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RSS Blocks in Email Builder

Overview​

The RSS elements in Stack's Email Builder let you automatically send emails with dynamically inserted content whenever a new RSS (Real Simple Syndication) item is published. This feature is perfect for keeping your audience updated with the latest content from your RSS feed.

Usage​

RSS Header​

RSS Header Block​

The RSS Header block dynamically populates <channel> tags from your RSS feed. These tags help fill your emails with the corresponding values from the feed:

  • Title: {{rss_feed.title}}
  • Description: {{rss_feed.description}}
  • Link: {{rss_feed.url}}
  • Last Build Date: {{rss_feed.date}}

Basic vs. Custom in RSS Header​

When using the RSS Header block, you have two options in the "RSS Editing Options" dropdown:

  • Basic: Automatically adds non-editable text:

    <h1 class="h1">`{{rss_feed.title}}`</h1> `{{rss_feed.description}}`<br /><br />

  • Custom: Allows for editable text:

    Updates from `{{rss_feed.url}}` <h1>`{{rss_feed.title}}`</h1> <strong>`{{rss_feed.description}}`</strong><br /><br /> <strong>In the `{{rss_feed.date}}` edition:</strong><br />

Note: These custom RSS <channel> variables can also be used in the email subject line.

RSS Items​

RSS Items Block​

The RSS Items block accepts these custom values to dynamically insert corresponding RSS tags:

  • Title: {{rss_item.title}} - The title of the RSS item, typically a blog post.
  • Description: {{rss_item.content}} - A summary in HTML format. If <description> is missing, it uses <content:encoded>.
  • Link: {{rss_item.url}} - The URL to the RSS item, usable as text or hyperlink.
  • Full Content: {{rss_item.content_full}} - Full content from <content:encoded>. Defaults to <description> if missing.
  • Publication Date: {{rss_item.date}} - The publication date in MMM DD, YYYY hh:mm A format.
  • Author: {{rss_item.author}} - The author of the RSS item.
  • Media Content: {{rss_item.imageUrl}} - Source URL for images, rendered using {{rss_img}}.

Basic vs. Custom in RSS Items​

Choose between two options for the RSS Items block:

  • Basic: Adds non-editable formatted text:

    `{{#rss_items rss_items}}` <h2 class="mc-toc-title"><a href="`{{rss_item.url}}`" target="_blank"> `{{rss_item.title}}` </a></h2> `{{rss_item.content}}`<br /><a href="`{{rss_item.url}}`" target="_blank">Read on &raquo;</a><br /><br /> `{{/rss_items}}`

  • Custom: Provides editable formatted text:

    ``{{#rss_items rss_items}}`` <h2 class="mc-toc-title"><a href="`{{rss_item.url}}`" target="_blank">`{{rss_item.title}}`</a></h2> <em>By `{{rss_item.author}}` on `{{rss_item.date}}`</em><br /> `{{rss_item.content_full}}`<br /><a href="`{{rss_item.url}}`" target="_blank">Read in browser &raquo;</a><br /><br /> ``{{/rss_items}}``<br /><br /><br /><h3 class="h3">Recent Articles:</h3> ``{{#rss_items rss_items}}``

HTML-Based RSS Feed​

RSS-based custom variables like {{rss_item.title}} are HTML-escaped. For instance, & becomes &amp;. To prevent escaping, use the "triple-stash" syntax: `{{{rss_item.content}}}`.

Scheduling RSS Emails​

To schedule emails based on your RSS feed:

  1. Navigate to the "Send or Schedule" tab.
  2. Choose "RSS Email Campaign" as the sending option.
  3. Enter a name for your campaign in the "Campaign Name" field.
  4. Paste your RSS feed URL in the "RSS Feed URL" field.

Sending Options​

  • When to Send: Decide if the emails should go out Daily, Weekly, or Monthly, and specify the time.
  • Send On: Select the days of the week for sending the campaign.

Testing RSS Emails​

When using "Send Test Email" with RSS elements, provide the RSS Feed URL in the "RSS Feed URL" field to pull content. Without this, custom variables will be empty.

View and Edit RSS Campaign​

Find your scheduled RSS campaigns in the Scheduled Tab, labeled as RSS. After sending, the next execution is automatically scheduled with the same settings.

Actions​

  • Edit: Modify your campaign by clicking the pencil icon. Confirm to cancel and reschedule.
  • Pause/Resume: Temporarily stop or restart the campaign.
  • Delete: Permanently remove the campaign from the system.