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RSS Trigger

RSS Triggers automatically send notifications when new content appears in your RSS feed. Perfect for blogs, news sites, and any content with an RSS feed.

Prerequisites​

Before configuring an RSS trigger:

  1. Create an RSS Feed in RSS Feeds section
  2. Have the Web Push channel configured

Managing RSS Feeds​

Creating an RSS Feed​

  1. Go to your app's RSS Feeds section
  2. Click Add Feed
  3. Enter:
    • Name: Display name (e.g., "Main Blog Feed")
    • URL: Full RSS feed URL

Custom Node Mappings​

If your RSS feed uses non-standard tags, configure custom mappings:

  1. Click Analyze Feed after entering the URL
  2. The system shows available nodes
  3. Map each field to the correct node:
    • Title - Notification title
    • Body - Notification body/description
    • URL - Link when clicked
    • Image - Hero image URL
    • GUID - Unique identifier (for deduplication)

Analyzing an RSS feed and mapping nodes in OCM Pulse

Configuring an RSS Trigger​

Access Configuration​

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

Basic Settings​

RSS Feed (Required)​

Select which feed to monitor from your configured feeds.

Check Frequency​

How often to check the feed for new items:

IntervalBest For
15 minutesBreaking news
30 minutesActive blogs
1 hourDaily publishing
2 hoursModerate frequency
6 hoursWeekly content
12 hoursOccasional updates
24 hoursRare updates

Max Items Per Check​

Maximum new items to process each time (1-10).

Set this to prevent notification bursts if you publish multiple items at once.

Configuring frequency and item limits for an RSS Trigger

Target Audience​

Segment (Optional)​

  • All Subscribers - Notify everyone
  • Specific Segment - Only matching subscribers

Category​

Assign a category to all notifications from this trigger. Useful for:

  • Filtering in deliveries list
  • Matching subscriber preferences
  • Performance analysis

A/B Testing Configuration​

Enable A/B testing to optimize your notification content with AI-generated variants.

Enable A/B Testing​

Check the Enable A/B Testing checkbox to reveal settings.

A/B Test Settings​

SettingDescriptionOptions
Number of VariantsHow many versions to test2, 3, or 4
Test PercentageSubscribers in test phase10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 40%, or 50%
Auto-Select WinnerAutomatically pick best performerOn/Off
Auto-Select DelayHours before auto-selection2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48, or 72 hours

Configuring AI-powered A/B testing for RSS notifications

How RSS A/B Testing Works​

New RSS Item Detected
        ↓
AI Generates Variants (2-4 versions)
        ↓
Test Enters "Pending Review" Queue
        ↓
You Review & Approve (or Discard)
        ↓
Test Starts
        ↓
Test % Subscribers Split Among Variants
        ↓
Metrics Collected (clicks, etc.)
        ↓
Winner Selected (auto or manual)
        ↓
Remaining Subscribers Get Winner

Learn more about RSS A/B Testing →

RSS Trigger Status​

On the Triggers page, you can see the health of each RSS trigger:

Status Indicators​

BadgeMeaning
Healthy (green)Feed is working normally
Warning (yellow)Some recent failures
Unhealthy (red)Multiple consecutive failures
Paused (gray)Manually paused

Viewing RSS trigger health status and badges in the OCM Pulse dashboard

Health Metrics​

MetricDescription
Last CheckedWhen feed was last checked
Last SuccessWhen content was last successfully retrieved
Consecutive FailuresNumber of failed checks in a row

Unhealthy Triggers​

A trigger becomes unhealthy after 5 consecutive failures. When unhealthy:

  • The trigger stops checking automatically
  • You'll see the error message
  • Fix the issue and the trigger will resume

Common causes:

  • Feed URL changed
  • Website is down
  • Authentication required
  • Feed format changed

Managing RSS Triggers​

Pause/Resume​

Click the pause button to temporarily stop a trigger. Useful when:

  • Doing website maintenance
  • Taking a content break
  • Troubleshooting issues

Click play to resume.

Edit Settings​

Click the settings button to modify trigger configuration.

Notification Preview​

The configuration page shows a preview using the latest RSS item. This helps you:

  • Verify content extraction works
  • See how notifications will look
  • Test custom node mappings

Tips for RSS Automation​

Feed Quality​

  • Use feeds that include full content or good descriptions
  • Ensure images are included if you want rich notifications
  • Use feeds with unique GUIDs to prevent duplicates

Timing​

  • Match check frequency to your publishing schedule
  • Consider your audience's timezone
  • Avoid checking more frequently than you publish

Content​

  • Write RSS titles and descriptions with notifications in mind
  • Keep them concise and actionable
  • Include relevant images in your feed

A/B Testing​

  • Start with 2 variants to simplify analysis
  • Use 10-20% for test percentage
  • Wait at least 2-4 hours before selecting winners

Troubleshooting​

Notifications Not Sending​

  1. Check trigger status for errors
  2. Verify RSS feed URL is accessible
  3. Ensure Web Push channel is configured
  4. Check if any subscribers exist

Duplicate Notifications​

  • RSS items must have unique GUIDs
  • Check custom GUID mapping if configured
  • Verify your feed isn't republishing old items

Wrong Content Extracted​

  1. Go to RSS Feeds section
  2. Click Analyze Feed
  3. Review and fix custom mappings
  4. Save and test with preview

Next Steps​