Administration

These pages cover the operational tasks used to run and maintain an RSSMonster server.

Server Settings covers registration, SMTP, OIDC, Web Push, and crawl overrides in the administrator UI.
Backup and Restore provides procedures for the SQLite and MySQL Docker Compose profiles, including secrets and verification.
Server Jobs lists every npm command exposed by the server, including tests, database tasks, semantic maintenance, and repair utilities.
Crawling explains feed scheduling, concurrency, safety limits, and running the dedicated crawl worker with PM2.
Inference explains how to configure, run, inspect, and debug the standalone inference service.
npm Commands is the complete client, server, and inference command reference, including supported arguments and usage guidance.
OIDC Configuration explains OpenID Connect sign-in with Google as an example, provider-only login, account linking, and automatic account creation.
Email Configuration explains how to enable SMTP, configure credentials and TLS, and verify connectivity from the admin UI.
Progressive Web App and Notifications covers app installation and the VAPID configuration needed for browser Push.

Run administrative commands from the server directory unless a command says otherwise. Before running a command that changes stored data, back up the database and understand whether it performs an incremental update, rebuild, repair, seed, or reset.

Settings workspace

The desktop Settings workspace exposes user-scoped feed diagnostics, crawl statistics, processing jobs, score settings, automation, generated feeds, and semantic insights. Manage Users provides administrator-only account management. Server settings contains server-wide configuration, including SMTP status and connection testing. The first registered account becomes the administrator. See First Login.

Feeds and Categories explains per-feed processing, retry, and official sources. Account and Email covers self-service password and email changes. Web App and Notifications documents VAPID configuration for browser Push.

Push notification settings

Web Push can use deployment environment variables or saved overrides under Settings → Server settings → Web Push options. See Server Settings for the UI workflow.

For environment configuration, set VAPID_PUBLIC_KEY, VAPID_PRIVATE_KEY, and VAPID_SUBJECT for the web process and each crawl worker that sends notifications. For encrypted database overrides, provide the same ENCRYPTION_KEY to those processes. Serve the app over HTTPS. See Configure Web Push on the server for key generation and deployment examples.

After server configuration, each user enables alerts in the mobile or compact Options → Notifications controls and grants browser permission. On iOS/iPadOS, users must first install and launch the Home Screen app. Web Push works independently from SMTP and Daily Briefing email delivery.

Article cleanup

Cleanup articles configures per-user protections and retention limits. Save settings persists preferences; Cleanup now saves and applies them immediately. The crawl worker also applies them nightly at 03:00 in its local timezone. Count limits take priority over age, and checked protections always apply. See Article Archiving for defaults, examples, the Cleanup dialog, and the distinction between stored and sidebar counts.

Email scheduling

The web process starts the SMTP outbox worker and the Daily Briefing scheduler; they remain idle while email is disabled. The scheduler checks bounded batches every five minutes; the delivery worker polls every five minutes. Keep the web process running for scheduled delivery. This workflow is separate from the AI worker. See Email Configuration for delivery logs and retries.

Processing failures and queue health

Settings → Observability groups processing failures and lets you inspect individual occurrences. Settings → AI Processing shows optional job states and worker health. Clearing diagnostic history is different from fixing a failed feed or retrying a dead job; follow Crawling for recovery commands. Summaries may remain pending while a critical crawl lease pauses new optional-job claims.