Instead of spending time sending recurring newsletters or worrying about notifying subscribers whenever you publish new content, you can set up an RSS campaign that pulls fresh content from your RSS feed (your blogs, updates, etc.) and formats it into branded emails. You won’t need to manually create and send emails.
This guide will show you how to set up an RSS campaign, customize and personalize the email template with your content, schedule recurring sends, and monitor your campaign's performance to keep your subscribers engaged with your latest content.
Before You Begin
Before setting up your RSS campaign, make sure you have:
Active RSS feed: Your blog or website must have a working RSS feed URL (usually ending in /feed, /rss, or .xml).
RSS feed URL ready: Know the exact URL of your RSS feed and verify it works by opening it in a browser to check if your latest updates appear.
Email list prepared: Have at least one contact list set up with subscribers who want to receive your content updates.
Sender profile created: Ensure you have a sender profile configured and verified, or be ready to create one during setup.
Content strategy planned: Know how frequently you want to send updates (daily, weekly, or monthly) based on your publishing schedule.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Accessing the RSS Campaign Setup
Click on the Campaigns drop-down menu in the navigation bar.
Select RSS from the drop-down options.
Click on the Create RSS button to begin configuring your RSS campaign.
Step 2: Configuring Your RSS Campaign
Enter the campaign name in the provided field.
Add the feed URL, ensuring it begins with https://
Enter the email subject line. (Tip: Use the RSS title custom field with a fallback option if needed.)
Select or create sender information from the Who is this from? drop-down.
Click on Next: Content to proceed.
Step 3: Designing Your Email Content
A basic RSS template is already available. Select the row and go to the Dynamic Content section to see how the row iterates across all RSS posts.
Drag and drop blocks from the Content Selection panel into the email template (above the iterative posts row) to add constant content.
Add a header for your RSS campaign.
Update the iterative row with the necessary post structure.
Add footer or static content below the iterative ro
Use the Feed Tags option in the navigation bar to review available dynamic tags.
Use Show Preview to review the email and make changes.”
Click Save and Continue to move forward.
Step 4: Selecting Recipients and Scheduling
Choose the recipients for your RSS campaign from the drop-down.
Click on Next: Schedule to continue.
Select the sending frequency: Daily, Weekly, or Monthly.
Choose your timezone.
Set the preferred time and day of the week for sending.
Optionally enable Google Analytics tracking (UTM parameters) to measure RSS campaign traffic in GA.
Click Send to schedule the campaign.
Step 5: Activating the Campaign
Toggle the Active switch of your RSS campaign to turn it on and start sending.
Monitor the Execution Count section, which updates each time an attempt is made to send the campaign.
Tips & Best Practices
Follow these recommendations to create effective RSS campaigns that keep your subscribers engaged with your latest content:
Test your RSS feed first: Always verify your RSS feed URL works properly before setting up the campaign
Use descriptive subject lines: Leverage the RSS Title custom field with a meaningful fallback to create engaging subject lines
Choose appropriate frequency: Match your send frequency to your content publishing schedule (don’t send daily if you only post weekly)
Preview before activating: Always use the "Show Preview" button to see how your content will look before going live
Troubleshooting
While RSS campaigns are automated, you might encounter some setup challenges. Here are solutions to common issues:
Problem: "My RSS feed URL isn't being accepted by the system."
Solution: Ensure your feed URL starts with https:// and loads correctly in a browser. Some feeds may end with .xml, /feed, or /rss.
Problem: "The campaign is scheduled, but no emails are being sent."
Solution: Check that you've toggled the "Active" switch to enable the campaign. A scheduled campaign won't send until it's activated.
Problem: "My RSS content isn't displaying correctly in the email preview."
Solution: Review the available feed tags by clicking the "Feed Tags" button and ensure you're using the correct dynamic tags for your content structure.
Problem: "The execution count isn't updating even though the campaign is active."
Solution: The execution count only increments when the system attempts to send an email. If no new content is found, execution count won’t be incremented.
Related Articles
After setting up your RSS campaign, here are your next steps to maximize your automated content distribution:
Analyzing Detailed RSS Campaign Reports: Check out this guide to learn how to track and analyze the performance of your automated RSS campaigns with detailed execution statistics
How to Send Only the Latest Post in an RSS Campaign: Discover how to configure your RSS campaign to send just the most recent post instead of multiple posts in this article.
Email Template Customization: Discover advanced ways to design and brand your RSS email templates. Learn how to start with the drag-and-drop editor here.