An RSS feed is nothing but an XML file that lists your latest posts in a format that apps can read. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.
Instead of visiting ten blogs every morning, a reader can follow all of them in one feed reader app. Each new post shows up there automatically, just like new emails land in your inbox.
Where to find your WordPress RSS feeds
The good news is that WordPress creates feeds for you, free of cost, without any plugin. With pretty permalinks turned on, here are the common ones:
- Main feed:
example.com/feed/lists your latest posts. - Comments feed:
example.com/comments/feed/lists recent comments. - Category feed:
example.com/category/news/feed/lists posts from one category. - Tag feed:
example.com/tag/tips/feed/works the same way for a tag.
If you use plain permalinks, the main feed lives at example.com/?feed=rss2 instead. Every time you publish a post, WordPress updates these feeds. Apps that follow your feed check it regularly and pick up the new item.
RSS feed settings in WordPress
You can control your feed at Settings → Reading. Here is what to do:
- First, set Syndication feeds show the most recent to the number of items you want. By default, it is 10.
- Next, choose Full text or Excerpt under For each post in a feed, include.
- Finally, click Save Changes.
Content scrapers love full-text feeds because they can copy whole posts. If that worries you, switch your feed to Excerpt. Readers can still click through to your site for the full post.
Who uses your feed?
Feed readers are only one part of the story. Email newsletter tools can read your feed and send each new post to your subscribers automatically. Podcast apps rely on RSS to find new episodes, and news aggregators read feeds too.
To learn more, read our basics guide on WordPress RSS. If your feed shows an error, our post on fixing WordPress RSS feed errors will help.
And that's how RSS feeds work in WordPress. Your site already has one, so make good use of it. Tell us in the comment box below how you use your feed.