How to enable and use RSS

RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, is a web feed format designed to simplify sharing frequently updated content — such as newsletters or blog posts — directly on a website.

beehiiv offers two different RSS options: 

• RSS Feed: Available on all plans, RSS Feed allows you to feature posts from your beehiiv publication on your brand or company website, so readers can view them directly on your site.
• RSS Ingestion: Users on the Max and Enterprise plans can populate newsletter posts with content from their brand or company website using external RSS feeds, keeping subscribers updated with their preferred content.

RSS is ideal for driving more website traffic, curating a content roundup, or repurposing web content for email distribution. Websites on platforms like WordPress or Webflow can use plugins to display posts or pull in RSS feeds directly.

We’ll cover how to use both RSS options and explain how, once external RSS feeds have been added to your account, you can easily include them in your posts.

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How to generate an RSS feed for your publication

1. From the left panel Dashboard, scroll down and click Settings.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Your publication settings will open. Navigate to the publication for which you want to create an RSS feed and click RSS.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. In the RSS Feed section, click New RSS Feed.
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. A unique RSS Feed URL will be generated for your publication. Copy and use this URL as needed. You can delete and regenerate a new RSS feed at any time, but keep in mind that a new URL will be created each time.

   Note: All RSS feed URLs will end with .xml, indicating the RSS format.
   

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How to add an external RSS feed to feature in your posts

RSS Ingestion (also known as RSS to Send) lets you display posts from your other websites within your newsletter by adding an external RSS feed to your publication.

1. Follow steps 1 and 2 above to access your publication's RSS settings, then go to the RSS Ingestion section and click the New External RSS Feed button.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Enter the External RSS Feed Details. Provide a name for the RSS feed and add the RSS Feed URL (both required). A summary of your selections and a preview of the content will appear on the right. Click Continue to confirm.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Next, a list of Feed Defaults will appear for customization. Select the number of articles to show, and then set your default display options for how the feed will look in your post.
   
   Choose a CTA (call to action) style from: CTA button, CTA link, Title as link, or Title as link only. Then, enter the CTA text (e.g., ‘View Article,’ is the default).
   
   A preview will display on the right, showing how your selections will appear. When satisfied, click the Create RSS Feed button.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. A success message will confirm the new external RSS feed has been added, and it will appear in your RSS Ingestion list.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. To make changes to an external RSS feed, click the 3-dots icon next to the feed to Edit or Delete it.
   
   
   

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How to add an external RSS feed to a post

Once you’ve added an external RSS feed to your account, it can easily be included in your posts.

1. In the left panel Dashboard, click Start Writing, or open an existing post you’d like to edit.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. The Post Builder will open on the Compose page. Access the post editor by typing /rss and then select RSS.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. All external RSS feeds in your account will be listed — select one to add it to your post.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. The RSS feed will display in your post according to your default display settings. Use the toolbar above the feed to adjust the number of articles shown and choose a 1- to 4-column layout.
   
   To refresh and retrieve the latest articles, click the 🔄 icon. To reorder posts, select Reorganize content.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. (Optional) To add a new RSS feed directly from the post editor, click Add RSS Feed. A form will appear on the right where you can enter a name and RSS Feed URL (both required). Click Save to confirm.