RSS Chimp adds featured images to your WordPress RSS feed. Use it when preparing an RSS-to-email newsletter in Mailchimp or sharing posts with a reader that supports Media RSS images.

The plugin adds the image assigned as a post’s featured image using the <media:content> tag. You can also enable an image <enclosure> tag. Your newsletter template or feed reader determines how those images are displayed.

The free version works without a paid license. Start with your existing feed URL, choose the image size you need, and check the result in your newsletter service or reader. RSS Chimp changes the feed on your website; it does not send newsletters or manage subscribers.

Free features

• Featured images in RSS: Add a post’s featured image to RSS2 entries as Media RSS metadata.
• Image sizes: Choose thumbnail or medium, or enable the additional RSS Chimp Small size. Existing images may need regenerated thumbnails for newly registered sizes.
• Optional enclosure: Add an image enclosure when the post does not already have an enclosure, preserving existing podcast audio enclosures.
• Image metadata: Include the featured image’s title and description from the media library.
• Channel branding: Choose a site icon, site logo or custom image for the RSS channel.
• Channel details: Set copyright, managing editor and webmaster information.
• Lazy loading: Add the native loading="lazy" attribute to images in feed content. Support depends on the reader or email client.
• Feed controls: Disable WordPress’s default feeds or redirect comments feeds independently.
• Dashboard: Copy your feed URL, open the feed, access support or open the external W3C feed validator.

RSS Chimp Pro

Pro adds settings for publishers who need separate feeds or more control over their output:

• Multiple custom feeds: Create additional feed URLs with their own image size, full-post or excerpt output, and image metadata settings. Disable individual feeds without deleting their configuration.
• Additional image sizes: Choose from the image sizes registered on your site, including the original full-size image.
• Custom HTML: Add supported, sanitized HTML before or after post content, such as a sponsor message or a link to your website.
• Tracking parameters: Add UTM or other query parameters to post links. Analytics attribution depends on your analytics configuration and the receiving service.
• Publication delay: Wait before newly published posts appear in feeds, leaving time for corrections. This does not prevent scraping of your website.
• Object caching: Cache public feed responses using a persistent WordPress object cache, such as Redis or Memcached. Signed-in visitors and requests carrying cookies bypass the shared cache.
• Generator control: Remove the WordPress generator tag from feeds. This reduces version disclosure but does not replace security updates.
• Email support: Get help through the Pro support channel.

See Pro features and current plans.

Share your experience

Have you used RSS Chimp? Write an honest review on WordPress.org. Tell other users what you used it for and how it worked on your site. Reviews are optional, and all feedback is welcome.

For troubleshooting, please use the support forum so we can discuss your setup and help with the issue.

You can also support development on Ko-fi.

Requires WordPress 5.9 or later and PHP 7.4 or later. Use a maintained PHP version supported by your WordPress release on production sites; PHP 7.4 is retained as a compatibility minimum.

1. In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New and search for RSS Chimp.
2. Install and activate the plugin.
3. Add a featured image to a published post if it does not already have one.
4. Open RSS Chimp → Start to copy or view your default feed URL.
5. Open RSS Chimp → General → Default feed to adjust the image size and optional metadata.
6. Use Validate with W3C on the dashboard to check a public feed, then preview it in your newsletter service or reader.

These are the English interface labels; translated installations show the corresponding translated labels. The W3C service is external, and its link is hidden when default feeds are disabled.

Manual installation

1. Upload the rss-chimp plugin folder to /wp-content/plugins/.
2. Activate RSS Chimp from Plugins.
3. Follow the steps above to check your feed and settings.

Updating from an earlier version

Back up your database before updating. Version 1.3.1 migrates legacy custom-feed settings and retains valid existing slugs and disabled-feed settings. After updating, check the dashboard and open each feed used by a newsletter or other service.

1. 

   Dashboard with feed settings status, copyable URLs, custom-feed links in Pro and cache setup information.

2. 

   Default feed settings with image size, optional enclosure and image metadata controls.

3. 

   General settings with channel logo, copyright, editor, webmaster and image options.

4. 

   Pro settings with object cache, publication delay, additional image sizes and generator control.

5. 

   Custom feeds in Pro with individual slugs, image settings, content length, HTML and tracking parameters.

Why are featured images missing from my WordPress RSS feed?

WordPress does not add a post’s featured image as Media RSS metadata by default. RSS Chimp adds that metadata for posts with an assigned featured image. Images already embedded in post content are separate from this feature.

How do I use featured images in Mailchimp RSS campaigns?

Copy your feed URL from the dashboard and use it in your RSS campaign. RSS Chimp supplies the featured image through <media:content> and, when enabled, an image <enclosure>. Your campaign template must be configured to display the feed image. Preview a campaign with an image-bearing post before sending it.

Can I use it with other newsletter services or RSS readers?

You can use the feed with services that accept your RSS format. Image display depends on whether the service reads Media RSS or enclosure images, or expects an image embedded in post content. Test a preview in your chosen service; RSS Chimp does not configure third-party accounts or templates.

Will this help my site appear in Google News?

RSS Chimp adds image metadata to your feed. It does not submit your site to Google News or guarantee inclusion, indexing or rankings.

Does the free version expire?

No. The free features do not require a paid license. Pro adds custom feeds, additional image-size choices and other settings listed above.

Why is an image missing or the wrong size?

Check that the post has a featured image and that the selected size exists. A newly registered image size may need thumbnails regenerated for older uploads. Also check your newsletter template, feed-reader settings and any page or CDN cache. Password-protected posts do not expose featured-image metadata through RSS Chimp.

Where can I find my feed URL?

Open RSS Chimp → Start and copy the URL shown there. It uses your site’s permalink configuration. Pro also lists enabled custom feeds and their URLs.

My feed returns 404 or does not reflect recent changes. What should I do?

RSS Chimp refreshes rewrite rules after custom-feed changes and migrations. If a URL still returns 404, save Settings → Permalinks without changing the configuration. Clear any page or CDN cache and check that the feed is enabled. Readers and newsletter services may also cache feed responses.

Can I create feeds with different settings?

Yes, in Pro. Each custom feed has its own slug, image settings, content length, optional HTML and tracking parameters. Custom feeds use WordPress’s feed query; they do not provide category or tag selection controls.

Can I track clicks in Google Analytics or Matomo?

Pro can add UTM parameters to post links. Your analytics setup must recognize those parameters, and the newsletter service or reader must preserve them. A feed request is not the same as a tracked click or a subscriber count.

Will caching slow down publication of new posts?

Content and relevant settings changes invalidate the plugin’s feed cache. When the Pro publication delay is enabled, feed cache entries have a shorter lifetime. Other website caches and receiving services can still delay when an update becomes visible.

Why does the plugin ask for a review?

An optional reminder appears only on RSS Chimp’s settings pages after 14 days. Each administrator can postpone it for 30 days or dismiss it permanently. Clicking the review button opens WordPress.org and stops further reminders for that administrator; the plugin does not verify whether a review was submitted. The choice is stored on your site. You need a WordPress.org account to post a review.

Where do I get support?

Use the WordPress.org support forum for the free version or the Pro support page for Pro. Include your WordPress and PHP versions, the relevant settings and a public feed URL when possible. Do not post passwords or license keys.

1.3.1 – 2026-11-01

• Added: Enable or disable individual custom feeds without deleting their settings
• Added: Dashboard links for copying feed URLs and supporting RSS Chimp on Ko-fi
• Added: Optional review reminder with snooze and dismissal options
• Fixed: Migration of custom feed settings from older versions
• Fixed: Saving and managing multiple custom feeds
• Fixed: Feed caching and delivery of updated content
• Fixed: XML output, image enclosures and tracking parameters
• Fixed: Comments-feed redirects and settings cleanup
• Fixed: Several minor bugs
• Tweaked: Improved input validation and permission checks
• Tweaked: Improved feed performance and cache invalidation
• Tweaked: Dashboard layout and keyboard navigation
• Tweaked: German translations and documentation
• Tweaked: Minimum required PHP version is now 7.4

1.3.0 – 2025-11-30

• Added: Completely reworked custom feed system — create more than one custom feed
• Added: Lazy loading for images in the feed
• Added: Object cache for high-traffic feeds (Pro)
• Added: Automatic migration system for upgrading from older versions
• Added: Comprehensive input sanitization for improved security
• Added: Automatic cache invalidation when settings change (Pro)
• Fixed: Cache implementation to prevent XML corruption in RSS feeds
• Fixed: Server path detection now uses WordPress native functions
• Fixed: Unsanitized $_GET parameters in admin context (security hardening)
• Fixed: Several minor bugs
• Tweaked: Major code refactoring throughout
• Tweaked: Optimized admin script and style loading
• Tweaked: UI improvements
• Tweaked: Latest version of Freemius SDK
• Tweaked: Declared support for WordPress 6.9

1.2.8 – 2025-02-07

• Tweaked: Latest version of Freemius SDK

1.2.7 – 2025-01-12

• Fixed: Tab navigation for default and custom feed
• Tweaked: Minor UI improvements and text translations
• Tweaked: Latest version of Freemius SDK
• Tweaked: Declared support for WordPress 6.7

1.2.6 – 2024-06-02

• Added: Automatic permalink flush when settings change
• Fixed: Missing enclosure tag under certain conditions
• Tweaked: Minor UI and code improvements
• Tweaked: Latest version of Freemius SDK
• Tweaked: Declared support for WordPress 6.4

1.2.5 – 2023-07-05

• Fixed: Featured image file sizes now served correctly — all feeds pass W3C validation
• Fixed: Fatal error when no feed delay value was set
• Fixed: Several minor bugs
• Tweaked: Latest version of Freemius SDK

1.2.4 – 2023-01-26

• Added: Option to add featured images using the enclosure tag
• Fixed: Several minor bugs
• Tweaked: Latest version of Freemius SDK

1.2.3 – 2022-10-28

• Fixed: Image size in custom feed now served correctly
• Fixed: Duplicate attribute conflict when Rank Math is active
• Fixed: Several minor bugs
• Tweaked: UI improvements
• Tweaked: Latest version of Freemius SDK
• Tweaked: Declared support for WordPress 6.0

1.2.2 – 2022-03-05

• Added: URL parameters / UTM tracking for RSS feed links (Pro)
• Tweaked: UI improvements
• Tweaked: Latest version of Freemius SDK
• Tweaked: Declared support for WordPress 5.9

1.2.1 – 2021-07-21

• Added: Include image title and description alongside the featured image
• Fixed: Removed TGM Plugin Activation for better performance
• Fixed: Several minor bugs
• Tweaked: Declared support for WordPress 5.8

1.2.0 – 2021-05-06

• Added: RSS channel image / site logo for feed readers
• Added: Feed metadata — copyright, managing editor, webmaster
• Added: Feed delay for strategic content timing (Pro)
• Fixed: Several minor bugs
• Tweaked: UI improvements
• Tweaked: Latest version of Freemius SDK
• Tweaked: Declared support for WordPress 5.7

1.1.3 – 2020-12-28

• Added: Flush and rebuild rewrite rules on plugin activation
• Fixed: Plugin deactivation and uninstallation routine
• Tweaked: Declared support for WordPress 5.6

1.1.2 – 2020-11-20

• Tweaked: UI improvements

1.1.1 – 2020-11-17

• Added: New image size option
• Added: Quick links for feed validation
• Added: Custom HTML before each post in the feed (Pro)
• Tweaked: Latest version of Freemius SDK

1.1.0 – 2020-08-29

• Added: Additional image size options
• Added: Custom HTML after each post in the feed (Pro)
• Added: Option to reset plugin on deactivation
• Tweaked: UI improvements
• Tweaked: Latest version of Freemius SDK
• Tweaked: Declared support for WordPress 5.5

1.0.1 – 2020-06-11

• Fixed: Several minor bugs

1.0.0 – 2019-10-04

• Initial release