Have you ever felt overwhelmed by scrolling through endless news feeds, only to miss the stories that really matter to you? As someone who follows trends in finance, tech, or daily events, you might want a simpler way to stay informed without wasting time. That’s where TrendRadar comes in—a straightforward tool that gathers hot topics from multiple platforms and sends you only what you care about. In this guide, we’ll walk through what it does, how it works, and step-by-step setup instructions. If you’re wondering things like “How do I filter out irrelevant news?” or “What’s the easiest way to get started?”, I’ll address those directly as we go.

What Is TrendRadar and Why Use It?

TrendRadar is an open-source project designed to help you monitor popular news and trends efficiently. It pulls together hot topics from various sources, filters them based on your interests, and delivers updates via phone notifications or a web page. The goal is simple: spend less time browsing and more time on what counts. For example, if you’re an investor keeping an eye on stock market shifts, or a content creator looking for timely ideas, this tool can save you hours.

The project focuses on being lightweight and quick to set up—often in as little as 30 seconds for a basic version. It runs on GitHub, so no advanced coding skills are needed. You can think of it as your personal news filter, cutting through the noise of algorithms on individual apps. It’s licensed under GPL-3.0, meaning it’s free to use and modify. Community feedback shows it’s gaining traction, with badges for stars, forks, and version (currently v2.1.2).

One key benefit is reducing reliance on multiple apps. Instead of checking each platform separately, TrendRadar combines them into one feed tailored to you. It’s useful for scenarios like tracking industry news, monitoring public opinion on brands, or just staying updated on daily life topics.

Main Features of TrendRadar

Let’s break down the core parts of what this tool offers. These features make it flexible for different users, whether you’re a busy professional or someone casually interested in current events.

Gathering Hot Topics from Multiple Platforms

By default, TrendRadar checks 11 major sources for trending content:

  • Today’s Headlines
  • Baidu Hot Searches
  • Wall Street Insights
  • The Paper News
  • Bilibili Hot Searches
  • Caijing Popular
  • Phoenix Net
  • Tieba
  • Weibo
  • Douyin
  • Zhihu

This covers a mix of news, social media, and discussion sites. If you need more, you can add custom platforms—I’ll explain how later. The data comes from a reliable API provided by another project called newsnow, ensuring you get fresh updates without building everything from scratch.

Smart Notification Options

Notifications are customizable to fit your routine. There are three main modes:

  • Incremental Mode: Sends alerts for new items as they appear. Great if you need immediate updates, like for trading decisions.
  • Current Mode: Shows the latest rankings at set times. Ideal for spotting ongoing trends, such as for writers or marketers.
  • Daily Mode: Delivers a full summary once a day. Perfect for a quick evening review, suited to managers or general users.

You can also set a quiet mode to limit notifications to specific hours, say 9 AM to 6 PM. Within that window, choose to get updates every run or just once. This prevents interruptions outside work hours.

Filtering Content Precisely

Not every hot topic is relevant, so TrendRadar lets you set keywords to focus on what matters. Use a file called frequency_words.txt to define them. There are three types:

  1. Regular Words: Basic terms like “AI” or “electric cars”. If a title includes any, it’s included.
  2. Required Words (start with +): Must be in the title, e.g., +launch to catch only product releases.
  3. Exclude Words (start with !): Skip anything with these, like !ads to avoid promotions.

Group keywords with blank lines for separate tracking. For instance:

AI
ChatGPT
+tech
!training

stocks
market
+rise
!forecast

This setup counts matches per group and prioritizes based on your order. If the file is empty, it sends everything—but watch for message limits; better to use the web version for full views.

Wondering how to refine filters? Start broad, then add required or exclude words based on what shows up. This way, you avoid clutter and get targeted insights.

Custom Ranking Algorithm for Trends

Platforms have their own ways of highlighting stories, but TrendRadar reorders them using a balanced approach:

  • 60% based on original rankings (top spots get priority).
  • 30% on how often a topic appears (repeated mentions signal importance).
  • 10% on overall quality (frequent high ranks boost it).

You can tweak these weights in the config file. For fast-breaking news, increase the ranking weight to 80%. For deeper trends, bump frequency to 50%. The result? A personalized list that’s not dictated by any single site’s algorithm.

Sending Updates Through Various Channels

Get notifications on your phone via:

  • Enterprise WeChat
  • Feishu
  • DingTalk
  • Telegram

Set up multiple for redundancy. Messages include stats like match counts, sources, times, and new items marked with 🆕. For longer content, it splits sends to fit limits.

Here’s a sample notification structure:

📊 Trend Words Summary

🔥 [1/3] AI ChatGPT : 2 items

  1. [Baidu Hot Searches] 🆕 ChatGPT-5 Released [1] – 09:15 (1 time)

  2. [Today’s Headlines] AI Chip Stocks Surge [3] – [08:30 ~ 10:45] (3 times)

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

📈 [2/3] BYD Tesla : 2 items

  1. [Weibo] 🆕 BYD Monthly Sales Record [2] – 10:20 (1 time)

  2. [Douyin] Tesla Price Cuts [4] – [07:45 ~ 09:15] (2 times)

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

📌 [3/3] A-Shares Market : 1 item

  1. [Wall Street Insights] A-Shares Midday Review [5] – [11:30 ~ 12:00] (2 times)

🆕 New Hot Topics This Time (2 items)

Baidu Hot Searches (1 item):

  1. ChatGPT-5 Released [1]

Weibo (1 item):

  1. BYD Monthly Sales Record [2]

Update Time: 2025-01-15 12:30:15

This format uses icons for heat levels (🔥 for 10+ matches, 📈 for 5-9, 📌 for fewer), bold for top ranks, and ranges for ongoing stories.

Support for Different Devices and Storage

  • Web Reports: Auto-generates pages via GitHub Pages, viewable on computers or phones.
  • Container Setup: Use Docker for reliable runs across systems.
  • Data Saving: Keeps history in HTML and TXT files for later reference.

It’s built for easy access, no matter your device.

GitHub Pages View
Feishu Notification

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up TrendRadar

Getting started is straightforward. Follow these steps, and you’ll be monitoring trends in minutes.

Step 1: Copy the Project to Your Account

  1. Go to the TrendRadar page on GitHub.
  2. Click “Fork” in the top right to create your own copy.

This sets up your personal space for configurations.

For a web version that updates in real time, go to your forked repo’s Settings > Pages, and turn on GitHub Pages.

Step 2: Configure Secure Settings

In your forked repo, head to Settings > Secrets and variables > Actions. Add new secrets for your chosen notification methods. You can use one or more.

  • For Enterprise WeChat (quickest to set up):

    • Secret Name: WEWORK_WEBHOOK_URL
    • Value: Your bot’s webhook.
    • How to get it: In the app, enter a group chat > … > Group Robots > Add new > Copy the webhook.

  • For Feishu (best display):

    • Secret Name: FEISHU_WEBHOOK_URL
    • Value: Your bot’s webhook.
    • Setup: Open botbuilder.feishu.cn in a browser > New app > Set up flow with Webhook trigger > Add JSON parameters like {“message_type”: “text”, …} > Choose send message action > Select group > Place variables as shown in guides > Copy the address.

  • For DingTalk:

    • Secret Name: DINGTALK_WEBHOOK_URL
    • Value: Your bot’s webhook.
    • Setup: On PC client, group settings > Robots > Add custom > Set keyword “hotspot” > Agree to terms > Copy URL.

  • For Telegram:

    • Secrets: TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN and TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID
    • Values: Bot token and your chat ID.
    • Setup: Chat with @BotFather > /newbot > Name it (ends with bot) > Get token. For ID: Send message to bot > Visit api.telegram.org/bot/getUpdates or use @userinfobot.
Feishu Bot Config Example

Step 3: Customize Your Settings

Edit two files in the config folder:

  • config.yaml:

    • Set report.mode to daily, current, or incremental.
    • Turn on silent_push.enabled: true, and define time_range like “09:00-18:00”.
    • Adjust weights, e.g., rank_weight: 0.8 for quicker alerts.
    • List platforms under platforms: – id: “toutiao” name: “Today’s Headlines” (add more as needed).

  • frequency_words.txt: Add your keywords, groups separated by blanks.

If you’re asking “What if I want all news without filters?”, leave the file empty, but opt for web reports to handle volume.

Step 4: Add Custom Platforms if Needed

Check the newsnow project’s code for IDs. In config.yaml, add entries like:

  • id: “wallstreetcn-hot”
    name: “Wall Street Insights”

This expands your sources.

Step 5: Choose Your Deployment Method

  • Web-Based (Simplest): With Pages enabled, reports generate automatically.
  • Docker (For Consistent Runs):

    • Quick Test: Run command like docker run -d –name trend-radar -v ./config:/app/config:ro -v ./output:/app/output -e CRON_SCHEDULE=”*/30 * * * *” wantcat/trendradar:latest
    • With Notifications: Add -e for webhooks.
    • Using Compose: Make folders, download config.yaml, frequency_words.txt, .env, docker-compose.yml > Edit > docker-compose up -d.

Prepare folders first:

  • mkdir -p config output
  • Download files to config/.

For updates: docker-compose pull && docker-compose up -d.

Manage with commands like docker logs -f trend-radar or docker exec -it trend-radar python manage.py status.

If Docker fails on some systems, the v2.1.1 update fixed architecture issues.

Updates and How to Upgrade

The tool evolves based on user needs. Latest version: v2.1.2 (September 13, 2025) – Fixed DingTalk send limits with batching.

Past changes:

  • v2.1.1 (September 4, 2025): Docker fixes, official image release.
  • v2.1.0 (August 30, 2025): Better send timing with windows.
  • v2.0.4 (August 27, 2025): Security reminder for webhooks—keep them in Secrets, regenerate if exposed.
  • v2.0.3 (August 6, 2025): Improved mobile web views.
  • v2.0.2 (July 28, 2025): Code cleanup.
  • v2.0.1 (July 27, 2025): Handled empty keywords (sends all, but limit platforms) and script fixes.
  • v2.0.0 (July 17, 2025): New config system, modes, Docker support.
  • v1.4.1 (July 9, 2025): New-only focus switch, symbol fixes.
  • v1.3.0 (June 23, 2025): Split long messages.
  • v1.2.1 (June 21, 2025): Workflow updates—copy crawler.yml too for older versions.
  • v1.2.0 (June 19, 2025): Multi-channel support.
  • v1.1.0 (June 18, 2025): Ranking weights, better docs.
  • v1.0.0 (June 16, 2025): Update alerts.
  • Earlier: New markers, required words, links, display tweaks.

To upgrade:

  • Minor: Replace main.py in your repo.
  • Major: Refork to avoid conflicts.
  • Don’t use Sync Fork; manual copy is safer.

Future ideas include AI summaries, but that’s not yet added.

Understanding Notification Formats

Messages are easy to read. Key parts:

Element Example What It Means Details
Heat Icon 🔥 [1/3] Level of Popularity 🔥 (10+), 📈 (5-9), 📌 (<5)
Group Position [1/3] Order in Matches Based on your keyword priority
Keyword Group AI ChatGPT Your Set Terms From config file
Match Count : 2 items Total Hits For that group
Source [Baidu Hot Searches] Origin Platform Where it came from
New Tag 🆕 Fresh Item First time this run
Rank [1] Top Position Bold for high ranks
Time – 09:15 First Seen Single appearance
Range [08:30 ~ 10:45] Duration From start to end
Frequency (3 times) Total Shows During monitoring

This helps you scan quickly.

Before/After Display Improvements (from v1.3.0):

Before
Old Feishu View		 After
New Feishu View

Tips for Fine-Tuning and Troubleshooting

  • Tuning Weights: For real-time focus, set rank_weight higher. Test and adjust gradually.
  • Avoiding Overload: In incremental mode, only new matches trigger sends.
  • Security: Never share webhooks publicly.
  • If No Sends: Check Secrets, mode, and time settings.
  • Full Data: Use Docker’s output folder for archives.
  • Mobile Links: Web and notifications support direct jumps to stories.

Community and Support

Feedback goes through issues or a related public account. Thanks to:

  • Data from newsnow.
  • Promotions by software recommendation sites, tech communities, and weekly newsletters.
  • Supporters with contributions listed by date, amount, and notes (e.g., 88 on August 13, 2025 afternoon).

If it helps, consider a small tip via WeChat or Alipay to encourage ongoing work.

Related tools:

  • Mao Map: Interactive timeline of historical travels.
  • Bilibili Comment Analyzer: For video feedback insights.
  • AI Code Helper: Assists in coding by feeding project snippets to models.

For WeChat notifications: Fork a variant project and link to Enterprise WeChat.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start with no tech background?

Fork, add one secret for notifications, edit keywords—done in under a minute for basics.

What if filters catch too much?

Add exclude words like !unrelated. Group them for better organization.

Can I run it without notifications?

Yes, just use GitHub Pages for web reports.

How to handle long messages?

The tool splits them automatically for supported channels.

What’s the best mode for daily users?

Daily mode for summaries; incremental for alerts.

How to add platforms?

Find IDs in newsnow code, add to config.yaml.

Upgrade issues?

For big changes, refork. Check logs for errors.

Mobile-friendly?

Yes, optimized in recent updates.

Safe to use?

Keep secrets private; data stays local.

TrendRadar turns news tracking into a breeze, helping you stay ahead without the hassle. Give it a try and see how it fits your needs.