Featured Images in RSS for Mailchimp & More
by 5 Star Plugins (Rob) · Email & Marketing
Also makes 7 other plugins · 23.2K+ installs across the portfolio →
Send images to RSS instantly for free. Output blog or WooCommerce photos to Mailchimp RSS email campaigns, ActiveCampaign, Hubspot, Feedly and more.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
A 87/100
no flags
Active installs
20K+
≈25K estimated
Momentum
-36%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “content marketing” and “mailchimp” for “rss” and “hubspot”. “content marketing” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “rss” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “mailchimp” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #15. “hubspot” sits at #20 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
87 health vs 66 average across 2,120 Email & Marketing plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.7%
of downloads still active
At least 20K of 743.4K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Email & Marketing plugin keeps 0.9%, across 1,294 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Email & Marketing plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 4 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Excellent listing optimization
Well tuned across the board
Updated 17 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.3★ over 113 reviews, smoothed to 4.24★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
37
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.2
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
16%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.1
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| featured images in rss your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| rss images your tag | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| rss campaigns your tag | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| feedly | #2 | #1 | 0 |
| featured images | #3 | #3 | 0 |
| rss | #4 | #5 | up 3 |
| rss marketing | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| latest featured images | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| featured | #7 | #7 | down 1 |
| woocommerce product rss | #3 | #2 | up 1 |
| add featured image to rss | #3 | #4 | 0 |
| categories featured images | #4 | #4 | 0 |
| external featured images | #4 | #4 | 0 |
| custom rss | #5 | #5 | 0 |
| mailchimp your tag | #15 | #13 | 0 |
| rss page | #6 | #5 | 0 |
| rss post | #6 | #5 | 0 |
| rss plugin | #7 | #7 | 0 |
| activecampaign | #18 | #17 | down 1 |
| hubspot | #20 | #19 | up 1 |
| content marketing your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
179 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 145 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “content marketing” and “mailchimp” for “rss” and “hubspot”. “content marketing” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “rss” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “mailchimp” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #15. “hubspot” sits at #20 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- One page off on “mailchimp”. #15 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 23.6K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
4
releases in the last 12 months
17d ago
latest release · v1.7.4 · 14 Oct 2026
11
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 68% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “20K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 2.4 years ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 15 Mar 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ geoffreym9mo ago
We had some issues setting it up wanting a feed a seperate wordpress site but go it to work and very happy with the results.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ nancy.hildebrandt12mo ago
Honestly, when I entered the world of RSS feeds recently I couldn’t believe that a featured image for a post wouldn’t be included by default in a WordPress.org RSS feed. But this little plugin was there to fill in the gap, and it just works without a problem. Thanks to the developer for offering this at no extra cost because most of my website work is with nonprofits at cost.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ robertverwaal1.0y ago
I use this plugin to embed images via an RSS feed in e-newsletters. It works perfectly! The support is far beyond what a user might expect. When I started using the plugin, I discovered that many of the images on our website had external URLs. These were not, and are not, saved as featured images. This prevented the plugin from including the images in the RSS feed. The plugin we used before could do this, but it was very outdated and no longer supported. The plugin developer has modified their code so that it now supports external image URLs in media or enclosure tags. 10 stars for this developer who provides excellent support for their product and their users.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Sabrina Quairoli1.0y ago
Easy to use and easy to setup.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mister_russ1.2y ago
I’ve been using this for year or so to add photos to my RSS feed email on MailChimp, but had a couple of niggles. One was the picture resolution, which I could have fixed myself if I’d bothered to read the forums. And another to do with spacing. I have no real knowledge of code but Rob patiently took me through the process and solved my problem. Hence the review title – great product and great support !
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ brucehenderson1.4y ago
I rely on this plugin for inserting featured images effortlessly into some weekly e-newsletters on Mailchimp. It works very well. I have been using it for over 2 years. The support is just what a user would hope for. When I ran into an RSS issue that originally looked like it might be due to this plugin (NOTE: The problem turned out NOT to be caused by this plugin!), the plugin developer was very responsive and investigated quickly. He went through his code and discovered that the problem must be due to another plugin interacting badly. (He wanted to make sure that his plugin worked, and he was ready to fix any problem he might find.) Sure enough, another plugin provided by my hosting provider had a bad update that was causing the problem. Five stars for this developer supporting his product — and his users — very well.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Eagleeye10002.0y ago
I just installed the plugin a couple of hours ago and tried to find out if it does embed the featured image in my blog updates via Mailchimp. So far, it is working nicely. But I wonder why the plugin hasn’t been updated since 10 months. Isn’t it being maintained any more?
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ aeroflap2.1y ago
DO NOT USE THIS PLUGIN, it creates a no follow in the post URL, screwing you on Google.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.7.2 Updated Freemius SDK to v2.13.1. 1.7.2
- — Version 1.7.1 Updated Freemius SDK to v2.13.0 1.7.1
- — Version 1.7 New: Now supports external image URLs in media or enclosure tags. Fixed: option to use only media tag image now removed the first image properly. Updated: Check feed first before adding media namespace to prevent duplica 1.7
- — Version 1.6.5 Updated Freemius SDK to latest version. 1.6.5
- — Version 1.6.4 Updated Freemius SDK to latest version. 1.6.4
- — Version 1.6.3 Updated Freemius SDK to v2.9 1.6.3
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 3 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (1.7.4). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched Medium · 6.1 Freemius <= 2.10.1 - Reflected DOM-Based Cross-Site Scripting via url Parameter ↗2026-04-30 CVE-2024-13362 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.6.3 Patched in 1.6.4
- 2023-07-18 CVE-2023-33999 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.6.1 Patched in 1.6.2
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 1 language, 1 at 90% or more
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Share of voice
How often each assistant names Featured Images in RSS for Mailchimp & More when asked about these topics, where it comes in the answer, and how that compares with its wp.org search position. Latest run 25 Oct 2026.
- Assistants
- ChatGPT, Claude
- Topics tracked
- RSS feeds, Image optimization
Readme readiness
7 of 8 pass · checked 27 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Send images to RSS instantly for free. Output blog or WooCommerce photos to Mailchimp RSS email campaigns,..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 7 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 7 of 7 read like questions a user would type.
- ✓ Names who it is for Names its audience or use cases ("built for", "use this").
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions WooCommerce, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot and 2 more.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 2 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 4,014 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "rss images" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2024-05-24 30K+ → 20K+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2024-05-22 20K+ → 30K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2024-05-21 30K+ → 20K+ down after 595 days in tier
- 2022-10-04 10K+ → 30K+ up after 2687 days in tier
- 2015-05-27 9K+ → 10K+ up
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress 1M+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag A -
Redirection for Contact Form 7 200K+ installs · 4.7★ · 1 shared tag A -
Mailchimp for WooCommerce 200K+ installs · 4.0★ · 1 shared tag B -
Mailchimp List Subscribe Form 60K+ installs · 2.8★ · 1 shared tag B -
Connect Contact Form 7 to Mailchimp, Brevo, MailerLite, Klaviyo, GetResponse, EmailOctopus, Campaign Monitor & Moosend 40K+ installs · 4.2★ · 1 shared tag A -
Genesis eNews Extended 40K+ installs · 4.4★ · 1 shared tag A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Featured Images in RSS for Mailchimp & More into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/featured-images-for-rss-feeds" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Featured Images in RSS for Mailchimp & More — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Featured Images in RSS for Mailchimp & More: 20K+ active installs, 4.3★ (113 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/featured-images-for-rss-feeds
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