FAQ
Below are the questions users most commonly run into while using TrendRadar, along with their answers. If your question isn't listed here, you can search or ask in GitHub Issues.
Getting Started
Learn the basics about TrendRadar
QWhere does TrendRadar get its data?
A
Trending news data comes from the newsnow project's API, which aggregates real-time hot-topic data from multiple platforms, including major platforms such as Zhihu, Weibo, Douyin, Baidu, and Bilibili.
RSS data comes from the RSS/Atom feeds you configure yourself. You can add any website that provides a standard RSS/Atom feed.
All data processing happens locally. TrendRadar never uploads your data to any third-party server.
QCan I use TrendRadar without a server?
A
Yes. The GitHub Actions deployment method requires no server at all. GitHub provides free compute resources to run your tasks — all you need is a GitHub account.
The only limitations are that GitHub Actions has a 7-day activity-detection mechanism (you need to check in periodically to keep workflows running), and that its timing precision is lower than a Docker deployment (GitHub Actions scheduled jobs have a delay of about 15 minutes).
QDo the AI features cost money?
A
The AI analysis, translation, and smart filtering features all require an API Key from an AI service provider. Calling the API incurs some cost, but it is usually very low.
We recommend using DeepSeek as your AI provider — it offers the best value for money. A single analysis typically costs just a few cents, so the monthly cost for everyday use is extremely low.
The exact cost depends on how often you use it and which model you choose. If you don't use the AI features, TrendRadar is completely free.
Feature Usage
Common questions during usage
QI chose incremental mode but haven't received a push for hours — is it broken?
A
Incremental mode only pushes when new matching news appears. If you haven't received a push for a while, it means there is currently no newly appearing hot content on the platforms you monitor that matches your keywords. This is normal behavior.
You can try the following to troubleshoot:
- Broaden your keywords and add more topics you're interested in
- Monitor more platforms to cover more data sources
- Temporarily switch to "current" mode to verify the system is working. If current mode pushes normally, the system is fine — there's simply no new content matching the incremental condition for now
QCan I add a platform that is not in the default list?
A
Yes. Trending data comes from the newsnow project, which supports far more platforms than TrendRadar's default list.
Visit https://newsnow.busiyi.world/ and click "More" to see all available platforms. Once you find the platform you need, add its corresponding ID to the platform list in
config.yaml.A complete, community-curated platform list can be found in GitHub Issues #95.
QCan I push to multiple channels at the same time?
A
Yes. Just configure the Secrets or environment variables for multiple push channels. TrendRadar automatically sends push messages to all configured channels.
For example, you can configure WeCom and Telegram at the same time, and both channels will receive the message on each push.
If you need to push to multiple accounts on the same channel (for example, two different WeCom groups), you can separate multiple URLs with a semicolon (
;) in the corresponding Secret.Deployment & Operations
Deployment, upgrades, and daily operations
QHow do I upgrade to a new version?
A
The upgrade method depends on your deployment method:
GitHub Actions deployment: if you created your repository using "Use this template", you need to manually copy the updated files from the original repository into your own. For which files to update, check the changelog for each version.
Docker deployment: upgrading is very simple — just run the following commands to pull the latest image and restart:
cd docker
docker compose pull
docker compose up -dTip
Before upgrading, we recommend backing up your configuration files (the config/ directory) in case the new version introduces a config-format change.
QI configured MCP but the AI says it can't find any data — what now?
A
MCP analyzes the data in the local
output/ directory, not real-time internet data. If the AI says it can't find any data, check these items one by one:- Confirm you have run the main program: MCP needs the main program to complete data collection first. Check whether a
.dbdatabase file exists in theoutput/directory. - Check the query date range: make sure there is collected data within the date range you're querying.
- Check directory mounting: if you deploy with Docker, make sure the
config/andoutput/directories are correctly mounted into the container.
QWhy is the push timing not very accurate?
A
If you use the GitHub Actions deployment method, this is normal. GitHub Actions scheduled jobs (cron) have a delay of about 15 minutes. This is an inherent limitation of the GitHub platform and cannot be eliminated.
If you need more precise control over push timing, we recommend switching to the Docker deployment method and running it on your own server.
Also, check that the time-zone setting in
config.yaml is correct. The default value is Asia/Shanghai (UTC+8); if you use it in another time zone, adjust it accordingly.QHow do I configure a proxy?
A
Configure the proxy in the
advanced section of config/config.yaml:advanced:
crawler:
use_proxy: true
default_proxy: "http://127.0.0.1:10801"Set
use_proxy to true and change default_proxy to your proxy address. Note: the proxy configuration does not take effect in GitHub Actions environments; proxies only work with local and Docker deployments.Security & Debugging
Security, configuration checks, and troubleshooting
QWhat should I do if my Webhook URL is leaked?
A
Immediately regenerate the Webhook URL on the corresponding platform (WeCom, Feishu, DingTalk, etc.). The old URL will be invalidated right away, and the leaked URL will no longer work.
Security reminder
If your GitHub repository is public, do not write the Webhook URL directly in
config.yaml. Use GitHub Secrets or Docker's .env file to store sensitive information. A leaked Webhook URL could be abused to send spam messages to your group chats.QHow do I check if my configuration is correct?
A
Run the
--doctor command for a one-click environment and configuration health check:uv run python -m trendradar --doctorThis command checks your Python version, whether config files exist, whether the config loads correctly, whether scheduling is valid, whether AI configuration is complete, whether the storage backend is available, whether notification channels are properly configured, and whether the output directory is writable. Results are shown as pass/warn/fail to help you quickly locate issues.
QHow do I test whether push channels are working?
A
Run the
--test-notification command to send a test message to all configured push channels:uv run python -m trendradar --test-notificationIf your push channels receive the test message, the configuration is correct. If not, check whether the Webhook URL or API Key for the corresponding channel is correct.
QHow do I view the run logs?
A
The method varies depending on your deployment method:
- GitHub Actions: go to the Actions page of your repository and click the corresponding run record to view detailed logs
- Docker: run
docker logs -f trendradarto view real-time logs - Local deployment: logs are printed directly to the terminal
QWhich takes priority, environment variables or config.yaml?
A
Environment variables take priority over the
config.yaml file. In other words, if the same setting is specified in both an environment variable and the config file, the environment variable's value overrides the config file's value. This mechanism is especially useful in Docker and GitHub Actions deployments, where you can put sensitive information (such as API Keys and Webhook URLs) in environment variables instead of writing them into the config file.