How to Add RSS to Your Blog
A comprehensive guide for making your blog compatible with RSS readers like Blogs Are Back
Why Add RSS to Your Blog?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) allows readers to follow your blog without relying on social media algorithms or email newsletters.
People who subscribe via RSS are your most engaged audience
You own the relationship—no algorithm changes can hurt reach
RSS has been around for decades and isn't going anywhere
Readers can follow you without sharing personal data
Choose Your Platform
RSS Feed Best Practices
Include Full Content
Use <content:encoded> to include complete post HTML. Readers appreciate not having to click through to your site for every post.
Use Absolute URLs
All links and images should use absolute URLs (e.g., https://yourblog.com/image.jpg) not relative paths (/image.jpg).
Provide Unique GUIDs
Each post needs a unique <guid> that never changes. Usually, the post's permalink is perfect for this.
Add RSS Discovery Link
Include this in your HTML <head> so RSS readers can auto-discover your feed:
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" href="/feed.xml" />Set Proper Cache Headers
Configure caching (e.g., 20-60 minutes) to reduce server load while keeping content fresh. Most RSS readers respect cache headers.
Test Your Feed
After setting up your RSS feed, validate it to ensure it works correctly:
Common Issues & Solutions
Images not displaying
Cause: Using relative image URLs
Solution: Convert all image URLs to absolute paths. For example, change /images/photo.jpg to https://yourblog.com/images/photo.jpg
Feed validation errors
Cause: Unescaped XML characters (<, >, &, etc.)
Solution: Use CDATA sections for HTML content or properly escape XML characters. Most RSS libraries handle this automatically.
Duplicate posts appearing
Cause: GUID changing when you update posts
Solution: Ensure each post has a permanent, unchanging GUID. Use the permalink URL.
Feed not auto-discovered
Cause: Missing RSS link in HTML head
Solution: Add <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" href="/feed.xml" /> to your page's <head>
Additional Resources
Ready to share your blog?
Once you've added RSS to your blog, submit it to our directory so others can discover your content!