The Simple List Extensions are designed as extensions to existing feed formats to make exposing ordered lists of items easier and more accessible to users.

The term “list,” as used in this document describes an ordered collection of items with similar properties. For example, a photo album may be described as a “list of photos.”

A feed is a collection of items. The feed typically represents either a subset of or the entire collection of items that exist on a server.

Consumers of feeds need to process feeds differently based on the kind of feed content. For example, a feed that contains the entire collection of items on the server should be processed differently from a feed that contains only the most recently added or updated items. Additionally, certain information in the feed may be more relevant or useful for the consuming client to expose to the user than others.

The purpose of the Simple List Extensions is to define a set of XML elements that can be used in a feed to more completely describe the intent of the publisher to the client, so that that client can provide a more accurate, and useful representation of the feed to the user.