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Setting Up RSS Automation

This guide walks you through automating push notifications based on your RSS feed. Perfect for blogs, news sites, and any content with an RSS feed.

Overview​

RSS automation lets you:

  • Automatically notify subscribers about new content
  • Optionally A/B test notification variants
  • Set up once and let it run

Time required: 15-20 minutes

Prerequisites​

  • Web Push channel configured and installed
  • At least one subscriber (for testing)
  • Access to your RSS feed URL

Part 1: Configure RSS Feed​

Find Your RSS Feed URL​

Common RSS feed locations:

  • WordPress: https://yoursite.com/feed/
  • Blogger: https://yoursite.com/feeds/posts/default
  • Ghost: https://yoursite.com/rss/
  • Custom: Check your site or ask your developer

Verify: Open the URL in a browser. You should see XML content.

Add RSS Feed to OCM Pulse​

  1. Navigate to your app
  2. Click RSS Feeds in the menu
  3. Click Add Feed
  4. Enter:
    • Name: Descriptive name (e.g., "Main Blog Feed")
    • URL: Your RSS feed URL

Test Feed Analysis​

  1. After entering the URL, click Analyze Feed
  2. Review the detected fields:
    • Title
    • Description/Body
    • Link
    • Image (if available)
    • GUID

Custom Mappings (If Needed)​

If your feed uses non-standard tags:

  1. Look at the Analyze Feed results
  2. Map each notification field to the correct RSS node
  3. Save the feed

Example: If your feed uses <content:encoded> instead of <description>:

  • Map Body to content:encoded

Part 2: Configure RSS Trigger​

Create the Trigger​

  1. Navigate to Triggers
  2. Click Configure on the RSS Feed card

Basic Settings​

Select RSS Feed​

Choose the feed you created in Part 1.

Check Frequency​

How often to check for new content:

FrequencyBest For
15 minBreaking news
30 minActive publishing
1 hourDaily blogs
6 hoursWeekly content

Match this to your publishing frequency.

Max Items Per Check​

Limit notifications if you publish multiple items at once.

SettingUse Case
1One notification at a time
3-5Multiple daily posts
10Batch publishing

Targeting​

Segment (Optional)​

  • All Subscribers - Everyone gets notified
  • Specific Segment - Only matching subscribers

Category (Optional)​

Assign a category for:

  • Organizing in deliveries list
  • Matching subscriber preferences

Part 3: Enable A/B Testing (Optional)​

Why A/B Test RSS Notifications?​

  • Find which titles get more clicks
  • Optimize without manual work
  • AI generates variants for you

Configure A/B Testing​

  1. Check Enable A/B Testing
  2. Configure settings:
SettingRecommendationWhy
Variants2-3Simple analysis
Test %10-20%Enough data, most get best (options: 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 40%, 50%)
Auto-SelectEnabledHands-off operation
Delay2-6 hoursTime for clicks (options: 2h, 4h, 6h, 12h, 24h, 48h, 72h)

A/B Test Workflow​

When a new RSS item is detected:

  1. AI generates notification variants
  2. Test enters "Pending Review" queue
  3. You approve (or skip review with quick approve)
  4. Test runs with your settings
  5. Winner is sent to remaining subscribers

Managing the Queue​

  1. Navigate to A/B Tests
  2. Click RSS Queue button
  3. For each pending test:
    • Quick Approve - Start immediately
    • Review & Edit - Modify variants first
    • Discard - Skip this article

Part 4: Test Your Setup​

Option A: Wait for New Content​

  1. Publish a new article on your site
  2. Wait for the check interval
  3. Check Deliveries (or A/B Tests queue if enabled)

Option B: Use Preview​

  1. In the trigger configuration, check the preview
  2. It shows the latest RSS item
  3. Verify content extraction is correct

Verify It's Working​

  1. After publishing new content:
  2. Check Deliveries for new entries
  3. Or check A/B Tests → RSS Queue if A/B testing enabled
  4. Delivery should show status "Processing" or "Success"

Part 5: Monitor and Maintain​

Check Trigger Health​

On the Triggers page, monitor:

IndicatorMeaning
🟢 HealthyWorking normally
🟡 WarningSome failures
🔴 UnhealthyMultiple failures

Common Health Issues​

Feed Unreachable​

  • Check feed URL is accessible
  • Verify your site is up
  • Check for authentication requirements

Parsing Errors​

  • Feed format may have changed
  • Update custom mappings if needed

No New Items​

  • Normal if you haven't published
  • Check feed contains recent items

Pause and Resume​

To temporarily stop automation:

  1. On Triggers page, click the pause button
  2. Trigger shows "Paused" status
  3. Click play to resume

Configuration Examples​

Daily Blog​

SettingValue
Check Frequency1 hour
Max Items1
A/B TestingOptional
Category"Blog Posts"

News Site​

SettingValue
Check Frequency15-30 min
Max Items3
A/B TestingRecommended
Category"Breaking News"

Weekly Newsletter​

SettingValue
Check Frequency6-12 hours
Max Items1
A/B TestingOptional
Category"Newsletter"

E-commerce Product Updates​

SettingValue
Check Frequency1 hour
Max Items5
A/B TestingRecommended
Category"New Products"

Troubleshooting​

Notifications Not Sending​

  1. Check trigger status - Is it healthy?
  2. Check feed - Does it have new items?
  3. Check subscribers - Do you have any?
  4. Check Web Push - Is the channel configured?

Wrong Content Extracted​

  1. Go to RSS Feeds
  2. Click Analyze Feed on your feed
  3. Check/update custom mappings
  4. Save and test preview

Duplicate Notifications​

  • RSS items must have unique GUIDs
  • Check your feed for duplicate entries
  • Verify custom GUID mapping is correct

A/B Tests Not Auto-Selecting​

  1. Check auto-select is enabled
  2. Verify delay hours haven't passed yet
  3. Ensure test has clicks to compare

Best Practices​

Feed Quality​

  • Include images in your RSS feed
  • Write concise, compelling titles
  • Include good descriptions

Timing​

  • Match check frequency to publishing
  • Don't check more often than you publish
  • Consider your audience's timezone

Content​

  • RSS titles become notification titles
  • Keep them concise and actionable
  • Include relevant images

A/B Testing​

  • Start with 2 variants
  • Give tests enough time (2-4 hours minimum)
  • Review winning patterns over time

Summary Checklist​

Setup​

  • RSS feed URL identified
  • Feed added in RSS Feeds section
  • Custom mappings configured (if needed)
  • RSS trigger created
  • Check frequency set appropriately

Optional Enhancements​

  • A/B testing enabled
  • Category assigned
  • Segment targeting configured

Verification​

  • Preview shows correct content
  • Test notification sent successfully
  • Trigger health is green

Next Steps​