Ensuring Your Images Appear in the RSS Composer Block

This article explains why images may not appear in the RSS block and how to structure your feed to fix it.

Why Aren't Images Appearing in the RSS Block?

When you use an RSS feed as a content source in Letterhead, images should be automatically pulled from the <media:content>, <media:thumbnail>, or <enclosure> node within <item>. However, if images are missing in your curated articles and the RSS block it is likely due to issue(s) with the feed structuring.

Common Causes

Images embedded incorrectly: If images are inside <description> or <content:encoded> using an <img> tag within a CDATA section, they are treated as plain text rather than structured XML.
Missing image nodes: If <media:content>, <media:thumbnail>, or <enclosure> nodes are absent inside <item>, no images will be extracted.

How Letterhead Reads RSS Feed Images

Letterhead pulls images from the <media:content>, <media:thumbnail>, or <enclosure> node inside <item>. If your feed does not use these nodes correctly, images will not appear in the RSS block. For more details on <media:content>, see the Media RSS Specification.

Special Notes on Image URL Formatting

To ensure your images are recognized and displayed correctly, follow these guidelines:

Avoid CDATA Wrapping
Image URLs should not be enclosed within a CDATA section. This causes the URL to be treated as plain text.

Use Simple URLs

Ensure URLs follow a basic format, such as:

<media:content url="https://website.com/image.jpg"/>

Avoid special characters like #, ;, and unnecessary query strings.
Use common image file extensions (.jpg, .jpeg, .png).

Note: According to the RSS 2.0 specification, <image> is a sub-element reserved for <channel> (metadata about the entire feed). It cannot be embedded within <item> (metadata for an individual post or article).

Best Practices for RSS Feed Structuring

To ensure compatibility with Letterhead:

Validate your feed using an open-source tool like W3C Feed Validator.
Follow the RSS 2.0 specification to structure your feed correctly.

What If My Feed Can't Display Images?

If your feed is not following the structures and syntax defined above, images may not appear in the RSS block. While you work on improving your feed to meet the recommended standards, you can still display the following in the RSS block:

Title
Excerpt
Date Published
Source
Author

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