Flipboard has introduced a new feature called “social websites,” allowing creators and publishers to build customizable web hubs that aggregate content and conversations from across the open social web.
The feature is designed to bring together posts, videos, podcasts, newsletters, and other media into a single destination controlled by the creator.
Built On Decentralized Social Platforms
Social websites are structured around content from decentralized and open platforms, including Mastodon and Bluesky, as well as other public web sources.
Users can combine feeds from platforms such as Threads, YouTube, blogs, podcasts, and RSS into one unified space, allowing audiences to follow discussions and updates across multiple channels without switching platforms.
Creator Control And Community Focus
Flipboard positions social websites as a model that gives creators greater control over how their content and communities are organized, including influence over content discovery mechanisms.
Mike McCue said the feature enables creators to build communities around existing conversations rather than starting from scratch, by consolidating audiences already engaging with their content across platforms.
Integration With Surf And Feed System
The launch extends Flipboard’s Surf app, a reader designed to explore the open social web. Social websites are powered by Surf feeds, which users can create by selecting content sources, assigning hashtags, and applying filters.
Once a feed is configured, users can attach a custom domain to publish it as a standalone website that can be shared independently of the Surf app.
Early Publisher And Creator Adoption
Several publishers, including The Verge, Wired, Rolling Stone, 404 Media, and The Oregonian, have already launched social websites to centralize their content and audience engagement.
Individual creators are also adopting the feature. One example is All Net, a site created by David Rushing that aggregates basketball-related discussions, news, and live commentary.
Future Development And Customization
Flipboard said additional customization tools are in development, including options for custom headers, color schemes, and expanded feed management capabilities.
The company describes social websites as an early step toward broader tools that integrate content and conversations from across multiple platforms into centralized, user-controlled destinations.
Featured image credits: Jorge Quinteros via Flickr
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