Searching Elfeed RSS Database

Elfeed is the user's primary information aggregation system. This skill provides CLI access to query the database.

Quick Start

The primary tool is elfeed-cli located at:

code

~/.claude/skills/elfeed/scripts/elfeed-cli

Or use the absolute path from this repo:

code

/home/markus/repos/nixos-config/nixos-shared/claude/skills/elfeed/scripts/elfeed-cli

Most common usage:

bash

# Search recent unread items about a topic
elfeed-cli query "topic +unread @1-week-ago" simple 20

# Get database statistics
elfeed-cli stats

# List all feeds
elfeed-cli feeds

# List all tags
elfeed-cli tags

Filter Syntax Quick Reference

Combine these operators to build queries:

Operator	Meaning	Example
`+tag`	Must have tag	`+unread`, `+programming`, `+reddit`
`-tag`	Must not have tag	`-unread`, `-youtube`
`@time`	Newer than time	`@1-week-ago`, `@3-days-ago`, `@1-month-ago`
`#N`	Limit to N entries	`#10`, `#50`
`text`	Title/link matches (regex)	`nixos`, `claude.*ai`
`!regex`	Title/link doesn't match	`!advertisement`
`=regex`	Feed URL/title matches	`=simonwillison`
`~regex`	Feed URL/title doesn't match	`~reddit`

Combine operators with spaces:

bash

"+programming +unread @1-week-ago #20"
"+reddit -unread ai.*agents"
"+github =anthropic"

Common Workflows

1. Research a Topic

bash

# Find recent articles about a topic
elfeed-cli query "topic-keyword +unread @2-weeks-ago" simple 30

2. Check Unread by Category

bash

# Recent unread programming articles
elfeed-cli query "+programming +unread @1-week-ago" simple 20

# YouTube videos unwatched
elfeed-cli query "+youtube +unread" simple 10

3. Analyze Reading Patterns

bash

# Get overall statistics
elfeed-cli stats

# See all feed sources
elfeed-cli feeds

# Check what tags are used
elfeed-cli tags

4. Find Specific Article

bash

# Search by keyword across all entries
elfeed-cli query "specific-term" simple 50

# From specific source
elfeed-cli query "=simonwillison llm" simple 20

Output Formats

The query command supports three formats:

•

simple (default, most readable):

code

2025-10-19 14:30 | Blog Name | Article Title | https://example.com/article

•

json (for parsing):

json

[{"title":"...","link":"...","date":...,"tags":[...],"feed_title":"...","feed_url":"..."}]

•

sexp (Emacs s-expression):

elisp

((:title "..." :link "..." :date ... :tags (...) :feed-title "..." :feed-url "..."))

Important Notes

•Requires running Emacs: Uses emacsclient to query live database
•Read-only: Queries don't modify read/unread status
•Tag system: Feeds tagged by category (programming, reddit, youtube, github, etc.)
•Real-time data: Reflects current database state

Advanced Usage

Read reference.md when:

•Building complex multi-tag filters or regex patterns
•Queries produce unexpected results requiring troubleshooting
•Need performance optimization for large result sets
•Integrating with other tools (jq, pipes, etc.)