RSS Feeds for MSN
Microsoft's MSN Partner Hub requires RSS or Atom feeds with specific namespace extensions, full article content, and high-resolution images before it will syndicate your articles. If you are already an approved MSN partner, Feed Control can generate compliant feeds from your existing site right away. For new publishers: Microsoft has temporarily paused onboarding new partners while they review and update their recruitment process — but you can prepare your feed now so it is ready to submit when onboarding reopens.
Start Free TrialWhat MSN Requires from Your Feed
MSN ingests RSS and Atom feeds enriched with Media RSS, Dublin Core, and Microsoft-specific namespace extensions. Feeds must include full article content, high-resolution images with strict dimension requirements, and clean UTF-8 encoded XML served from a static URL. Most CMS-generated feeds do not include these elements or meet these constraints.
- ✓ Full article HTML in content:encoded — MSN does not accept truncated summaries, and articles without images are not auto-published
- ✓ Thumbnail images in media:thumbnail — recommended 1280×720px (minimum 640×360px, 16:9 aspect ratio), JPG or PNG only, max 2MB
- ✓ In-content images at least 720px on each side — WebP, PNG, JPG, or GIF, max 15MB, aspect ratio between 0.5 and 1.89
- ✓ Required namespace declarations for Media RSS, Dublin Core, and optionally Microsoft Ingestion (mi:) extensions
- ✓ UTF-8 encoding with no unescaped special characters (&, <, >, quotes) — MSN rejects malformed XML
- ✓ Static feed URL with no dynamic route segments or query strings — and fewer than 30 fresh items per feed
- ✓ Titles under 150 characters (75 or fewer to avoid truncation on MSN cards)
How Feed Control Helps
Feed Control takes your existing website or RSS feed and produces a new feed that meets MSN's ingestion requirements. Point it at your site, select the MSN template, and get a feed URL served from a static endpoint with all the required namespace extensions. You will still need to apply to the MSN Partner Hub and submit your feed URL for approval.
- ✓ Works with any website or CMS — WordPress, Ghost, Squarespace, Webflow, and more
- ✓ Adds Media RSS, Dublin Core, and Microsoft Ingestion namespace extensions automatically
- ✓ Extracts full article content and generates compliant thumbnail images (1280×720px, JPG/PNG, 16:9)
- ✓ Serves your feed from a clean, static URL — no dynamic route segments or query strings
- ✓ Supports slideshow and gallery content types for MSN — this feature currently requires custom setup to work with your existing publishing system
- ✓ No code changes, plugins, or developer time required on your end
- ✓ Feed updates automatically as you publish new content, keeping your feed fresh for MSN's content-age checks
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still need to apply to MSN Partner Hub?
If you are already an approved MSN partner, you can start using your Feed Control feed straight away. For new publishers: you will need to apply to the MSN Partner Hub, but Microsoft has temporarily paused onboarding new partners while they review and update their recruitment process. You can prepare your compliant feed now with Feed Control so it is ready to submit when onboarding reopens.
What if my CMS already produces an RSS feed?
Most CMS-generated feeds lack the namespace extensions MSN requires — such as Media RSS elements for images, Dublin Core metadata, and properly sized thumbnail images (minimum 640×360px in JPG or PNG). They also often serve feeds from dynamic URLs with query parameters, which MSN does not accept. Feed Control takes your existing feed or site content and produces a new feed that meets all of these requirements.
Can I control which articles appear in my MSN feed?
Yes. Feed Control lets you filter articles by keyword, category, or URL pattern. You can create a feed that includes only the content you want to syndicate to MSN.
How long does it take to set up?
You can generate an MSN-compliant feed in minutes. Enter your site URL in Feed Control, select the MSN template, and your feed is ready. If you are already an approved MSN partner, you can use your feed straight away. For new publishers: Microsoft has temporarily paused new partner onboarding, but now is a good time to prepare your feed so it is ready to submit to the MSN Partner Hub when applications reopen.
What image requirements does MSN have?
MSN has separate requirements for thumbnail and in-content images. Thumbnails should be at least 640×360px (1280×720px recommended) in JPG or PNG format at a 16:9 aspect ratio, with a 2MB size limit. In-content images must be at least 720px on each side and can be WebP, PNG, JPG, or GIF, up to 15MB. Articles without images are not auto-published. Feed Control extracts and formats images from your articles to meet these requirements.
Does MSN support authentication on feed URLs?
Yes. MSN supports unauthenticated feeds, HTTP Basic Auth (RFC 7517), and OAuth 2.0. Most publishers use unauthenticated feeds. Feed Control serves your feed from a public URL by default, which is the simplest option and what MSN recommends for most publishers.
Does Feed Control support slideshows and galleries for MSN?
Yes. MSN supports gallery and slideshow content types alongside standard articles. Feed Control can produce these feeds, but this feature currently requires custom setup to work with your existing publishing system. Contact us to discuss your needs.
Get started with Feed Control
Create your first MSN-compliant feed in minutes. Free 7-day trial — no credit card required.
Start Free Trial