Are your new WordPress posts taking too long to show up in Google? Chances are, Google simply hasn’t discovered them yet.
An RSS sitemap can help by giving Google a tiny list of your recently updated content. This can make it easier for search engines to find and index your fresh posts sooner.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to add an RSS sitemap in WordPress and submit it to Google Search Console, step by step.
What Is an RSS Sitemap?
An RSS sitemap is a lightweight file that lists only the newest or recently updated pages on a website. Search engines like Google use it to find and index fresh content, which is much faster than scanning a massive, traditional XML sitemap.
For optimal crawling, Google recommends using both XML sitemaps and RSS sitemaps.
Keep in mind that an RSS sitemap and your WordPress site’s RSS feed are two different things. An RSS sitemap also doesn’t replace your XML sitemap. In fact, you should use both together: your XML sitemap helps search engines discover your site’s URLs, while an RSS sitemap helps them find your newest content more quickly.
With that said, let’s take a look at how to add an RSS sitemap in WordPress. Here’s everything we’ll cover in this guide:
Adding an RSS Sitemap in WordPress
The easiest way to add an RSS sitemap in WordPress is by using the free All in One SEO plugin (AIOSEO).
Once activated, you will need to set up the plugin first. For more details, see our guide on setting up the AIOSEO plugin.
By default, the RSS sitemap is turned on in the free AIOSEO plugin, covering your 50 most recent posts across all post types. You can verify if it’s actually enabled on your site by going to AIOSEO » Sitemaps and clicking the ‘RSS Sitemap’ tab.
If it’s not already on, simply toggle the ‘Enable Sitemap’ option, and that’s it.
You have successfully added an RSS sitemap in WordPress. You can click on the Open RSS Sitemap button to see how it looks. Here’s how it looks like: https://example.com/sitemap.rss
Make sure to replace example.com with your domain name to find your RSS sitemap.
Submitting the RSS Sitemap to Google Search Console
Once you have enabled the RSS sitemap, you will need to submit it to Google Search Console.
The process of submitting an RSS sitemap is similar to how you would submit an XML sitemap. In Google Search Console, go to the Sitemaps report for your website. Then enter your RSS sitemap URL in the ‘Add a new sitemap’ field and click ‘Submit.’
Next, you’ll have to confirm your feed was submitted successfully.
Refresh the Sitemaps report and check the status of your submission. If you see ‘Success’, then you’ve successfully submitted your feed.
For more detailed steps, you can read how to submit your sitemap to Google Search Console.
How to Submit an RSS Feed Without a Plugin
Neither Yoast SEO nor Rank Math currently offers an RSS sitemap feature. If you use one of those plugins or don’t want to install an RSS sitemap plugin, then you can submit your existing RSS feed to Search Console.
Every WordPress site already comes with a built-in feed at yoursite.com/feed/, and Google Search Console lets you submit it as a sitemap.
Keep in mind that your feed only reflects new posts, not the posts that you’ve updated. So if you regularly refresh older content and want those pages to get re-crawled quickly, then you’ll need to have an RSS sitemap instead.
Your WordPress site’s feed only includes your 10 newest posts by default. You can customize how many posts you want to show in your feed by going to Settings » Reading. Then customize ‘Syndication feeds show the most recent’. Then save your changes.
Now let’s take a look at your feed URL to ensure it works as expected. Visit example.com/feed/ in your browser. Replace example.com with your website’s domain name.
You should see a list of your most recent posts. If it loads and shows current content, you’re ready for the next step.
Next, you’ll need to submit the feed URL in Google Search Console.
In Google Search Console, go to the Sitemaps report for your website and then enter your feed URL in the ‘Add a new sitemap’ field, and click ‘Submit.’
Once submitted, go back to the Sitemaps report in Search Console and confirm the status next to your RSS feed as ‘Success.’
Troubleshooting Your RSS Sitemap
If your RSS sitemap isn’t behaving the way it should, here’s how to fix the most common issues.
“Couldn’t Fetch” in Search Console
This usually means Google tried to access your sitemap but couldn’t reach it. The URL may contain a typo, your robots.txt file may be blocking access, or a security plugin could be preventing Google from fetching it.
First, double-check the sitemap URL for typos and open it directly in your browser to make sure it loads. If it does, check your robots.txt file to ensure the sitemap isn’t being blocked. You can also temporarily disable your security plugin’s firewall to see if it’s preventing Google from accessing the file.
If everything looks correct, wait 24 – 48 hours and try submitting the sitemap again. Then check Search Console to confirm that its status has changed to Success.
“Sitemap Could Not Be Read”
First, double-check the URL to ensure it points directly to your RSS endpoint (like /feed/) and loads raw XML code in your browser, not a normal webpage. If it does, run the URL through a free feed validator to check for hidden formatting errors or blank lines.
You can also use the URL Inspection Tool in Search Console to ensure your server isn’t returning an error when Google attempts to read the file.
If everything looks correct and your feed is valid, wait 24 – 48 hours and try submitting the RSS sitemap again. Then check Search Console to confirm that its status has changed to Success.
/sitemap.rss Returns a 404 Error
This is usually caused by a permalink or caching issue.
Start by flushing your permalinks by simply re-saving Settings → Permalinks without making any changes. This often refreshes the rewrite rules that WordPress uses to recognize the sitemap URL. If that doesn’t work, confirm that the RSS sitemap option is still enabled, then purge any caching plugin or CDN cache.
Verify the fix by opening yoursite.com/sitemap.rss in a private or incognito window and confirming that the sitemap loads instead of returning a 404 error.
yoursite.com/feed/ Returns a 404 Error
This typically means feeds have been disabled by a security or performance plugin, or that your site is using “Plain” permalinks, which changes the feed’s URL structure.
If you’re on Plain permalinks, use yoursite.com/?feed=rss2 instead. Otherwise, check your security and performance plugins for a setting that disables feeds, and switch to a standard permalink structure if you’d rather use the cleaner /feed/ URL.
Verify by loading the feed URL directly and confirming your recent posts appear.
Video Tutorial
If you’d prefer video instructions, then please watch the video.
FAQ About RSS Sitemap in WordPress
RSS sitemaps can seem confusing at first, especially if you’re new to WordPress SEO. We get a lot of questions about how they work, whether they’re necessary, and how to set them up.
Below are the most common questions we receive about RSS sitemaps, along with clear answers to help you understand how this powerful feature can boost your site’s search engine visibility.
How many URLs should an RSS sitemap contain?
The general rule of thumb is to keep 50 or fewer. Google recommends keeping RSS sitemaps focused on recently updated content rather than listing every URL on your website. A smaller, frequently updated feed makes it easier for search engines to identify what has changed recently.
Can an RSS sitemap help Google index new WordPress posts faster?
Yes, an RSS sitemap can help Google discover newly published or recently updated posts sooner by providing a regularly updated list of those URLs. However, discovery does not guarantee immediate indexing or higher rankings.
Does an RSS sitemap replace internal linking?
No. An RSS sitemap helps search engines discover recently published or updated URLs, but it doesn’t replace internal links. You should still link to your important content from relevant pages across your website.
We hope this article helped you learn how to add an RSS sitemap in WordPress. You may also want to see our ultimate WordPress SEO guide to improve your rankings and our tutorial on how to translate your WordPress site in other languages.
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