned: 2026-04-03 10:30
```

```
$ blogwatcher-cli scan
Scanning 1 blog(s)...

  xkcd
    Source: RSS | Found: 4 | New: 4

Found 4 new article(s) total!
```

```
$ blogwatcher-cli articles
Unread articles (2):

  [1] [new] Barrel - Part 13
       Blog: xkcd
       URL: https://xkcd.com/3095/
       Published: 2026-04-02
       Categories: Comics, Science

  [2] [new] Volcano Fact
       Blog: xkcd
       URL: https://xkcd.com/3094/
       Published: 2026-04-01
       Categories: Comics
```

## Notes

- Auto-discovers RSS/Atom feeds from blog homepages when no `--feed-url` is provided.
- Falls back to HTML scraping if RSS fails and `--scrape-selector` is configured.
- Categories from RSS/Atom feeds are stored and can be used to filter articles.
- Import blogs in bulk from OPML files exported by Feedly, Inoreader, NewsBlur, etc.
- Database stored at `~/.blogwatcher-cli/blogwatcher-cli.db` by default (override with `--db` or `BLOGWATCHER_DB`).
- Use `blogwatcher-cli <command> --help` to discover all flags and options.

## Activation Keywords

- "blogwatcher"
- "blogwatcher"
- "use blogwatcher"
- "blogwatcher help"
- "blogwatcher tool"

## Tools Used

- `Read` - Read existing files and documentation
- `Write` - Create new files and documentation
- `Bash` - Execute commands when needed

## Instructions for Agents

1. Identify user's intent and specific requirements
2. Gather necessary context from files or user input
3. Execute appropriate actions using available tools
4. Provide clear results and suggest next steps

## Examples

### Basic Blogwatcher usage
```
User: "Help me with blogwatcher"
→ Understand requirements → Execute actions → Provide results
```

### Advanced usage
```
User: "I need detailed blogwatcher assistance"
→ Clarify scope → Provide comprehensive solution → Follow up
```