> ## Documentation index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://dash.robopost.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Post from an RSS feed

An **RSS Feed** automation reads any RSS or Atom feed (a blog, a news site, a podcast, a job board) and creates a post
for each new item. You decide how the text is written, which image goes with it and where the post ends up.

**You need:** the feed's address and at least one connected channel. To create automations you need the **Admin** or
**Manage Automation** right.

## Find your feed address

A feed address usually ends in `/feed`, `/rss`, `/rss.xml`, `/atom.xml` or `.xml`. Look for an RSS icon or link on the
site, or try adding `/feed` or `/rss` to the site's address. Open the address in your browser: a feed shows a page of
code or a list of items, not the normal website.

> **Tip:** If your blog runs on WordPress, Ghost, Shopify or Squarespace, or it's a WooCommerce store, use that
> **Automation Type** instead. You paste your normal site address and Robopost finds the feed for you. See
> [WordPress and Ghost](https://dash.robopost.app/docs/automations/wordpress-and-ghost.md), [WooCommerce](https://dash.robopost.app/docs/automations/woocommerce.md),
> [Shopify](https://dash.robopost.app/docs/automations/shopify.md) and [Squarespace](https://dash.robopost.app/docs/automations/squarespace.md).

## Set up an RSS automation

1. Click **Posts → Automations** ([open it](https://dash.robopost.app/automations)), then **New Automation**.
2. Enter an **Automation name** and keep **Automation Type** on **RSS Feed**.
3. Paste the feed address in **URL**.
4. Write a **Post Template**, or switch on **Let AI generate the post text** (both explained below).
5. Set **Maximum RSS items fetched per hour** (1 to 5, default 3).
6. Choose the image: the article's own image, an image found with a CSS class, or an AI image.
7. Choose **Post To** and the channels in **For Channels**.
8. Click **Create Automation**. For drafts or collections, enter the **Initial Fetch Limit** and click **Confirm**.

If the address isn't a feed Robopost can read, you see **Please check your URL** and nothing is created.

## Write the post text with a template

With AI text off, every post uses your **Post Template**. Type any text and add these tags; Robopost fills them in for
each item:

| Tag | Replaced with |
| --- | --- |
| `{title}` | The item's title, as the feed gives it |
| `{html_title}` | The title of the article's web page (its meta title) |
| `{description}` | The item's description, as the feed gives it |
| `{html_description}` | The description of the article's web page (its meta description) |
| `{link}` | The link to the article |

The default template is `{title}: {link}`. You can add fixed text and hashtags, for example:

```text
New on the blog: {title} #marketing #smallbusiness
{link}
```

> **Note:** Google Business Profile posts always get a **Learn more** button that opens the article, so you can leave
> `{link}` out for them.

## Let AI write the post text

Switch on **Let AI generate the post text** to have Robopost read each item and write a caption for it. The
**Post Template** is greyed out while this is on. The caption is written in the article's language (English if
Robopost can't tell), and the article's link is added at the end.

| Setting | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Use Knowledge Base** | Lets the AI use a [knowledge base](https://dash.robopost.app/docs/ai/knowledge-bases.md) you pick in **Knowledge Base** |
| **Use Custom AI Prompt** | Robopost writes the caption, then rewrites it following your **Custom AI Prompt** |
| **Include hashtags** | Adds well-chosen hashtags (on by default) |
| **Include emojis** | Adds one or two emojis (on by default) |
| **Approximate word count** | Target length of the caption, 1 to 1000 words (default 35) |
| **Voice Tone** | The tone of voice, such as **Friendly** (default), **Professional**, **Witty** or **Informational** |

> **Tip:** Robopost applies the knowledge base together with the custom prompt. If you switch on
> **Use Knowledge Base**, also switch on **Use Custom AI Prompt** and write a short instruction, such as "Mention our
> free consultation when it's relevant."

### Add hashtags to AI captions

1. Switch on **Let AI generate the post text**.
2. Under **AI Text Options**, switch on **Include hashtags**.
3. Optional: switch on **Use Custom AI Prompt** to steer which hashtags it picks.

Custom prompts that work well:

- "Write an engaging post summarizing the article. Add 3 relevant hashtags about technology and AI. Keep it friendly
  and concise."
- "Summarize the article in a short social media post. Include 2 or 3 hashtags about our industry."
- "Create a fun post summarizing the content. Add emojis and 3 popular hashtags about digital marketing."

The more specific the prompt, the closer the result. To use the same hashtags on every post, put them in a
**Post Template** instead.

## How are posts adapted to each network?

With **Directly post to Channels**, each channel gets its own post:

| Network | What Robopost does |
| --- | --- |
| **X** | With AI text, shortens the caption to fit 280 characters with the link, keeping your hashtag, emoji, tone and language settings |
| **Bluesky** | With AI text, shortens the caption to about 300 characters, then adds the link |
| **WordPress** | With AI text, writes a full blog article with its own title, about **Approximate word count** words long |
| **Google Business Profile** | Adds a **Learn more** button linking to the article |
| **Pinterest** | Uses the start of the text as the pin title and the article as the destination link |
| **Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok** | Post only when the item has an image or a video |
| **YouTube** | Gets a post only when the automation generates a video, published as a Short |

In a draft or collection item, all channels share one text. If X is among the channels, it's the shortened X version;
otherwise, if Bluesky is, the Bluesky version.

## Control links on X

Each X post costs X credits: 1 for a post without a link, 14 for a post with one. Switch on
**Omit links from X posts** to post to X without the article link (1 credit instead of 14). Your other networks keep
the link. With this on, an AI caption for X can use the full 280 characters, since no room is kept for the link.

The setting applies to new X posts from this automation. See [X credits](https://dash.robopost.app/docs/posts/x-credits.md).

> **Note:** If the template is only `{link}` and the item has no image, there is nothing left to post on X once the
> link is removed. Add `{title}` or `{description}` to the template.

## Choose the image

By default, each post uses the article's main image (the one the page shares on social media). Images too small for a
network are upscaled automatically. You have three other options:

- **Pick a specific image.** Switch on **Enable fetching image using specific CSS tag** and enter the CSS class of the
  image on your article pages in **CSS class for image fetching**. If nothing matches, Robopost falls back to the main
  image.
- **Generate an image.** Switch on **Let AI generate the post image** and choose an **Image Style** under
  **AI Image Settings**. Robopost creates a square image from the article. See [AI images](https://dash.robopost.app/docs/ai/ai-images.md).
- **Resize the image.** Switch on **Resize Image** and choose a **Resize Image Ratio**: **1:1**, **4:5**, **16:9** or
  **9:16**. This applies to the article image and to AI images.

## Add an AI video to each post

Switch on **Let AI generate the post video (Beta)** to turn each item into a short narrated video, like a
[faceless video](https://dash.robopost.app/docs/ai/faceless-videos.md). Turning it on switches off the AI image, since a post has one or the other.
Under **Video settings**, choose:

- **Format**: **Portrait**, **Widescreen** or **Square**.
- **Style**, **Max Duration** (**30 to 60 seconds** or **60 to 90 seconds**), **Voice** and **Language**.
- **Background Music**: one of your [BGM buckets](https://dash.robopost.app/docs/ai/background-music.md), or **Automatically select BGM**.
- **Show advanced settings** for captions, text prefix and suffix, a splash screen and volume.

Each video counts toward your **Generated Faceless Videos** allowance. Videos take a while to create, so these posts
go out later than text and image posts.

## Mark AI media as made with AI

When you pick an X channel and AI images or video are on, or a TikTok channel and AI video is on, the switch
**Mark generated media as made with AI on supported networks** appears. Switch it on to label the generated media as
AI-made on X and TikTok. Facebook doesn't let apps set its AI label.

## Post only some items with Smart Filtering

Switch on **Enable Smart Filtering** and describe what to keep in **Smart Filtering Instructions**, for example "Only
consider articles about product launches." Before posting, the AI reads each item's title and description and skips
the ones that don't match.

## Limit how many items are posted per hour

**Maximum RSS items fetched per hour** (1 to 5, default 3) caps how many new items this automation turns into posts in
one hour. Items over the cap wait for the next hour, so a busy feed doesn't flood your channels.

## Shorten links

**Shorten URLs** is on by default for new automations. Robopost replaces the links in each post with short links, so
you can count clicks in **Short URLs**. See [Short links](https://dash.robopost.app/docs/engage/short-links.md).

## What does a generated post look like?

With the template `{title}: {link}` and **Shorten URLs** on, a new article becomes:

```text
How we cut our shipping times in half: https://<your short link>
```

with the article's main image attached. With AI text on, the same article could become:

```text
Faster deliveries, happier customers 🚚 We cut our shipping times in half, and here's exactly how we did it.
#ecommerce #logistics https://<your short link>
```

Drafts appear in **Draft posts**, collection items in the collection, and published posts in **Published posts**.

## Troubleshoot an RSS automation

**"Please check your URL" when creating.** The address isn't a feed Robopost can read. Open it in your browser and
check you see the feed, not the website. Use the full address, starting with `https://`.

**An RSS Error badge on the card.** Click it to see the reason. "Failed to fetch feed" means the site didn't answer or
refused the request; "No entries found in feed" means the feed is empty or the address isn't a feed; "Video
generation failed" often means you've used your video allowance (check **Account → Plan Usage**).

**No new posts.** Check the card shows **enabled**, that the feed has items Robopost hasn't seen yet, and that
**Smart Filtering** isn't skipping them. Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok need an image: if your articles have no main
image, use **Let AI generate the post image**.

**Older articles keep appearing.** Robopost treats every item in the feed that it hasn't imported yet as new, at most
**Maximum RSS items fetched per hour** at a time. A feed that lists many old items can keep producing posts for a
while. Create the automation with **Save as a Draft** if you want to review them first.

**X posts don't go out.** You may be out of X credits: see [X credits](https://dash.robopost.app/docs/posts/x-credits.md).

## Next

[Post from WordPress or Ghost](https://dash.robopost.app/docs/automations/wordpress-and-ghost.md)