All the Merge Tags Cheat Sheet
Merge tags let you insert dynamic content in your campaigns. Get a list containing each merge tag and how to use it.
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RSS Merge Tags
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Use RSS merge tags to customize how your blog content appears when you create RSS campaigns. RSS channel tags pull in content from your blog as a whole, while RSS item tags allow you to customize how your individual blog posts appear. You can think of your blog as a "channel" and your blog posts as "items" from that channel.
In this article, you'll learn about the RSS channel, item, and preformatted tags available to you and how each tag functions.
Channel tags
Use RSS channel tags to customize content pulled in from your RSS <channel> tag, which represents your blog as a whole, such as your blog title or source URL.
| Merge tag | Related RSS tag | What it displays |
|---|---|---|
*|RSSFEED:TITLE|* | <title> | The title of your blog or RSS feed "channel." |
*|RSSFEED:DATE|* | The date your RSS feed was last updated. This tag allows you to include date formatting options, which are available at php.net. Use *|RSSFEED:DATE:FORMAT|* to show the current date in a given format. For example, use *|RSSFEED:DATE:d/m/y|* where d is replaced by the day, m by the month, and y by the year. | |
*|RSSFEED:URL|* | <link> | The URL of your source RSS feed or "channel." This tag can be displayed as text or used in a hyperlink. |
*|RSSFEED:DESCRIPTION|* | <description> | The description of your blog or RSS feed "channel," found in the <channel><description> tag. |
Item tags
Use RSS item tags to customize how your individual blog posts appear, such as the titles, posts, or social share links.
| Merge tag | Related RSS tag | What it displays |
|---|---|---|
*|RSS:RECENT|* | <title> and <link> | A linked list of the five most recent post titles made prior to the new posts pulled into your campaign since the last send. |
*|RSS:RECENTxxx|* | <title> and <link> | A linked list of the most recent post titles made prior to the new posts pulled into your campaign since the last send, based on the number given for "xxx." |
*|RSSITEMS:|* | <item> | This tag doesn't display anything. It's used to open the customized formatting for individual RSS items. To display the titles of multiple blog posts in your campaign, use the *|RSSITEM:TITLE|* tag between the open and closed RSSITEMS: |RSSITEMS:| |RSSITEM:TITLE| |END:RSSITEMS| |
*|END:RSSITEMS|* | </item> | This tag doesn't display anything. It's used to close the customized formatting for individual RSS items. |
*|RSSITEM:TITLE|* | <title> | The title of the RSS item, usually a blog post. |
*|RSSITEM:URL|* | <link> | The text link to the RSS item online, which can be displayed as text or used in a hyperlink. |
*|RSSITEM:DATE|* | <pubDate> | The date the RSS item was published. This tag allows you to include date formatting options, which are available at php.net. Use *|RSSITEM:DATE:FORMAT|* to show the current date in a given format. For example, *|RSSITEM:DATE:d/m/y|* where d is replaced by the day, m by the month, and y by the year. |
*|RSSITEM:AUTHOR|* | <dc:creator> | The author of the RSS item. |
*|RSSITEM:COMMENTS_URL|* | <comments> | The text link to the comments section of the RSS item, which can be displayed as text or used in a hyperlink. |
*|RSSITEM:CATEGORIES|* | <category> | A list of the categories that are attached to the RSS item, formatted as text. |
*|RSSITEM:CONTENT|* | <description> nested in <item> | A summary of the RSS item in HTML format, which includes information inside the <description> tag. If there is no <description> tag in your feed, Mailchimp will display the information in the <content:encoded> tag. |
*|RSSITEM:CONTENT_FULL|* | <content:encoded> nested in <item> | The full content of the information inside the <content:encoded> tag for an RSS item, in HTML format. If there is no <content:encoded> tag, it will display the information in the <description> tag. |
*|RSSITEM:CONTENT_TEXT|* | <content:encoded> | A summary of the RSS item in plain text format, which includes information inside the <description> tag displayed as text. If there is no <description> tag in your feed, it will display the information in the <content:encoded> tag. |
*|RSSITEM:CONTENT_FULL_TEXT|* | <content:encoded> | The full content of the RSS item in plain text format, which includes information inside the <content:encoded> tag displayed as text. If there is no <content:encoded> tag in your feed, it will display the information in the <description> tag. |
*|RSSITEM:IMAGE|* | <media:encoded> | In certain feed set-ups, this tag displays the image defined in the <media:content> tag. Child elements like height, width and source URL aren't editable in Mailchimp, but can be included in the RSS feed on your site. Note: To help ensure that Mailchimp can view your feed's images, you can include medium or type information inside the <media:content> tag. Examples: <media:content url="http://example.com/example.jpg" medium="image"> <media:content url="http://example.com/example.jpg" type="image/jpg"> |
*|RSSITEM:ENCLOSURE|* | <enclosure> | A preformatted text link to the media file in your <enclosure> tag. |
*|RSSITEM:ENCLOSURE_URL|* | <enclosure> | The text URL of a media file in the <enclosure> tag, which can be applied to customized content in your campaign. |
*|RSSITEM:SOURCE|* | <source> | The URL of the RSS item online displayed as text (not a link). |
*|RSSITEM:SOURCE_TITLE|* | <source> | The title associated with the RSS item's source URL, located between the <source> tags. |
*|RSSITEM:SHARE|* | <link> | A block of social share icons that give subscribers a simple way to share the RSS item to their preferred social network. |
*|RSSITEM:SHARE:Twitter,Digg|* | <link> | A customized block of social share icons that you can define, which give subscribers a simple way to share the RSS item to their preferred social network. This tag does not support Google+. |
*|RSSITEM:TWITTER|* | <link> | A Tweet button that subscribers can click to tweet a specific RSS item right in your campaign. |
*|RSSITEM:TWITTER_TEXT|* | <link> | A text link that subscribers can click to tweet a specific RSS item right in your campaign. |
*|RSSITEM:TUMBLR|* | <link> | A Tumblr reblog button that subscribers can click to post a specific RSS item to their Tumblr blog right in your campaign. |
*|RSSITEM:TUMBLR_TEXT|* | <link> | A Tumblr reblog text link that subscribers can click to post a specific RSS item to their Tumblr blog right in your campaign. |
*|RSSITEM:PLUSONE|* | <link> | A +1 button that subscribers can click to share a specific RSS item to Google+ right in your campaign. |
*|RSSITEM:PLUSONE_TEXT|* | <link> | A +1 text link that subscribers can click to tweet a specific RSS item to Google+ right in your campaign. |
*|RSSITEM:INSTAPAPER|* | <link> | A share to Instapaper button that subscribers can click to save a specific RSS item to their Instapaper account right in your campaign. |
*|RSSITEM:INSTAPAPER_TEXT|* | <link> | A share to Instapaper text link that subscribers can click to tweet a specific RSS item to their Instapaper account right in your campaign. |
Preformatted RSS tags
The group of tags in this section allows you to embed preformatted lists, summaries, or full content of your posts in an RSS campaign. If you're looking for more control over how posts are laid out, consider using RSS channel and item tags.
| Merge tag | Related RSS tag | What it displays |
|---|---|---|
*|RSS:POSTS_HTML|* or *|RSS:POSTS|* | <item> | A list of your blog posts and their summaries in HTML format. Includes information from inside the <item><description> tags including Title, Date, Author, Comments, and X (formerly Twitter) sharing buttons. If there is no <description> tag, it will display the information in the <content:encoded> tag. |
*|RSS:POSTS_FULL|* or *|RSS:POSTS_HTML_FULL|* | <item> | A list of your blog posts and their full content in HTML format. Includes information from inside the <item><content:encoded> tags including Title, Date, Author, Comments, and X (formerly Twitter) sharing buttons. If there is no <content:encoded> tag, it will display the information in the <description> tag. |
*|RSS:POSTS_TEXT|* | <item> | A list of your posts formatted in plain text. Includes information from inside the <item> tag including Title, Date, Author, Comments displayed as text. If there is no <description> tag, it will display the information in the <content:encoded> tag. |
*|RSS:POSTS_TEXT_FULL|* | <item> | A list of your posts and their full content formatted in plain text. Includes information from inside the <item> tag including Title, Date, Author, Comments displayed as text. If there is no <content:encoded> tag, it will display the information in the <description> tag. |
*|RSS:RECENT|* | <title> and <link> | A linked list of the five most recent post titles made prior to the new posts pulled into your campaign since the last send. |
*|RSS:RECENTxxx|* | <title> and <link> | A linked list of the most recent post titles made prior to the new posts pulled into your campaign since the last send, based on the number given for “xxx.” |
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