watchers

Polls RSS, JSON, and GitHub sources to surface only new items.

Updated Aug 23, 2026

Search Tags:#github #polling #cron #rss #dedup #watchers

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/wwwillott/jobnimbus --skill watchers

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: watchers
Source: https://github.com/wwwillott/jobnimbus/tree/main/optional-skills/devops/watchers
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/wwwillott/jobnimbus --skill watchers

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes scripts (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Automates monitoring multiple external sources (RSS feeds, JSON endpoints, and GitHub) and surfaces only new items, reducing manual polling and duplication.

Core Features & Use Cases

Ready-made watchers for RSS, JSON, and GitHub that deduplicate with a watermark to prevent duplicate alerts.
Persists watermark state to avoid re-emitting already-seen items across runs.
Outputs Markdown-formatted results suitable for cron-based delivery and integration with alerting channels.
Use case: Monitor a set of feeds and automatically surface only fresh updates to your team.

Quick Start

Schedule the watcher scripts in cron to poll your sources and send only new items to your notification channel.

Frequently Asked Questions about watchers

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema

How do I poll RSS feeds and only surface new items without duplicates?▼

To poll RSS feeds without duplicates, use a watcher script that persists a watermark state across runs. This deduplication mechanism ensures only fresh updates are emitted, formatted as Markdown for your cron delivery channel.

What is the best way to monitor GitHub repositories for new updates via cron?▼

The best way to monitor GitHub via cron is using a dedicated watcher script that polls the API. It requires a GitHub token for environment configuration and uses a shared watermark to deduplicate updates across scheduled runs.

Do I need Python to run cron-based watchers for JSON endpoints?▼

Yes, you need Python to run these cron-based watchers for JSON endpoints. The watcher scripts require Python and network access to poll external sources and output Markdown-formatted results of new items.

How does a watermark prevent duplicate alerts when polling external sources?▼

A watermark prevents duplicate alerts by persisting state data across polling runs. It tracks already-seen items from RSS, JSON, and GitHub sources, ensuring the watcher only outputs and alerts on newly surfaced items.

Can I format polled RSS and JSON updates as Markdown for alerting channels?▼

Yes, you can format polled RSS and JSON updates as Markdown. The watcher scripts output Markdown-formatted results specifically designed for cron-based delivery and integration with team alerting channels.