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WordPress automatically provides a separate RSS feed for every category. On a site using pretty permalinks, open the category archive and add /feed/ to its URL—for example, https://example.com/category/news/feed/. No plugin is needed for this basic feed. For themes and plugins, generate the address with WordPress’s get_category_feed_link() function instead of hard-coding a URL.
Find a category’s RSS feed URL
Pretty-permalink sites
- Open the category archive, such as
https://example.com/category/news/. - Append
feed/to the archive path:https://example.com/category/news/feed/. - Open the resulting address in a browser or RSS reader. A valid feed returns XML containing posts assigned to that category.
The category archive must be the starting point. Do not append /feed/ to the site homepage, a tag archive, or an unrelated custom-taxonomy URL.
Sites using default query-string permalinks
When pretty permalinks are disabled, WordPress uses a query-string address, commonly resembling ?feed=rss2&cat=ID. The category ID and exact structure depend on the site, so generate the URL with WordPress’s API rather than guessing it.
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get_category_feed_link() returns a link to the feed for all posts in a given category and works across permalink configurations. On a category template, a basic subscription link can be printed like this:
<a href="<?php echo esc_url( get_category_feed_link( get_queried_object_id(), 'rss2' ) ); ?>">Subscribe to this category</a>get_queried_object_id() supplies the current category’s ID. If you already have a category object or ID, pass that value instead. esc_url() escapes the generated address before it is inserted into HTML.
Choose RSS2 or Atom explicitly
The second argument accepts explicit feed formats including rss2 and atom:
Rank #2
<?php
$rss_url = get_category_feed_link( $category_id, 'rss2' );
$atom_url = get_category_feed_link( $category_id, 'atom' );
?>WordPress’s default feed is RSS2 unless another format is selected. Core also supports older RDF, RSS 1.0 and RSS 0.92 feed functions, but the category-feed API documents RSS2 and Atom as the explicit values to request.
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If editors need a visible directory rather than one link on each category page, the Category- and Tag-Feeds plugin can publish category-feed links through a block, widget or the [categoryFeeds] shortcode. Its listing documents support for rss, rss2, atom, feed and rdf formats. Install and activate it from the WordPress admin, then place the block, widget or shortcode where the directory should appear. Plugin compatibility and available settings can change, so check the current listing before deployment.
Rank #3
Which approach fits your site?
| Approach | Setup effort | Code access | Format control | Shows all category links | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual category URL | Lowest | No | Limited to the URL format you choose | No | None beyond updating links if slugs change |
Theme-generated link with get_category_feed_link() |
Moderate | Yes | RSS2 or Atom can be selected | Only if the theme builds a directory | Theme code must be maintained |
| Category- and Tag-Feeds plugin | Low | No theme coding required | Documented format selector | Yes | Plugin updates and compatibility checks |
What category-feed subscribers receive
Each item comes from the feed loop for posts in that category. WordPress’s get_the_category_rss() function adds category markup for RSS2, Atom, RSS1 and RDF feeds. Developers can customize that generated markup with the the_category_rss filter when a feed needs a specialized presentation.
Troubleshoot a category feed
The /feed/ URL returns 404
- Open the category archive without
/feed/and confirm that it works. - Go to Settings > Permalinks in WordPress and click Save Changes to refresh rewrite rules; changing a setting is not required.
- If the feed still fails, inspect caching, security rules and the server’s rewrite configuration. Those layers can block an otherwise valid WordPress feed.
The feed contains the wrong posts
- Check that the address begins with the intended category archive, not the site-wide
/feed/. - Confirm it is not a tag feed or a custom-taxonomy feed.
- For generated links, verify that the value passed to
get_category_feed_link()identifies the intended category.
There is no visible subscribe link
A feed can exist even when the theme does not display a link. Add a theme link using get_category_feed_link(), or publish a directory with the category-feed plugin.
You need a different format
Request rss2 or atom as the second argument in code. If you use the plugin, select one of its documented formats in the block, widget or shortcode configuration.
Important URL and slug considerations
The examples assume the standard category base. A site can change that base, remove it, or alter category slugs, so always copy the live category archive URL before adding /feed/. If a category slug changes, update any public subscription links that were written manually; API-generated links follow the current category data.
The Bottom Line
Use the category archive URL plus /feed/ on pretty-permalink sites, or generate the address with get_category_feed_link() for reliable theme code and explicit RSS2 or Atom output. Add a category-feed directory plugin only when editors need a no-code list of every category feed.
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