How to import OPML into Inoreader

If you need to import OPML into Inoreader, the workflow is simple: open Inoreader on the web, find the OPML import option, and upload the file.

That is the standard way to:

move subscriptions from another reader into Inoreader
restore a saved feed list
rebuild folders without re-adding feeds one by one

Quick answer

An OPML import lets Inoreader recreate the subscriptions stored in the file.

A working OPML file should:

be valid XML
include an <opml> root element
contain <outline> entries for feeds or folders
include xmlUrl values for actual feed subscriptions

If the import fails, the next thing to check is whether the OPML file is valid and whether the outline structure is compatible.

Steps to import OPML into Inoreader

Open Inoreader in a desktop browser.
Go to the import, export, or backup section in settings.
Choose the option to import an OPML file.
Upload your .opml file and start the import.

If the settings UI changes over time, look for the section where Inoreader handles migration, import/export, or backups.

What a valid OPML file should look like before import

A real OPML file should:

be XML
include an <opml> root element
include a <body> section
contain <outline> entries for subscriptions or folders
use xmlUrl values for feed URLs

A minimal example looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<opml version="2.0">
  <head>
    <title>Subscriptions</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <outline text="Example Feed" type="rss" xmlUrl="https://example.com/feed.xml" htmlUrl="https://example.com/" />
  </body>
</opml>

What to do if Inoreader will not import the file

The most common causes are:

the file is not valid XML
one or more outlines are missing xmlUrl
the file contains malformed or duplicated entries
the folder structure is messy enough to confuse the importer
the OPML file is much larger than the target reader handles comfortably

If the import fails, start here:

OPML Import Errors — How to Fix Broken Feed Lists

What to do after importing

After the import completes, check whether:

the expected feeds appeared
folders mapped correctly
feeds actually refresh and resolve cleanly

If the import succeeded but some feeds are broken afterward, move from OPML troubleshooting into feed validation.

Useful next steps:

When this page should hand off to other pages

This page is for the exact task: import OPML into Inoreader.

If you need a more specific next step, use:

Export OPML from Inoreader if you are going the other direction
Import OPML for the broader migration workflow
OPML Import Errors — How to Fix Broken Feed Lists if the file will not import
What Is an OPML File? for the plain-English format explanation

FAQ

How do I import OPML into Inoreader?

Open Inoreader on the web, go to its import or backup section, choose the OPML import option, and upload the .opml file.

What happens when I import OPML into Inoreader?

Inoreader should recreate the feed subscriptions and folder structure stored in the OPML file so you do not have to rebuild the list manually.

What if Inoreader will not import the OPML file?

The usual causes are invalid XML, missing xmlUrl values, malformed outlines, duplicates, or a file structure the target reader does not handle cleanly.

Fix RSS/Atom feeds and OPML lists

Paste a feed/OPML URL, upload a file, or paste XML — then validate and fix it.

Fix my feed / Import OPML Back to Help