Export Starred Items from Google Reader
Recovering Your Starred Articles from Google Reader
Were you dismayed by the discontinuation of Google Reader, particularly concerned about losing access to your saved, starred items? This guide provides several methods for extracting all of your starred articles.
Understanding the Challenge
The shutdown of Google Reader left many users searching for a way to preserve their curated content. Specifically, retrieving those articles you had thoughtfully marked as important – your starred items – became a priority.
Methods for Extracting Starred Articles
Several approaches can be used to download your starred content. These range from simple export options to more technical solutions.
- Google Takeout: This is Google’s official archive service. It allows you to download an archive of your Google data, including Reader data.
- Third-Party Tools: Numerous tools were developed by the community to specifically address this need.
- Manual Export (using browser extensions): Some browser extensions offered functionality to scrape and save starred items.
Using Google Takeout
Google Takeout provides a comprehensive archive. To use it, navigate to the Takeout website and select Google Reader from the list of services.
You can then choose to download your data as a ZIP file. This archive will contain an XML file listing your starred items.
Exploring Third-Party Tools
Several third-party applications were created to facilitate the export of Google Reader data. These tools often offered a more user-friendly interface than directly parsing the XML file from Google Takeout.
Researching available tools at the time of Reader’s shutdown was crucial to finding one that met your specific needs.
Manual Export with Browser Extensions
Browser extensions provided another avenue for extracting starred articles. These extensions would typically scrape the data directly from your Google Reader account.
However, the functionality of these extensions was dependent on Google Reader remaining accessible during the export process.
Post-Extraction Considerations
Once you've extracted your starred articles, consider importing them into a new RSS reader. Popular alternatives include Feedly, Inoreader, and NewsBlur.
These platforms allow you to continue curating and enjoying your favorite content.
Addressing the Google Reader Shutdown
The discontinuation of Google Reader on July 1st presents a challenge for its numerous users. Many relied on the 'star' feature to save articles for future reading, research, or general reference.
For those who utilized this functionality, it’s crucial to take proactive measures. This ensures the preservation of your saved articles before Google Reader ceases operation.
Completing the outlined process will result in, at a minimum, a file containing all your starred items. Furthermore, you can opt to export them into a more easily navigable format.
The Challenge of Accumulated Content
It's important to acknowledge that no automated solution can fully address the task of reviewing the saved content. Years of starring articles can lead to a substantial volume of exported data.
Therefore, allocating dedicated time – even just a short period each day – will be necessary to systematically work through the exported archive. This will allow you to revisit and process the accumulated information.
Securing Your Starred Articles
The primary goal is to safeguard your data. Leaving your starred items on Google’s servers after the shutdown is not advisable.
By following the steps detailed in this guide, you can gain control of your saved content and ensure its continued accessibility. This provides peace of mind during the transition away from Google Reader.
- Data Preservation: The core benefit is securing your starred articles.
- Format Options: You can choose a format that suits your reading preferences.
- Proactive Approach: Taking action now prevents data loss.
Be prepared for a potentially large archive. The sheer number of starred articles accumulated over time may require a sustained effort to review effectively.
Securing Your Google Reader Data Using Google Takeout
The initial step involves obtaining a complete copy of your Google Reader data and storing it locally. This ensures data preservation, safeguarding against potential future issues with Google's servers.
Google Takeout serves as a versatile tool for extracting data from various Google services. For this guide, we will focus solely on Reader. Access the Reader section within Google Takeout at this link. The system will then calculate the archive's size.
Even though the export concerns only a segment of your Google account, the process can require a considerable amount of time. Selecting the "Email me when ready" option is recommended, allowing you to proceed with other tasks while the archive is being created.
Upon completion, a Download button will become visible in the bottom right corner; click it to begin the download.
Extract the downloaded archive to a convenient directory, such as your Documents folder, and retain the archive file itself for safekeeping. The archive's structure is as follows:
yourusername@gmail.com-takeout.zip... yourusername@gmail.com-takeout... Reader.... followers.json.... following.json.... liked.json.... notes.json.... shared-by-followers.json.... shared.json.... starred.json.... subscriptions.xml
Understanding the File Types
The archive contains files in two primary formats: JSON and XML. JSON, or JavaScript Object Notation, is a data interchange format. XML, or Extensible Markup Language, is a method for structuring documents for both human and machine readability.
For the purpose of this tutorial, the starred.json file is of particular interest, as it holds all data related to your starred items. This file is crucial for accessing your saved content.
Equally important for transitioning away from Google Reader is the subscriptions.xml file. This file contains a complete list of your RSS subscriptions. If you intend to import your existing subscriptions into a new RSS reader application, this is the file you will need. Ensure both this file and the original Google Takeout archive are stored securely.
Transforming Starred Google Reader Items into Bookmarks
A straightforward approach to managing the JSON file generated from Google Reader involves utilizing the JSONview extension. This extension, available for both Firefox and Chrome browsers, is particularly effective for users who have a relatively modest collection of starred items – fewer than 1,000 is a good guideline.
Using JSONview for Import
Begin by installing the JSONview extension compatible with your preferred browser. Subsequently, simply drag and drop the 'starred.json' file directly onto a new browser window. This action will render the JSON data in a human-readable format.
The resulting output should then be saved as an HTML document. This HTML file can then be imported into your chosen web browser, effectively converting the starred links into new bookmarks.
Potential Drawbacks of this Method
While convenient, this technique does present a couple of limitations. One minor issue is the potential for duplicate URLs within the bookmark file. This occurs because frequently starred sources, such as articles from websites like How-To Geek, will naturally appear multiple times.
However, the more significant drawback impacts users with extensive collections of starred items. Attempting to import very large HTML files – those containing data for thousands of starred items – often results in import failures. The process may simply terminate without completing.
Considerations for Power Users
For users who have amassed a substantial number of starred items, this bookmark import method proves inadequate. The inability to reliably import large datasets renders it an unsatisfactory solution for those who heavily utilized Google Reader's starring feature.
Therefore, alternative methods should be explored for managing and migrating a large volume of starred items. Importing as bookmarks is not a viable option when dealing with thousands of entries.
Transforming Starred Google Reader Items into Individual Links and Importing to Evernote
For users requiring substantial processing capabilities – the kind needed to efficiently handle 5,000+ starred items within minutes – Python offers a powerful solution for data manipulation.
Leveraging Python Scripts for Export
Thanks to the efforts of Paul Kerchen and Davide Della Casa, experienced Google Reader users seeking to export their accumulated starred items, two valuable Python scripts are available. These scripts facilitate either converting each starred item into a separate HTML document or importing all starred items directly into Evernote.
Before proceeding, ensure Python is installed on your computer. Download the appropriate version for your operating system and complete the installation process.
Following Python installation, navigate to the Kerchen/Casa's Google Reader Export project website. Download both the export2HTMLFiles.py and export2enex.py files, saving them to the same directory as your starred.json file.
Converting to HTML Files
To transform your starred items into individual HTML files, utilize the export2HTMLFiles.py script. Execute the following command within the directory containing your starred.json file:
python export2HTMLFiles.py
(If the "python" command isn't recognized system-wide, substitute it with the complete path to your Python executable, such as C:\Python2.7\python.exe).
The duration of this process depends on the number of starred items; it can range from a few seconds to several minutes. During testing, processing 12,000 starred items took approximately three minutes.
Upon completion, a series of numbered and named HTML files will be generated (e.g., 1 some article you starred.html to 10000 some other article you starred.html). The simplest method for viewing these files is to open the directory in your web browser.
Managing Starred Items with Evernote
Converting to HTML provides a way to archive your starred items outside of Google Reader and the JSON file. However, if you've been saving articles for extended periods, managing this collection can be a significant undertaking.
Evernote can serve as an effective workspace for sorting, tagging, and removing outdated starred items.
Importing HTML Files into Evernote
You can import the previously created HTML files into Evernote using the Import Folder feature. Within the Evernote desktop application, go to Tools -> Import Folders and designate a folder for the HTML files. A sub-folder named Imports was created within the /Reader/ work folder, and a corresponding notebook called Starred Items was established in Evernote.
Dragging and dropping the HTML files into the /Reader/Imports/ folder facilitates their import as individual notes within the Evernote Starred Items notebook, providing permanent storage for review.
Direct Evernote Notebook Creation
Alternatively, to import all starred items into a single Evernote notebook, employ the export2enex.py script. This method generally preserves document formatting more effectively.
Within the directory containing your starred.json file, execute this command:
python export2enex.py > StarredImport.enex
Import the resulting StarredImport.enex file into your Evernote desktop client by selecting File -> Import -> Evernote Export Files.
Having successfully extracted your starred items from Google Reader, you are now prepared to organize and review this collection.
Share Your Techniques
Do you have innovative methods for manipulating the JSON file and extracting starred items? Share your insights and techniques with other readers in the discussion below.