Remove images from an RSS feed using Yahoo Pipes

In this tutorial we will look at removing images from an RSS feed. Images can be bulky and slow especially when using mobile phone RSS readers.

1. Under operators select the regex module


2. Attach the regex module to the fetch feed module. Connect the regex module to the pipe output module


3. Highlight the pipe output module.


4. In the debugger click on a Title and search for ‘description’

1. Change from ‘html’ to ‘source’ view.


2. Search for the HTML relating to the image you want removed. Normally this will be ‘<img’


3. Load up http://gskinner.com/RegExr/
   This is my favorite online regex tester.. There are others available


4. Copy and paste the HTML from the description into the main body of the regex tester.


5. In the tester box type the HTML you think is appropriate to the image. You should notice the text you are typing is highlighted in the main body.


6. If the body is highlighted over the ‘<img’ text then add in (.+)
   This will highlight the rest of the HTML in the body.

The highlighted text will be removed from the description when this is added to Yahoo Pipes. At the moment the (.+) is taking to much content out of the description.

1. Search for the end of the image HTML. In my example this is (/>)


2. Now that the correct area of HTML is highlighted we can add the new regex code to Yahoo Pipes


3. Select ‘item.description’ from the drop down box in the regex module


4. In the ‘replace’ box add in your regex code. <img.+/>


5. Check the debugger to see if the image is removed from the description.