Mark Zahra

Mark Zahra

Mark has been involved with WP RSS Aggregator for almost a decade, from running customer support to now leading RebelCode, the company behind the plugin. He has a passion for content and news, especially the concept of ethically sharing content to help each other grow.

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WordPress RSS Setup Guide

Learn how to set up, configure, optimize, and manage your WordPress RSS feed settings in this comprehensive guide.
WordPress RSS feed settings

Want to understand and set up RSS feeds for your WordPress website or blog? You’re not alone! 

In this ever-evolving digital age, staying connected with your audience and ensuring your content reaches them is paramount. With the information explosion, your audience is bombarded with countless articles and blog posts every day. 

So, how do you make sure your content doesn’t get lost in the sea? Enter RSS feeds.

RSS feeds allow your subscribers to stay up-to-date with your content and even increase your reach by letting you publish on multiple platforms.

But what exactly is an RSS feed, and how can you set it up on your WordPress website?

Let’s discover, in this post! Plus, we’ll also explore how to use an RSS feed to distribute your content.

Whether you’re a budding blogger or an established content creator, understanding WordPress RSS feed settings is a skill that can greatly enhance your content strategy. Our objective is to demystify RSS for you and provide you with a step-by-step guide to getting it up and running on your WordPress site. 

So buckle up, as we embark on this journey to unlock the potential of RSS feeds and bring your content distribution game to the next level!

What is an RSS feed?

RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, is a web feed that allows users and applications to access updates to websites in a standardized format. 

In simple terms, it’s a way to subscribe to a website and receive notifications whenever new content is published. Instead of having to manually check for new articles or blog posts, the content comes to you through the feed.

RSS feeds can contain summaries or full-text articles, along with metadata such as the author’s name and published date. These feeds can be read using software called an RSS reader or feed reader, which can be web-based, desktop-based, or available as a mobile app.

Some common examples of RSS feeds include:

  • News websites: Major news websites often have RSS feeds for different sections such as politics, technology, or entertainment. Subscribing to these feeds would mean getting the latest news articles delivered straight to your feed reader.
  • Blogs: Bloggers use RSS feeds to send out new posts to their subscribers. This is especially useful for blogs that publish content regularly.
  • Podcasts: Podcasters can use RSS feeds to distribute new episodes. Subscribers can get the latest episodes delivered directly to their favorite podcast app.
  • Forums and discussion boards: Communities like forums often have RSS feeds for new topics or comments, allowing members to stay updated on conversations that matter to them.
  • eCommerce sites: Online stores can have RSS feeds for new products or sales, making it easy for customers to stay informed about the latest deals.
  • Recipe roundups: Websites that curate recipes often offer RSS feeds for their latest collections. These feeds provide subscribers with new recipe ideas and culinary inspirations, perfect for those who enjoy cooking and trying new dishes.

If you have a website that fits into any of the above categories, there can be several advantages of setting up an RSS feed. 

RSS feeds allow content creators to maintain consistent engagement with their audience, as subscribers are notified of new content as soon as it is published. RSS feeds can increase your reach, as other websites and services can use your RSS feed to syndicate your content, giving it more exposure.

From the subscribers’ point of view, RSS feeds help save time as users don’t have to check multiple websites for updates. All the content is aggregated in one place through their feed reader. Besides, they can customize their feeds to ensure they only receive the content they are interested in.

How to set up an RSS feed in WordPress

Setting up an RSS feed on WordPress is extremely easy, especially with a powerful WordPress aggregator plugin, like WP RSS Aggregator.

Let’s take a look at how you can set up multiple RSS feeds on your site, to provide relevant and engaging content to your readers.

1. Find an RSS feed

First things first, it’s essential to know that WordPress automatically creates RSS feeds for your content. Yes, you heard that right! 

For instance, your primary blog feed can usually be accessed by adding /feed to the end of your website’s URL, like http://myblog.com/feed. There are also separate feeds for different categories and comments.

Similarly, if you want to syndicate content from other, relevant websites, you can find their feed URLs as http://websitename.com/feed in the Google Chrome browser. Alternatively, you can use a Chrome extension like Get RSS Feed URL to get the necessary feed sources.

If you are looking for an RSS feed of a particular tag or a specific category of posts, or those by a specific author, take a look at how to find other potential feed URLs from the WordPress Codex.

2. Install the WP RSS Aggregator plugin

WP RSS Aggregator is a powerhouse when it comes to managing and displaying RSS feeds on your WordPress site. 

To install the premium plugin on your WordPress backend, go to Plugins > Upload New > Upload the plugin .zip file > Activate.

3. Set up your feed source

  • Go to RSS Aggregator > Feed Sources > Add New.
  • Add the name of the feed and the source link, which is the feed URL.
  • Set the limit as the number of posts you want to import from the source blog.
  • Hit publish once you’ve added the details.
Add new feed source using WP RSS Aggregator

Your feeds will be displayed on the dashboard, along with details about when they import and how many items are imported.

List of feed sources

4. Display the feed on the frontend

Once the feed is published, you should see a shortcode displayed at the top of the feed source, just below the name of the feed. 

  • Copy the shortcode.
Copy feed shortcode from feed source page
  • Go to the page or post where you want to display the feed. 
  • Select the WP RSS Aggregator Feeds widget and place it where you want on the page.
  • Paste the shortcode in the box. You should see a list of the latest blog posts from your selected feed source.
Display the RSS feed at the frontend with the WP RSS Aggregator feeds widget

How to customize your RSS feed

So far, so good. Now, let’s look at how you can customize the RSS Feed to optimize it for display and get the best results.

Choose display template

WP RSS Aggregator lets you choose how you can organize and present syndicated posts from a variety of customized templates. This way, you can ensure that the RSS feed aligns with your website’s native color palette and design.

To create these custom templates, 

  • Go to RSS Aggregator > Templates
  • Choose the template type. There are three – List, Grid, and Excerpt & Thumbnails
  • Click Add New to design your own custom template
Create custom template settings page

Manage general display settings

Using WP RSS Aggregator, you can display the original date of publication for the imported posts as well as other details such as the site name and source URL.

You can allow comments, add a canonical link, and even allow embedded content to be displayed on the feed.

Manage general feed source settings

Import feed as post

If you want to republish syndicated content as a post on your own website, you can choose to publish it as a post, rather than on a page or within the footer. 

You can manage this from the general settings as well.

Import feed as a post

Filter out unwanted keywords

At times, you may want to filter out posts containing some high-ranking keywords that can be highly useful for your site. Alternatively, you may want to filter out inappropriate phrases or profanities to maintain the reader-friendliness of your blog, for your audience. 

In such cases, you can use WP RSS Aggregator’s keyword filtering tool to filter posts with specific keywords.

  • To enable this feature, activate the Keyword Filtering feature from the More Features tab.
  • Go to RSS Aggregator > Settings > Keyword Filtering
  • Here you can add the keywords, phrases, and tags that you want to filter from the imported results.
Keyword filtering settings in WP RSS Aggregator

Best RSS feed optimization plugins

When it comes to optimizing and managing RSS feeds on your WordPress website, having the right plugin can make a world of difference. The right tool can not only simplify the process but also unlock new possibilities in content syndication and management. 

Let’s explore the top three RSS feed optimization plugins for WordPress: WP RSS Aggregator, Feedzy RSS Feeds, and Super RSS Reader. 

Each of these plugins offers a unique set of features and capabilities, but as we’ll see, WP RSS Aggregator stands tall as the ultimate choice for comprehensive RSS feed management. 

Let’s delve into the details of each plugin and see what they bring to the table.

1. WP RSS Aggregator

WP RSS Aggregator is one of the most comprehensive RSS feed plugins available for WordPress. With its robust set of features and customization options, it is well-suited for content creators and site owners looking to automate and optimize their content syndication. 

The plugin is particularly powerful for building news aggregation or content curation sites.

WP RSS Aggregator - WordPress RSS plugin

Here are some of the standout features that make this plugin an exceptional choice for content creators and curators:

  • Feed to post: Import items as WordPress Posts or custom post types. Perfect for sharing articles or building a news curation website.
  • Full text RSS feeds: Fetch the full content from almost any source, including text, images, and other media.
  • Templates: Premium templates to display items elegantly with images and excerpts anywhere on your site.
  • Keyword filtering: Automatically filter imported items based on keywords, phrases, and tags.
  • Categories: Organize feed sources by category for easier management.
  • WordAI and Spinner Chief integration: Connect with content spinning services to put a unique spin on imported content.
  • Feed item importing: Import and display simple feed items through shortcodes and widgets.
  • Feed auto-discovery: Automatically find and add RSS feeds from any website with a single click.

WP RSS Aggregator offers both a free version and premium add-ons. The free version is available in the WordPress plugin repository and offers basic feed importing functionality.

For more advanced features, you can opt for individual add-ons or choose a pricing plan, starting from $79, that suits your needs.

2. Feedzy RSS Feeds

Feedzy RSS Feeds is another excellent plugin for integrating and managing RSS feeds on your WordPress site. It’s known for its simplicity and effectiveness in fetching and displaying RSS feeds. 

Feedzy RSS Feeds WordPress Plugin

Here are some of its features:

  • Feed importing and aggregation: Easily import and aggregate multiple RSS feeds into your posts, pages, or sidebar.
  • Responsive & mobile-optimized: Feedzy ensures that the feeds are displayed responsively, making them look good on all devices.
  • Feed caching: The plugin uses caching to ensure that your feeds load quickly, improving your website’s performance.
  • Image handling: Choose whether or not to display images from the feed and control how they are displayed.
  • Affiliate linking: Convert product links in your feeds into affiliate links to generate revenue.
  • Shortcodes and widgets: Easily add feeds to posts, pages, or sidebars with shortcodes, or widgets.

Feedzy RSS Feeds offers a free version with basic functionality. For advanced features, the plugin has three premium plans, starting at $99 per year.

3. Super RSS Reader

Super RSS Reader is an attractive and feature-rich plugin tailored for those looking to display RSS feeds in WordPress widgets effortlessly. 

Super RSS Reader Free WordPress RSS Plugin

Here are some of its key features:

  • RSS feed widgets: Easily add RSS feeds to your website’s sidebars or widget-ready areas.
  • Multiple tabbed feeds: Display multiple feeds in a single widget with tabbed navigation.
  • Thumbnail and image support: Display thumbnails or images from the feed for a more engaging look.
  • Customizable ticker: Add a news ticker animation to your RSS feeds for a dynamic display.
  • Customizable styles: Modify the colors, styles, and layout of your feeds with custom CSS.
  • Feed caching: Like Feedzy, Super RSS Reader also employs caching to ensure fast loading times for your feeds.

With a focus on ease of use and visually appealing display options, Super RSS Reader can be an excellent choice for website owners who want a no-fuss solution for incorporating RSS feeds into their site.

Besides, as it is a free plugin, it can be a cost-effective option for those looking for basic RSS feed display functionality without the need for advanced features.

Optimize Your RSS Feed With WP RSS Aggregator

Optimizing your WordPress RSS settings is crucial for expanding your readership and increasing visibility for your content. It’s also ideal if you’re looking to gather all the content you read into one easy-to-follow feed. 

Regardless of how you use them, RSS feeds can make your life and your work a lot easier and streamline your use of online content. 

As we’ve seen above, the best tool to set up feeds and optimize them is WP RSS Aggregator. It is an exceptional tool for this task, allowing you to easily manage and enhance your RSS feeds with its comprehensive features. Plus, you can use it with a mix of the other plugins mentioned as needed to create the perfect setup for you or your business. 

With WP RSS Aggregator, you can easily import content from multiple sources and customize the appearance of your feed to match your brand. 

Start using WP RSS Aggregator today and see the positive impact it has on your readership and online presence.

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