---
title: Trigger Content Playback with RSS
slug: legacy-docs/trigger-content-playback-with-rss
docTags: 
createdAt: 2025-03-26T15:41:24.519Z
---

:::hint{type="warning"}
This page / section pertains to **BrightAuthor Classic**, our legacy app. **BrightSign Author **is our latest app for managing content and players.

Development of BrightAuthor Classic has largely ceased and the app will eventually be deprecated and replaced with BrightSign Author.
:::

To use a value from an RSS feed to trigger playback of a specific media item on a BrightSign player, follow the steps below. There is also an attached demo for reference.

# Create the Feed and Variables

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Create an RSS feed with the necessary trigger variables/values. Image 1 uses the BSN Live Data feed feature, but you can instead use your own hosted RSS feed.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/yNZmRf_toJKk2FFzpGtyJ/mzufP5dz8BoBWF0Oz1_Yb_image.png "Image 1")
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Add the RSS feed that contains your trigger value to the **Data Feeds** list of the presentation. In BrightAuthor, this is in **File > Presentation properties > Data Feeds > Add Data Feed**.
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Under **Feed specification**, select **Live Data Feed **and select the feed created in BSN. If you're using a privately hosted RSS feed, select **Url** and enter the URL of the feed. The **Live Data Feed** option is only available if you’re logged in to your BrightSign Network account in BrightAuthor.
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Go to** Presentation Properties >** **Variables**. Click **Add** **Variable **and** **enter the User Variable **Name** and a **Default Value**. The variable **Name** should be identical to the Title given to the item in your Live Data or RSS feed (in Image 2, this is "Trigger Emergency").

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/yNZmRf_toJKk2FFzpGtyJ/w0xEpTtHgibxF7tfGl-3-_image.png "Image 2")
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Under **Type**, select **Networked** and choose the Data Feed you just added to the presentation. Click **Validate** to ensure that the **User Variable** name matches that of the Live Data or RSS feed.
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Add an **Audio Only** zone as a placeholder for your **Event Handler** states. See Image 3.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/yNZmRf_toJKk2FFzpGtyJ/2NA9FhbGUSEOINpe0Kbaq_image.png "Image ")
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Select the zone and switch the **Playlist type** to **interactive**
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# Create the Timeout Events

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Under **Media Library**, click the **Other** tab. Drag and drop two **Event Handler** states into the **EventHandler** zone.
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Name the first **Event Handler** state “Checking trigger var” and the second state “var No”.
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Drag and drop a **Timeout** event onto the first state ("Checking trigger var").
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In the **Timeout Event** window, select **Return to prior state**. See Image 4.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/yNZmRf_toJKk2FFzpGtyJ/8qzg3lghKbkFIiaWJcND9_image.png "Image 4")
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While in the **Timeout Event** window for the first **Event Handler**, go to the **Advanced > Set Conditional Targets** and click** Add Conditional Target.**
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Select the trigger variable (“Trigger Emergency” in the example presentation) and set it to **Equals** "no".
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Select **Transition to new state **and specify the second **Event Handler** as the new state (“Var no” in Image 5).

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/yNZmRf_toJKk2FFzpGtyJ/vgZXsS6ThnowkRgHIIza1_image.png)
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Drag and drop a **Timeout event** onto the second state ("var No").
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Select **Transition to new state** and choose the first state ("Checking trigger var").  
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# Add Commands

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Go to the **Advanced** tab of the second Timeout event (attached to "var No") and select **Add Command**.
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Under **Commands**, select **Other**.
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Under **Command Parameters**, select **Switch to Presentation > Specify Presentation**. 
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Select the presentation name to switch to. In Image 6, the script will switch to *Highway\_Agency\_standard\_messages*. You can switch to a different presentation depending on the value of the “Trigger Emergency” item found in the “Emergency Trigger” **Live Data Feed**.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/yNZmRf_toJKk2FFzpGtyJ/Kx_fMv40VyYU-fsvnF-gj_image.png "Image 6")
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:::hint{type="info"}
Here is a demo which uses the features mentioned above.

::File{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/presign/TYAqEnq_Txckpox4eAKHe-ouORHBdb8KsbFYuSG8yOY-20250415-165353.zip" label="Highway_Motorway_Demo.zip"}

These are the direct URLs for the Live Data Feeds used in the demo: 

- [http://bsnm.s3.amazonaws.com/rlucinab/Feeds/477f90d23cc4be7af37e6042d44695b2](http://bsnm.s3.amazonaws.com/rlucinab/Feeds/477f90d23cc4be7af37e6042d44695b2)
- [http://bsnm.s3.amazonaws.com/rlucinab/Feeds/cd6e123fea8897bb2c334b0f0db97664](http://bsnm.s3.amazonaws.com/rlucinab/Feeds/cd6e123fea8897bb2c334b0f0db97664)
- [http://bsnm.s3.amazonaws.com/rlucinab/Feeds/39e284a2aa7455856854c737706c35dd](http://bsnm.s3.amazonaws.com/rlucinab/Feeds/39e284a2aa7455856854c737706c35dd) 
- [http://bsnm.s3.amazonaws.com/rlucinab/Feeds/6fb25ac77a1f9ab505292c003ac33aa6](http://bsnm.s3.amazonaws.com/rlucinab/Feeds/6fb25ac77a1f9ab505292c003ac33aa6)
- [http://bsnm.s3.amazonaws.com/rlucinab/Feeds/366ce3729a1dec21836be91cf47e0c22](http://bsnm.s3.amazonaws.com/rlucinab/Feeds/366ce3729a1dec21836be91cf47e0c22)
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