If you’ve spent any time online, you’ve likely encountered content aggregator websites, whether you realized it or not. But which ones truly stand out? What makes them so effective at curating and delivering top-tier content?

In this post, we’ll explore six standout content aggregator websites, breaking down what makes them successful. And if you’re feeling inspired, stick around until the end. I’ll show you how to build your own content aggregator site using the Aggregator plugin for WordPress.

What is a Content Aggregator Website?

Content aggregator websites don’t produce their original content. Instead, their content comes from across the web, which the site will ‘aggregate’ into one easy-to-find location.

While a big neon sign saying “copyright theft” might have lit up in your mind, content aggregation is anything but. Content aggregator websites benefit both visitors and content creators.

For starters, visitors are happy because they get to view a huge variety of content in one spot. Content creators are happy because, as long as the aggregator website is respectful and links to the original source, they get to expose their content to a whole new audience.

6 of the Best Content Aggregator Websites

The following sites are some of the best and most popular examples of successful content aggregator websites. Some span huge categories of topics, others are neat one-page designs. More still take a niche-specific approach to content curation.

This isn’t an exhaustive list though, and you’ll see sites such as Reddit miss out. However, I want to represent a spread of the different directions content aggregator websites take to bring you the best of the web, so let me know in the comments section at the end of the post if I haven’t included your favorite.

1. AllTop

Founded by startup legend Guy Kawasaki, AllTop is one of the biggest names in content aggregation and deservedly sits in first place on this list.

AllTop pulls in the latest posts from websites on a variety of topics. What’s neat is how you can search for specific topics, then view aggregated content from some of the top blogs in that space. It’s a simple, straightforward, ‘old-school’ content aggregator website.

2. Upstract

Upstract (formerly known as Popurls) is the site from which Alltop drew its inspiration. This website has been branded as the “mother of all news aggregators”, so it’s no surprise that it sits at #2 on our list.

Upstract pulls in content from various sources on social media, blogs, and news organizations. It’s quite eclectic in curating its content. Unlike Alltop, you can’t submit your own website to Popurls, and unlike search engine-based news sites such as Google News and Bing News, or other content aggregators that focus on news articles such as Flipboard, the curated content is drawn only from news sources that Upstract have decided constitute “quality content”. But it’s still a neat example of the power of content aggregation.

3. The Web List

The Web List functions similarly to Upstract in that it’s a one-page content aggregator website that curates original content from a huge variety of sources.

It’s not nearly as popular as Upstract or Alltop. But it’s highly customizable and uses some cool technology. And for that reason, I thought it was a great example of how far you can take content aggregation.

Like Upstract, though, you can’t submit your own site. It only aggregates content from a pre-made set of sources.

4. WP News Desk

WP News Desk is a content aggregator website that focuses specifically on WordPress. It automatically pulls in content from a variety of WordPress blogs and companies to display the best content and latest news from the WordPress sphere on the front page.

Rather than needing to visit each blog individually, visitors can just click on individual articles to read the full article at the original source.

Like Alltop, bloggers can submit their own WordPress blog to be considered for inclusion in the news desk.

5. Flipboard

A site such as Flipboard straddles the line between social media networks—arguably content aggregators also—and typical sites. It presents content from across the web, splits it into categories, and, in some cases, will let you view or read the content on its website.

However, in contrast to the other sites, Flipboard lets you engage with each news item through likes and comments. This almost turns it into a social network of its own, and it could be the future of content aggregation.

6. Google News

While it’s still a straightforward content aggregator website, I’d be remiss to leave out Google News, especially if you already use its other services. You can use it as a straightforward aggregator, although some extras give you areas to personalize.

For example, you can choose to follow certain topics, which will create a dedicated feed for you. Alternatively, you can look to read curated stories only from newsdesks across your chosen locale. I like the focus here on news that’s relevant to your location, as you’ll likely engage with it more.

How to Create Your Own Content Aggregator Website With WordPress

If none of the sites featured float your boat, this is a good sign that you should create your own site! As with any other site, you’ll need a domain name. From there, a hosting provider. There are many options to choose from, but WP Mayor recommends two specific hosts for content aggregator sites.

If you have the budget and expect a lot of traffic we recommend Bluehost’s plans for content aggregators.

It’s a cheaper option that provides good hosting and everything you might need to start your content aggregator website. It has the trust of many Aggregator users to run a site reliably.

Now that you have a domain and hosting, you can begin to curate content.

Most content aggregators work through RSS. To create your own content aggregator website, you’ll need a tool with the functionality to import RSS feeds in one of two ways:

• As headline links (for a site such as Upstract, TheWebList, or even Reddit).
• As WordPress posts (similar to aspects of Flipboard or Pocket).

For either method, I recommend Aggregator. It’s a free plugin but also provides a premium tier, which will help you create different kinds of content aggregator websites.

Using the plugin is straightforward, and we cover the process in depth elsewhere on the blog. The plugin gives you core content aggregation tools to import headlines in a one-page design. From here, you can create basic feeds for the sites you want to aggregate content from. The final step is to place those feeds on your site using a shortcode or Block.

If you want to create a more full-featured content aggregator website, you will want the ability to import RSS feed items as full WordPress posts on your site. This is another ideal task for WP RSS Aggregator!

Within the plugin, you can pull in excerpts, add featured images, assign categories, and much more. The Feed to Post functionality is available on the Plus plan and higher.

Head to the Aggregator > Sources screen, and click the button to Add a new source. From here, you’ll need to enter the URL for the RSS feed:

Wait for the feed to load in the preview section to the right and scroll down to the Post type and Post status sections. Here you can select what kind of content to save imported RSS feed items as:

You’ll spot that you can choose any post type your WordPress website provides, which gives you supreme flexibility to create a content aggregator website that fits your needs. Clicking the Curate posts checkbox will also let you approve any posts before they go live.

Speaking of flexibility, you also have the scope to change the post layout and design using a custom version of the Block Editor right within Aggregator:

Once you update your changes, you’ll need to approve any awaiting posts from the Aggregator > Hub screen:

To show off your feeds in WordPress, you’ll need to use WP RSS Aggregator displays. Here’s how to set up displays and embed the resulting feeds anywhere on your website. In a nutshell, the plugin lets you add feeds to your website using shortcodes, Blocks, or with your favorite page builders.

Aggregate Visual Content Through Instagram

While this tutorial focuses mostly on aggregated written content, curating other media, such as photography and video, is a piece of cake too. For instance, you could bring in content from Instagram in a few ways. Aggregator lets you do this, and so does another RebelCode plugin: Spotlight

The free version of the plugin can display your Business Instagram feed (Instagram plugins don’t work with personal accounts due to API limitations from the social media platform). With an upgrade to a premium plan, though, you have much more scope for making that feed fit your site.

Across the various plans, you can apply filtering and moderation, which ensures you have full control over your feed. In addition, you can also link specific Instagram posts to blog posts, products, and any custom URL. With the live preview editor, you can tweak the look and feel of your feed and also see a real-time preview right in your WordPress dashboard.

Between Aggregator and Spotlight, you’ll have the ultimate toolset to rival any content aggregator websites running today!

Final Thoughts: Build, Share & Grow with Content Aggregators

Content aggregator websites are a win-win—they help site owners and influencers attract more readers, boost SEO, and expand their reach, while also making it easier for users and subscribers to discover fresh, relevant content.

But you don’t have to just browse these platforms—you can create your own. With tools like Aggregator and Spotlight, launching a content aggregator site is faster and easier than ever. Who knows? Your site could be the next WP News Desk in no time!

What did you think of our list of content aggregator websites and the Aggregator plugin? Got a favorite aggregator? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!