{"id":33730,"date":"2022-06-16T13:44:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-16T18:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/?post_type=resource&p=33730"},"modified":"2025-03-11T15:04:54","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T20:04:54","slug":"wordpress-rss-feeds","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/wordpress-rss-feeds\/","title":{"rendered":"RSS Feeds for WordPress: Setup and Configuration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Making sure your followers have quick access to your most recent content or blog posts is very important. With so many social media options, however, it can be difficult to know how to coordinate everything and make it all easily available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, there\u2019s a way to help your readers keep up-to-date with your posts, without being forced to create more social media accounts. Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds package up the contents of your posts, and displays it all in one convenient location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll take an in-depth look at what RSS feeds are, where you can find them, and how to create your own. There\u2019s a lot to cover, so let\u2019s jump right in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is an RSS Feed?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In a nutshell, Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds enable users to view website content in a quick and easy-to-read format. They work alongside “feedburners,” which are pieces of software that turn RSS feeds into readable content. Using an RSS feed, you can see which of your favorite content sources have uploaded new pieces the moment they\u2019re available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are the Benefits of RSS Feeds?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Getting content in front of your audience is a key concern, regardless of your niche. RSS feeds are a perfect way to do this. One of the main reasons is that users have to do practically nothing in order to view your content (aside from clicking on a link).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the feed does all the work, users don\u2019t even have to memorize your URLs. This, in addition to the enhanced portability the feature provides, means that RSS feeds can become a central tool in promoting your site\u2019s content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where Can You Find Your RSS Feed URL in WordPress?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Finding your RSS feed URL within WordPress is simple. All you need to do is type in the name of your website, and add \u201c\/feed\u201d to the end of the URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, to access the RSS feed URL for www.examplewebsite.com<\/em>, you would enter www.examplewebsite.com\/feed<\/em> into your browser:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Where<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll then be brought to the XML file that displays the WordPress feed in its raw form. This is what feedburners read and turn into proper content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Set Up an RSS Feed in WordPress (3 Steps)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, setting up an RSS feed on your WordPress website is a simple process. Let\u2019s take a look at exactly how to do it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Detect Your RSS Feed(s) Using FeedBurner<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By default, your WordPress site will already have one or more RSS feeds in place. Therefore, your first step is to find out the URLs for those feeds. This is easy to do using Google\u2019s FeedBurner<\/a> tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t be fooled by its retro look. FeedBurner is actually a valuable tool for the task at hand. Simply enter your domain into the relevant field, and click on Next<\/em>. You\u2019ll see a results screen showing you every feed that\u2019s associated with your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this point, you simply need to note the URL of any feeds that appear here. Then you can move on to the next task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2: Redirect Your Default Feed Within WordPress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once you have at least one RSS feed URL, you\u2019ll need to tell WordPress to redirect your feed to FeedBurner. This can easily be achieved by using a dedicated RSS plugin, such as RSS Redirect & FeedBurner Alternative<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After installing and activating this feed plugin, head to the RSS Redirect<\/em> panel within WordPress, and select Click here to activate redirect<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will redirect your feed in a matter of seconds. After this, all that\u2019s left is to give your visitors a way to view your feed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll also notice that there are other options on this screen relating various feeds, along with a custom feed field. If the RSS feed plugin doesn\u2019t redirect your feed properly, adding it here manually should do the trick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 3: Display Your Feed on Your Site\u2019s Front End<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Finally, you\u2019ll want to add a clickable icon to the front end on your site, in order to help visitors access your RSS feed. This is simple to do, especially if you use a widget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To do that, you\u2019ll need to head to Appearance<\/em> > Widgets<\/em> within your WordPress dashboard, and look for the RSS<\/em> option. Simply drag it to your desired widget area (such as a sidebar or footer), and take a look at its settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The options here are pretty self-explanatory. Once you\u2019ve saved any changes, your RSS feed will be displayed on your site\u2019s front end at the specified location!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best RSS Feed Plugins for WordPress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Of course, there is more than one solution for viewing RSS feeds within WordPress. Let\u2019s look at three excellent plugins you can use to get the job done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First up, WP RSS Aggregator<\/a> is arguably the most popular solution within the WordPress Plugin Directory<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The free version of this WordPress RSS feed plugin helps you aggregate feeds from as many sources as required, and lets you display your feed anywhere on your site using shortcodes. What\u2019s more, you can open videos directly from within the feed item. However, if you\u2019re a “hardcore” feed user, having some functionality locked behind a paywall could become inconvenient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next up, Feedzy RSS Feeds<\/a> is a fully-premium solution that costs around $80 for a single license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This plugin functions similarly to the first option, although it also provides a caching solution and both WordAi<\/a> and Gutenberg<\/a> integration. However, there\u2019s no free version, so you\u2019ll need to be a committed user of RSS feeds if you want to get your money\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, we have Category Specific RSS Feed Subscription<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is another free plugin that, as the name suggests, lets you specify which categories are displayed in your feed. For multi-topic blogs, this is extremely useful, although there\u2019s always the danger of missing a useful piece of content by ignoring certain categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RSS Feeds in WordPress Without Plugins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no doubt that the RSS feed plugins listed above are useful. However, it is possible to configure your website\u2019s RSS feed without using them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The instructions<\/a> are quite simple, but there are a few things to keep in mind before beginning. First, you should back up your site<\/a>. This ensures that you can restore your most recent version of WordPress should an error occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, you should have at least a basic understanding of WordPress development and coding. If you don\u2019t, it\u2019s best to practice on a local install of WordPress<\/a>, to ensure that you\u2019ve got the process down before tinkering with your live site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Import RSS Feeds to WordPress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may also want to import RSS feeds to your WordPress site. You could place those feeds within a blog post, for example, or add them to your sidebar. With WordPress plugins, you can do this with ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a perfect example, check out Import XML and RSS Feeds<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Screenshot<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With this plugin installed, you can add RSS feeds using PHP, a widget, or a shortcode. The plugin even enables you to set parameters to define how your RSS feed works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multiple RSS Feeds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re working with more than one RSS feed, you\u2019ll need to make sure your chosen tool lets you manage multiple RSS feeds on one account. follow.it<\/a> is one solution that does this, with a free plan that includes up to five feeds. Paid plans<\/a> enable you to manage unlimited RSS feeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With follow.it, all you need to do is go to My Feeds<\/em> > My Offered Feeds<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"multiple<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From there, you can access all of your feeds in one place. You can add\/view subscribers, see statistics, and even manage subscription options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RSS Feeds with Images<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you want to take your RSS feed a step further, you can also add a featured image to it. To do this, you\u2019ll need another plugin. RSS Chimp<\/a> is a solid choice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Screenshot<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This plugin turns text-only RSS feeds into more interactive experiences for your subscribers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using your website\u2019s settings, RSS Chimp will include featured images from your content in your email feed newsletters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RSS WXR File<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At this point, we\u2019ve shown you how to import RSS feeds to your WordPress installation. However, you can also export your own RSS files. This is a good way to back up your content or transfer it to a new website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The export file you\u2019ll need to use is referred to as WordPress eXtended RSS (WXR). It contains all of your website\u2019s content, including WordPress blog posts, comments, custom fields, categories, and tags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To create this file, simply head to your WordPress dashboard. Go to Tools > Export<\/em>, and select the content you would like to export. You can choose All Content<\/em>, or pick from a list of types (such as Posts<\/em>, Pages<\/em>, and Media<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then select Download Export File<\/em>, and the download will automatically begin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"wordpress<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You can now transfer all content to another WordPress installation (where you can set up a new RSS feed), or save it as a backup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disabling RSS in WordPress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In some cases, you may wish to disable RSS on your WordPress site. This is especially common for small, static websites. Fortunately, you can disable RSS in WordPress in just a few minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, navigate to your WordPress site\u2019s functions.php<\/em> file. You can find it by going to Appearance<\/em> > Editor<\/em>. The file will be on the right-hand side of the page:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"how<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now, copy this code and paste it at the very end of the functions.php<\/em> file:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

function wpb_disable_feed() {\n    wp_die( __('No feed available, please visit our <a href=\"' . \n    get_bloginfo('url') . '\">homepage<\/a>!') );\n}\n\nadd_action('do_feed', 'wpb_disable_feed', 1);\nadd_action('do_feed_rdf', 'wpb_disable_feed', 1);\nadd_action('do_feed_rss', 'wpb_disable_feed', 1);\nadd_action('do_feed_rss2', 'wpb_disable_feed', 1);\nadd_action('do_feed_atom', 'wpb_disable_feed', 1);\nadd_action('do_feed_rss2_comments', 'wpb_disable_feed', 1);\nadd_action('do_feed_atom_comments', 'wpb_disable_feed', 1);<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Click on Update File<\/em>, and you\u2019re all done. Now, no one will be able to access your RSS feed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Build Customized Digital Experiences on WP Engine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Leveraging the simplicity and functionality of RSS feeds so your followers never miss a post is one smart way to extend your reach with WordPress. Additionally, we\u2019re here to assist with the best developer resources<\/a>, so you can create incredible digital experiences for your customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here at WP Engine, we\u2019re always ready to support your next WordPress project. Check out our industry-leading hosting for WordPress<\/a> and flexible hosting plans<\/a> for the innovative WordPress solutions you need!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Making sure your followers have quick access to your most recent content or blog posts is very important. With so many social media options, however, it can be difficult to know how to coordinate everything and make it all easily available.  Fortunately, there\u2019s a way to help your readers keep up-to-date with your posts, without…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33731,"template":"","resource-topic":[912],"resource-role":[906,897],"resource-type":[916],"class_list":["post-33730","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nWordPress RSS Feed: Setup And Configuration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to add and configure RSS Feeds for WordPress. We break down the applicable plugins, your configuration and display options and much more!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"WordPress RSS Feed \u2014 Setup And Configuration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how to add and configure RSS Feeds for WordPress. We break down the applicable plugins, your configuration and display options and much more!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/wordpress-rss-feeds\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"WP Engine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/wpengine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-11T20:04:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RSS1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1100\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"WordPress RSS Feed \u2014 Setup And Configuration\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Learn how to add and configure RSS Feeds for WordPress. We break down the applicable plugins, your configuration and display options and much more!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RSS1.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@wpengine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/wordpress-rss-feeds\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/wordpress-rss-feeds\/\",\"name\":\"WordPress RSS Feed: Setup And Configuration\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-06-16T18:44:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-11T20:04:54+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn how to add and configure RSS Feeds for WordPress. We break down the applicable plugins, your configuration and display options and much more!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/wordpress-rss-feeds\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/wordpress-rss-feeds\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/wordpress-rss-feeds\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Resources\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"RSS Feeds for WordPress: Setup and Configuration\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/\",\"name\":\"WP Engine\",\"description\":\"Managed Hosting for WordPress\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#\/schema\/person\/f5301455463371a10d1fc290e9ad0085\",\"name\":\"WP Engine\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d8770fe9625ca7c4601f13d9d0ab86565a6dac8cd6a77bfe2ada6d83c6837870?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d8770fe9625ca7c4601f13d9d0ab86565a6dac8cd6a77bfe2ada6d83c6837870?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"WP Engine\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"WordPress RSS Feed: Setup And Configuration","description":"Learn how to add and configure RSS Feeds for WordPress. We break down the applicable plugins, your configuration and display options and much more!","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"WordPress RSS Feed \u2014 Setup And Configuration","og_description":"Learn how to add and configure RSS Feeds for WordPress. We break down the applicable plugins, your configuration and display options and much more!","og_url":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/wordpress-rss-feeds\/","og_site_name":"WP Engine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/wpengine","article_modified_time":"2025-03-11T20:04:54+00:00","og_image":[{"width":"1100","height":"400","url":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RSS1.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"WordPress RSS Feed \u2014 Setup And Configuration","twitter_description":"Learn how to add and configure RSS Feeds for WordPress. We break down the applicable plugins, your configuration and display options and much more!","twitter_image":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RSS1.png","twitter_site":"@wpengine","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/wordpress-rss-feeds\/","url":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/wordpress-rss-feeds\/","name":"WordPress RSS Feed: Setup And Configuration","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#website"},"datePublished":"2022-06-16T18:44:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-11T20:04:54+00:00","description":"Learn how to add and configure RSS Feeds for WordPress. We break down the applicable plugins, your configuration and display options and much more!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/wordpress-rss-feeds\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/wordpress-rss-feeds\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/wordpress-rss-feeds\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Resources","item":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"RSS Feeds for WordPress: Setup and Configuration"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#website","url":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/","name":"WP Engine","description":"Managed Hosting for WordPress","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#\/schema\/person\/f5301455463371a10d1fc290e9ad0085","name":"WP Engine","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d8770fe9625ca7c4601f13d9d0ab86565a6dac8cd6a77bfe2ada6d83c6837870?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d8770fe9625ca7c4601f13d9d0ab86565a6dac8cd6a77bfe2ada6d83c6837870?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"WP Engine"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/wpengine.com"]}]}},"acf":[],"grid_image_url":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Untitled-design-1-1.jpg","media-type":{"term_id":916,"name":"Article","slug":"article"},"role":"<strong>Roles:<\/strong> Entrepreneur, Freelancer","topic":"<strong>Topics:<\/strong> Performance","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource\/33730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resource"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"resource-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-topic?post=33730"},{"taxonomy":"resource-role","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-role?post=33730"},{"taxonomy":"resource-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-type?post=33730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}