In this article, you'll learn about the Dynamic RSS Feed content type, and how to insert it into your templates and messages. Leverage this content type to place and format web content from various websites into your messages. Simply add this content type to your template and configure the feed while designing a message.
NOTE: This feature is available in the Template Designer 2 (TD2) and Message Designer 2 (MD2) editors only.
Overview
The Dynamic RSS Feed content type enables you to add one or more RSS Feeds to your message. While creating a message, you can configure the feed's settings, like its layout and number of posts to show. When the message is published, it will dynamically pull content from the chosen RSS Feed and populate your message with it.
TD2
In this section, you'll learn how to add the Dynamic RSS Feed content type to Message Content blocks in one of your TD2 templates. You must to perform this step to make the feed available during message creation.
- Drag and drop a Message Content area into your template.
- To the left is where you select which content types you want available in this specific Message Content block. Select Dynamic RSS. All selected items are highlighted.
- Repeat this process for any additional Message Content blocks where you want the Dynamic RSS content type available to message creators.
MD2
Assuming the Dynamic RSS content type has been added to one of your TD2 templates, let's learn how to insert it in one of your MD2 messages.
- While editing a message, on the Design tab, click Add Story and select Dynamic RSS.
NOTE: Remember, the Dynamic RSS content type will only be available if you've added it to Message Content blocks in your template. For help with this process, refer to the TD2 section above.
- In the panel to the left, enter the URL to the RSS feed you want to insert into your message.
- In the Feed Layout Options area, check/uncheck each option to control whether it's included in the RSS feed's layout in your message. Refer to the RSS feed layout overview section below to learn about.
RSS feed layout overview
The Template Theme controls the visual format of the RSS Feed within your message.
The following descriptions refer to the above image.
| Options | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Controls whether titles associated to feed posts are displayed. Choose text from the Element dropdown, then choose Heading 1. |
| Link Title to Post | Controls whether the titles of feed posts are hyperlinked. Users can then click these links to view the full post in the RSS feed. Choose Hyperlink from the Element dropdown, then choose a link style. |
| Description | Controls whether descriptions associated to feed posts are displayed. Choose text from the Element dropdown, then choose Standard Text 1. |
| Image | Controls whether images associated to feed posts are displayed |
| Timestamp | Controls whether timestamps associated to feed posts are displayed. Choose text from the Element dropdown, then choose Standard Text 2. |
| Read More Link | Controls whether post in the feed include a Read More link. Users can click these links to view the full post. Choose Hyperlink from the Element dropdown, then choose a link style. |
| 'Read More' style | Configures the style (hyperlink or button) of the Read More link.
|
| Number of Posts to Show | Determines the number of posts to display in the feed when your message is published. You can choose to show 1 to 10 posts. |
Preview format
While configuring the RSS feed's layout, you can click Preview Format at any time to see how the feed's layout and formatting will look in your message.
Tips & Notes
TIP: The Dynamic RSS Feed content type can help you automate the sending of your top feed stories to your contacts. Simply create your message, configure your RSS Feed, and schedule your message to recur weekly or monthly. Then, each week or month when your message is sent it will automatically populate the dynamic content from your chosen RSS feed, making it available to your contacts.
NOTE: In TD2 and MD2, the Dynamic RSS Feed will not populate with the content from the feed within the design interface; instead, it will be represented by a Dynamic RSS placeholder.
Similarly, on the Review & Activate tab in TD2 and the Review & Send tab in MD2, the Dynamic RSS Feed will not populate with content from the feed and will be represented by a Dynamic RSS placeholder.
NOTE: When will the Dynamic RSS Feed content display?
A full preview of the message, including the Dynamic RSS Feed content, will display when any of the following actions occur: (1) a test message is sent, (2) a Virtual Inbox Test is run, or (3) a message is published.
Online Community and Communications Professional
If your organization uses our Online Community and Communications Professional products, you can use Communications Professional's Dynamic RSS Feed content type to drive engagement to your Online Community.
How can I do this?
Each member of your Online Community can set up their own personal RSS feed. They can then subscribe to specific discussions, libraries, blogs, and glossaries from their profile > My Account > RSS Feeds page to have that content populated in their personal RSS feed (via an RSS feed reader).
With that in mind, you can create a "dummy" account in your Online Community that will act as the vehicle to get community RSS feed content into your Communications Professional messages.
Steps
- Identify which community’s content you would like to make available in your Communications Professional messaging.
TIP: Avoid communities that have security restrictions on content, like Board of Directors or Committee communities, as this content may not be visible to regular community members.
- Create an account in the community you’ve selected that will act as the "vehicle" to get community content into Communications Professional. Make sure this account has the permissions to view the public/high level community content available.
- Impersonate this new "RSS Profile" account. See Impersonation to learn how.
- From the account profile, navigate to My Account > RSS Feeds.
- Access the tabs for the applicable content and subscribe to the desired RSS feeds.
- The RSS feed URL for your RSS Profile account is displayed at the bottom of the page. Copy this URL.
- In Communications Professional, paste this URL into a Dynamic RSS Feed content type in your message.
- Once your message is published and sent, it will populate with content from your Online Community.