watchers

Poll RSS/Atom feeds, GitHub repositories, and JSON endpoints with watermark-based deduplication.

1|Updated Jun 25, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/Signmanal/VIGIL --skill watchers-signmanal
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: watchers
Source: https://github.com/Signmanal/VIGIL/tree/main/optional-skills/devops/watchers
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/Signmanal/VIGIL --skill watchers-signmanal

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes scripts (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Manually monitoring RSS feeds, GitHub repositories, and JSON APIs for new updates is tedious and prone to missed critical changes. This Skill automates polling of these external sources with built-in watermark-based deduplication, ensuring you only receive notifications when there is genuinely new content to review.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Multi-source polling: Natively supports RSS/Atom feeds, GitHub issues/pulls/releases/commits, and arbitrary JSON endpoints with configurable deduplication ID fields.
  • Watermark-based deduplication: Tracks previously seen items in a bounded state file, preventing replay of old content and capping memory usage to avoid bloat.
  • Cron-friendly automation: Outputs nothing when there are no new items, making it seamless to integrate with scheduled cron jobs for hands-off monitoring.
  • Use Case: A security analyst can use this Skill to watch a threat intelligence RSS feed and a GitHub security advisory repo, receiving only the latest new vulnerability disclosures directly in their workflow without sifting through historical data.

Quick Start

Instruct the agent to create a scheduled watcher for your target RSS feed, GitHub repository, or JSON API that delivers only new items to your workflow on your desired interval.

Frequently Asked Questions about watchers

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I automate polling RSS feeds and GitHub repos for new items without getting duplicate alerts?

You can automate polling RSS feeds and GitHub repos by applying watermark-based state tracking to deduplicate output. This method stores previously seen items in a bounded state file, ensuring alerts are generated only for genuinely new content without replaying historical data.

How does watermark-based deduplication work for monitoring external JSON endpoints?

Watermark-based deduplication tracks previously fetched items from JSON endpoints using configurable ID fields stored in a bounded state file. This approach caps memory usage and uses atomic file writes to prevent data corruption during automated polling.

Can I use cron jobs to monitor GitHub commits and releases silently?

Yes, you can integrate this polling automation with cron jobs to monitor GitHub commits and releases silently. The script outputs nothing to stdout when no new items are found, ensuring seamless hands-off monitoring within scheduled agent workflows.

What is the best way to get alerts for new GitHub security advisories in DevOps workflows?

The best way to get alerts for new GitHub security advisories in DevOps workflows is to automate deduplicated polling of target repositories. Watermark tracking ensures you receive timely alerts for new vulnerability disclosures without manually reviewing historical data.

Does this polling automation support tracking arbitrary JSON APIs with custom deduplication fields?

Yes, this polling automation supports arbitrary JSON endpoints by allowing you to configure custom deduplication ID fields. This flexibility ensures accurate tracking of new API events for security operations and threat research without replaying old content.

Why does my automated feed polling output nothing to stdout during scheduled cron execution?

Automated feed polling outputs nothing to stdout during scheduled cron execution when no new items are found. This silent behavior is designed to prevent noise in agent workflows, ensuring output is generated only when genuinely new content is detected.