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How to use the RSS block

RSS stands for really simple syndication and is a way to easily feature a list of headlines or content from another site on your website, or in this case, in an email campaign or on a landing page. The RSS block lets you quickly import content from an RSS feed into a mailing or landing page. Many marketers generate and publish content outside of what’s featured in their newsletter (like blogs), but also want to incorporate that content into their mailings. RSS is the most common tool used to export content from online sources into other platforms.

How to add the RSS block to a drag and drop campaign

  1. Navigate to your Campaigns tab.
  2. Open a saved drag and drop draft or click on the Create new campaign button to create a new campaign from scratch.
  3. Click on the RSS block in the right panel and drag it to the desired location in your mailing.
  4. Click on the Connect RSS feed button.
  5. In the pop-up window that appears, paste the appropriate URL into the Feed URL field.
  6. Use the dropdown menu to choose how many items should be shown in the feed.
  7. Click on the Save button.

How to add the RSS block to a legacy* campaign

  1. Navigate to your Campaigns tab.
  2. Open a saved legacy* draft or click on the Create new campaign button to choose a legacy* template.
  3. Click on the RSS block in the left panel and drag it over to your mailing.
  4. As you drag the block over to your campaign, you will see yellow sections appear labeled Drop here. These yellow drop spots will turn green as you hover over them, so you know where the content block will appear in the mailing.
  5. Once you release the block, it will appear in the place you designated.
  6. In the pop-up window that appears, paste the appropriate URL into the Feed URL field.
  7. Use the dropdown menu to choose how many items should be shown in the feed.
  8. Check the boxes next to the aspects that you’d like to display: Title, Content, Published date, or Read more link.
  9. Click on the Save button.

Frequently asked questions about the RSS block

How do I find my blog’s RSS feed URL?

While CMS and blog platforms can vary greatly, look for the RSS icon, it’s the same one featured on the block in the editor. When you locate the icon, click on it to copy the URL you will need to paste into the RSS block.

What if I can’t find an RSS icon on the website I want to connect my RSS block to?

There are several online resources available that can help you create the RSS link you will need to add to the RSS block, here’s one of those options that we have had success with. However, it may be best to do your own search based on your specific marketing needs.

What type of RSS feed is supported?

The RSS block supports RSS 2.0 and Atom 1.0 feeds (XML-based).

Does the RSS feed accept JSON?

No.

Can I adjust the RSS settings after I place them into a campaign?

No, you cannot. This is because once you make your selections for the RSS block and click save, the block acts as a regular text block; which means only the style and settings for the text can be changed. Instead, you will need to delete the RSS block, re-add a new RSS block in its place, paste in the RSS link, make the new selections, and save them.

How do I add images to the RSS block in my mailing?

Drag and drop editor: While it’s not possible to add an image directly to the RSS block itself, you can drag a separate image block into your campaign to place above, below, or next to the RSS block. In order to place the image block next to the RSS block, you’ll need to place the blocks in a row that has more than one column. For more information about columns and rows, please refer to this article.

Legacy* editor: Once your content has been added to your mailing, it’s treated like any other text block. To turn on images, click on the Settings icon for that block and enable images.

The RSS block in both editors strips out image tags. As a result, these blocks are not compatible with integrations that claim to allow you to add images to RSS feeds in email campaigns.

I just published new content to my RSS feed. How do I get that update to show in my mailing?

Content doesn’t automatically update, but re-adding the RSS block to your mailing and pasting in your current RSS feed URL will refresh the content.

Can I use the RSS block to set up a trigger for an automation?

No, you cannot. The RSS block is just pulling articles into a content block within a mailing, so it cannot be used as a trigger event.

* In April 2022, our legacy editor was replaced with a new drag and drop editor. Accounts that existed prior to this change still have access to the legacy editor through their previously saved templates and campaigns, however new, from-scratch campaigns can only be created in the new drag and drop editor. Accounts that were created after this change only have access to the new drag and drop editor. Please refer to our new editor FAQ article for more information.