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How to Add Images to Your RSS Feeds

If you're a blogger, you know how important images are to your blog. Now you absolutely can write blog posts without them, but it's been proven that people like to have something to look at. High quality and relevant images…

How to Add Images to Your RSS Feeds | JenniferMeyering.com

If you’re a blogger, you know how important images are to your blog. Now you absolutely can write blog posts without them, but it’s been proven that people like to have something to look at. High quality and relevant images will draw readers attention and give your readers eyes a break in between text blocks.

How To Add Images To Your Rss Feeds

The Evolution of RSS Feed Generators

In the past, many bloggers relied on RSS feed generators like Feedburner to distribute their content. However, with the rise of image-centric platforms like Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets, the brief summaries provided by Feedburner no longer suffice.

Thankfully, there are now modern feed readers such as Bloglovin and Feedly, along with RSS email providers like Mailchimp, which offer more visually appealing alternatives.

Enhancing Your RSS Feeds with Images

Typically, the first image or featured image doesn’t appear in the feed readers, leaving your feed devoid of captivating images and containing only plain, uninteresting text. This can negatively impact engagement, as images often entice readers to click through and explore the full post. Rarely do users click on posts lacking images.

So, how can you address this issue?

Well, luckily this is a super easy fix and can be done in 2 separate ways.

Use an Images to RSS Plugin

One simple solution is to utilize an “Images to RSS” plugin. There are a few plugins available, but two highly recommended options are:

Both plugins are user-friendly and can be easily installed and activated via your Plugin Install dashboard.

But, what if you don’t want to add yet another plugin to your website. No problem!

Adding Code to Your functions.php File

If you prefer not to add another plugin to your website, there’s an alternative method. You can add code to your functions.php file. Follow these steps:

  1. Open your functions.php file and locate the section where you want to insert the code.
  2. Replace “IMAGESIZE” in the code below with the desired image size (e.g., medium, full, large, thumbnail):
// display featured post thumbnails in WordPress feeds
add_filter( 'the_excerpt_rss', 'rgc_add_featured_image_to_feed', 1000, 1 );
function rgc_add_featured_image_to_feed( $content ) {
global $post;
if ( has_post_thumbnail( $post->ID ) ) {
$content = '' . get_the_post_thumbnail( $post->ID, 'IMAGESIZE', array( 'align' => 'left', 'style' => 'margin-right:20px;' ) ) . '' . $content;
}
return $content;
}

Note: Adding code incorrectly or omitting any part in your functions.php file may result in site breakage. Exercise caution when modifying this file. It’s advisable to create a site-specific plugin to hold all your custom code. This way, if any issues arise during code addition or updates, the “plugin” will be disabled rather than breaking your entire site.

By following these simple steps, you can ensure that your RSS feeds display beautiful images, regardless of the feed reader used by your audience. This enhancement will improve engagement and entice readers to explore your content further.

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