A data feed engine allows a user to create a data feed without protocol and/or formatting knowledge for the data source. The data feed engine dynamically selects a connector for any one of a variety of different types of data sources. The date feed engine can then build a search command with search parameters and a data source identity based on the automatically selected data source connector. The data feed engine publishes a reference to the generated data feed definition in a catalog of data feeds. A framework that utilizes such functionality allows creation of a mashup to with a combination of data feeds from different types of data sources.