Pro RSS WordPress
Pro RSS WordPress: inspect and improve the feed you already publish
For an existing WordPress publication, begin with its built-in feed and the experience it gives subscribers. Identify the correct address, inspect representative posts, and review the Reading settings. This establishes a useful baseline before you decide whether additional feed functionality earns its maintenance cost.
Find the correct publishing output
WordPress provides RSS and Atom feeds, including outputs for posts and comments. Decide which audience you want to serve and inspect the corresponding public address. Page-source discovery markup can help locate it. A theme without a visible feed icon may still publish a working feed, so verify the actual XML before diagnosing a missing feature.
Use WordPress's generated feed address when adding a theme link. The get_feed_link('rss2') function reflects the site's configured URL structure. Keep a visible descriptive subscription link somewhere readers can find it. Test that route while signed out so an administrative session does not hide a public access problem.
Review content and history settings
The Reading screen controls how many recent posts appear in syndication feeds and whether each feed article uses full content or an excerpt. Choose those settings according to the publication's rhythm and material. A frequently updated news site and a monthly illustrated journal have different history needs. Inspect the emitted XML after a change because customization can affect the final output.
- Select a short post, a long tutorial, and an article containing an important image or code sample.
- Compare each item's title, date, destination, and content with the public article page.
- Open the feed in a representative reader and note which differences affect understanding.
- Correct the responsible setting or content record, then repeat the same comparison.
Diagnose one layer at a time
If the response fails to parse, inspect it for unexpected debug text or a theme fragment before the XML. If it parses but lacks a new post, examine publication state and feed selection. If the item is in the XML but absent from a reader, investigate the reader's refresh and display behavior. Keep these failure paths distinct.
Try suspected plugin or theme changes in a development copy and retain before-and-after feed samples. Add custom behavior when the requirement is specific enough to test, such as a dedicated feed for an approved content type. Keep the original address, identifiers, and content policy in the acceptance checklist so a useful enhancement preserves the subscription people already rely on.
Primary documentation
Go deeper in Pro RSS Lab
WordPress RSS essentials
Inspect WordPress's native feeds, tune reading settings, and identify the specific requirements that justify custom feed functionality.
Read the full guide