FeedPress Support

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Ghost Full Content Feeds ​

If you're using Ghost CMS for your website, FeedPress can automatically fetch the full content of your posts and replace the limited RSS content with rich, complete Ghost post content. This is perfect for newsletters, podcasts, and any feed where you want subscribers to see your complete posts.

What is Ghost integration? ​

Ghost integration allows FeedPress to:

  • Replace RSS content with full Ghost post content using the Ghost Admin API
  • Preserve rich formatting including images, formatting, and layout
  • Clean content automatically by removing subscription boxes and other Ghost-specific elements
  • Maintain fallbacks if the Ghost API is unavailable

How it works ​

  1. RSS Processing: FeedPress fetches your regular RSS feed as usual
  2. Content Enhancement: For each post, FeedPress uses the RSS item GUID to fetch the full HTML content from Ghost
  3. Content Cleaning: Ghost-specific elements (subscription boxes, bookmark cards, etc.) are automatically removed
  4. Feed Enhancement: The full content replaces the limited RSS description/content

Prerequisites ​

  • A Ghost website with Admin API access
  • A FeedPress account with your Ghost RSS feed configured
  • Ghost Admin API key (requires Ghost admin access)

Setting up Ghost integration ​

Step 1: Get your Ghost Admin API key ​

  1. Log into your Ghost Admin panel
  2. Navigate to Settings → Integrations
  3. Scroll down to "Custom integrations"
  4. Click "Add custom integration"
  5. Name it "FeedPress" (or similar)
  6. Copy the Admin API key - it will look like: 507f1f77bcf86cd799439011:1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef12345678

Step 2: Configure FeedPress ​

  1. Go to your feed dashboard in FeedPress
  2. Select the feed you want to enhance with Ghost content
  3. Navigate to "Ghost Integration" in the Extras menu
  4. Enter your Ghost configuration:
    • Ghost API URL: Your Ghost site URL (e.g., https://yourblog.ghost.io)
    • Ghost Admin API Key: The full API key from Step 1
  5. Click "Save Configuration"

Step 3: Test the integration ​

  1. Click "Test Connection" after saving your configuration
  2. Verify the test results:
    • ✅ Success: Shows retrieved content length for a test post
    • ❌ Error: Check your API key and URL format
    • ⚠️ Warning: No RSS items found to test (publish a post first)

Configuration details ​

Ghost API URL format ​

Your Ghost API URL should be your main Ghost site URL:

  • ✅ Correct: https://yourblog.ghost.io
  • ✅ Correct: https://blog.yourdomain.com
  • ❌ Wrong: https://yourblog.ghost.io/ghost/api/admin/

Ghost Admin API key format ​

The API key contains both an ID and secret separated by a colon:

507f1f77bcf86cd799439011:1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef12345678
  • First part (before :): Integration ID
  • Second part (after :): Secret key

What content gets enhanced ​

Content that gets replaced ​

  • RSS <description> fields
  • RSS <content:encoded> fields
  • Limited excerpt content

Content that gets cleaned ​

FeedPress automatically removes:

  • Subscription boxes (<div class="subscribe">)
  • Bookmark cards (kg-bookmark-card)
  • Member-only callouts (kg-callout-card-grey)
  • Outpost containers (newsletter signup forms)

Content that's preserved ​

  • Images and media
  • Text formatting (bold, italic, links)
  • Custom HTML and embedded content
  • Post structure and layout

Troubleshooting ​

Common issues ​

"Failed to fetch RSS feed for testing"

  • Verify your RSS feed is accessible and valid
  • Check that your Ghost site is publishing posts to RSS

"Invalid RSS feed format"

  • Ensure your Ghost RSS feed is working: https://yourghost.site/rss/
  • Check Ghost settings for RSS configuration

"Ghost API test failed: Unauthorized"

  • Verify your API key is complete and correctly formatted
  • Ensure the API key is from a Custom Integration (not built-in integrations)
  • Check that your Ghost site is accessible

"No items found in RSS feed to test"

  • Publish at least one post in Ghost
  • Verify the post appears in your RSS feed

Verifying the integration works ​

  1. Check your enhanced feed: Visit your FeedPress feed URL
  2. Compare content: Look for full post content instead of excerpts
  3. Test in RSS reader: Subscribe to see the enhanced content
  4. Monitor feed updates: New posts should automatically get enhanced content

API requirements and limits ​

Ghost API version ​

FeedPress uses Ghost Admin API v5.79 with the following features:

  • JWT authentication for secure API access
  • Post content retrieval with HTML formatting
  • GUID-based lookup to match RSS items with Ghost posts

Content processing ​

  • Real-time enhancement: Content is fetched when your feed is accessed
  • Caching: Ghost content may be cached to improve performance
  • Fallback handling: If Ghost API fails, original RSS content is used

Best practices ​

Security ​

  • Keep API keys secure: Don't share your Ghost Admin API key
  • Use HTTPS: Ensure both Ghost and FeedPress use secure connections
  • Regular key rotation: Consider updating API keys periodically

Content optimization ​

  • Test after setup: Always verify the integration with sample content
  • Monitor performance: Check that feed generation isn't slowed significantly
  • Review cleaned content: Ensure important content isn't being removed

Maintenance ​

  • Update Ghost regularly: Keep Ghost updated for API compatibility
  • Monitor integration: Check for any API errors or failed content fetches
  • Backup original feeds: Keep access to non-enhanced feeds if needed

Use cases ​

Newsletter enhancement ​

  • Full articles: Send complete blog posts instead of excerpts
  • Rich formatting: Maintain Ghost's beautiful post formatting
  • Image inclusion: Include all post images in newsletter content

Podcast show notes ​

  • Complete episode notes: Include full Ghost post content as show notes
  • Rich episode descriptions: Enhance podcast feeds with detailed content
  • Consistent formatting: Maintain Ghost's post structure

Member content ​

  • Premium feeds: Provide enhanced content for paying subscribers
  • Exclusive access: Use with private feeds for member-only content
  • Content monetization: Offer full content as a premium feature

Advanced features ​

Content customization ​

After Ghost content is fetched, FeedPress can still apply:

  • Content truncation: Limit content length if needed
  • Link tracking: Add FeedPress link tracking to Ghost content
  • Custom formatting: Apply additional RSS formatting

Integration with other features ​

Ghost integration works alongside:

  • Private feeds: Combine with private keys for secure full content
  • Custom hostnames: Use your domain for enhanced Ghost feeds
  • Analytics: Track engagement with full Ghost content

The Ghost integration provides a seamless way to deliver your complete Ghost content through RSS, perfect for newsletters, podcasts, and premium content distribution.