If your WordPress RSS feed doesn’t display featured images, you’re missing an opportunity to improve click-through rates and enhance content visibility across RSS readers, email newsletters, content aggregators, and platforms such as MSN, Feedly, and Mailchimp.
By default, WordPress excludes featured images from RSS feeds. Fortunately, you can easily add them using either a plugin or a custom code snippet.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to add featured images to WordPress RSS feeds and ensure your content appears more engaging wherever your feed is consumed.
Table of Contents
Why Add Featured Images to RSS Feeds?
Featured images make RSS content more visually appealing and can improve engagement across multiple platforms.
Benefits include:
- Better visibility in RSS readers
- Improved click-through rates
- Enhanced email newsletter appearance
- More attractive syndicated content
- Better support for Feedly, Mailchimp, and content aggregation platforms
Many RSS readers and newsletter services display images when they are included properly in the feed. Adding featured images helps your content stand out from text-only feeds.
Method 1: Add Featured Images to RSS Feed Using Code
If you prefer a lightweight solution without installing another plugin, add the following code to your child theme’s functions.php file or a custom functionality plugin.
How This Code Works
- Checks whether a post has a featured image.
- Retrieves the image in the medium size.
- Inserts the image before the RSS content.
- Works for both excerpt and full-content feeds.
After saving the changes, clear any cache and test your RSS feed.
Method 2: Use a WordPress Plugin
If you don’t want to edit code, a dedicated plugin can automatically insert featured images into RSS feeds.
Benefits of using a plugin:
- No coding required
- Easy image size selection
- Better compatibility with email marketing tools
- Works with Feedly and RSS readers
- Supports WooCommerce product feeds
Plugins are often the easiest option for non-technical users and provide additional customization features.
How to Test Your RSS Feed
After implementing either method:
- Open your RSS feed URL:
https://yourdomain.com/feed/ - Verify that image markup appears inside each feed item.
- Test using:
- Feedly
- Mailchimp RSS Campaigns
- RSS validators
- Third-party syndication platforms
If images do not appear immediately, clear your site’s cache and refresh the feed.
Common Issues and Fixes
Featured Image Not Showing
Possible causes:
- No featured image assigned to the post
- RSS feed cache not refreshed
- Theme conflict
- Incorrect code placement
Images Too Large
Use a smaller image size:
get_the_post_thumbnail($post->ID, 'thumbnail');or
get_the_post_thumbnail($post->ID, 'medium');Feed Validation Errors
Ensure your custom code does not output invalid HTML or unsupported tags.
SEO Benefits of Including Featured Images in RSS Feeds
While RSS images are not a direct ranking factor, they can improve:
- User engagement
- Content discovery
- Newsletter click-through rates
- Content syndication performance
- Brand visibility
Visual content consistently receives more interaction than text-only feed entries.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. WordPress does not include featured images in RSS feeds unless you customize the feed using code or a plugin.
Yes. Mailchimp RSS campaigns can display images when they are properly included in the feed.
Most modern RSS readers, including Feedly, support featured images when they are embedded correctly.
Use a plugin if you want a quick setup with no coding. Use custom code if you prefer a lightweight solution with full control.
Final Thoughts
Adding featured images to your WordPress RSS feed is a simple improvement that can increase engagement, improve newsletter appearance, and make your content more attractive across RSS readers and syndication platforms.
Whether you choose a plugin or a custom code solution, including images in your feed helps create a better experience for readers and subscribers.
