Build your own XML feed for job boards | Recruit CRM

What this feature does and when to use it?

The Job Board XML Feed feature allows you to automate job postings to external job boards and receive applicants directly into Recruit CRM. While Recruit CRM offers native integrations with select job boards, XML feeds provide the flexibility to connect with additional job boards that support XML-based job imports.

Use this feature when:

• You want to automate posting jobs to job boards that do not have a native Recruit CRM integration.

• You manage multiple job boards and need a standardized way to distribute jobs.

• You want applicants from external job boards to be captured directly in Recruit CRM.

• You need more control over the XML structure required by a specific job board.

• You want to reduce manual job posting efforts and minimize data entry errors.

The XML feed is generated dynamically using your job data and configured placeholders, ensuring that job information stays up to date automatically whenever changes are made within Recruit CRM.

1. By default, only the Account Owners and Admins can create XML feeds. You can also grant access to build XML feed to users on custom roles.

2. You can only create 10 XML feeds at a time on the Business Plan. On the Pro plan, you can only build 1 XML feed.

3. Only available on the Pro, Business and Enterprise Plan.

Why XML feed?

An XML feed is a structured data format used to distribute job listings across different platforms, including job boards. It provides a standardized and machine-readable way to share job-related information.

The XML feed follows a specific format organizing details like job titles, descriptions, locations, requirements, and application instructions.

Job boards consume the feed to display job listings consistently on their platforms. With the automatic transfer of applicant information, this functionality saves time and reduces errors.

Here's how you can create your job feed:

1. Head over to Admin Settings >> Job Settings >> Build Job Feed XML >> click on the "Create Your XML Feed" button to get started.

2. Add a name to your feed to identify the feed and to track candidates, as it also serves as the 'Source' of the applicants applying from the job board. Thus, an ideal choice would be to use the name of the job board itself.

3. Add XML header:

The XML header is the static component of the XML feed and remains consistent across all jobs, as it is used to define the structure and formatting of the XML file. You will find it in the XML documentation provided by the job board you wish to integrate with.

You can use the "Last updated on" placeholder in the XML header to allow job boards to fetch the time at which the XML was updated.

Ensure that you include the XML body before closing the tags in the XML header. The XML body contains variable information that requires placeholders. To easily add these placeholders, utilize the 'Add XML Body Placeholder' button located at the top right of the window.

4. Add XML body:

The XML body is the main content of the XML feed as it contains It includes the actual job posting details, such as job title, description, location, requirements, job slug and application instructions.

Click here to know how to find the Job Slug

A slug is a unique code that Recruit CRM uses to identify each record.

Here’s how you can find it for a job:

Open the job profile.
Look at the web address (URL) at the top of your browser.
The text that comes after the last “/” in the URL is the slug.
For example:

For example, if your job URL is https://app.recruitcrm.io/jobs/12345, then 12345 is the job slug.

The image below will give you more clarity on the same:

To add the content under the 'XML Body', you can refer to the sample code provided by the job board in their documentation.

Input the required data for a single job here, and the system will automatically regenerate it for the remaining jobs.

Only utilize fields in the XML that correspond to the available job data. For instance, if the XML includes a field named <Post Code>, but your job posting does not have this information, you should exclude the postcode field from the XML.

Replace the sample data or empty spaces in the XML feed with the appropriate placeholders. By doing so, the XML feed will dynamically incorporate the relevant details from Recruit CRM for each job, eliminating the need for manual entry.

When replacing values in the XML feed with placeholders, only replace the pre-filled values with the corresponding placeholders. This ensures that the dynamically populated job data from Recruit CRM is correctly integrated while retaining any other existing values or content in the XML feed.

You can also add the Job's company logo to the custom XML feed. By adding the logo URL to the feed, the jobs will appear with the company logo on job boards.

5. Please ensure the XML body has been set up accurately, as the syntactical errors can be identified, however, errors in missing data or fields are not identifiable.

6. You can preview the XML feed to ensure that it meets all the requirements in terms of structure, content, and overall appearance.

7. Once you have set up your XML content, proceed to generate the feed by using the 'Submit' button. The generated XML feed once saved, allows you to make edits or updates as necessary through the Admin Settings.

Here's an example of how you can create the XML feed for Xing

To access the documentation for the Xing e-recruiting feed, please visit the following link: https://dev.xing.com/partners/job_integration/feed_docs#parameter-country

1. Navigate to the example feed and locate the static part, which encompasses the feed's format, structure, and type. Paste this static component into the header section of your feed.

2. The XML header encompasses the content from the beginning of the feed until the opening tag <postings> is encountered. It concludes with the closing tag </postings> and is followed by the closing tag </feed> to finalize the feed structure.

3. Ensure that you place the 'XML Body Placeholder' between the opening tag <postings> and the closing tag </postings>. This will indicate the specific section where the dynamic content will be inserted within the XML header.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<feed xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:schemaLocation="https://dev.xing.com/jobs/xsd">
   <postings>
     {xml_body}
   </postings>
</feed>

4. The XML body, which contains the variable information related to individual jobs, begins with the opening tag <posting>. Within this tag, you will find various job details that can be customized for each specific job entry.

5. You can find out which of the fields are necessary for job postings in Xing, and create your feed in accordance with that.

6. Here, some data can be static, that you want to keep contact for all jobs, others could be dynamic which are to be replaced by placeholders.

7. In this example, the value associated with CDATA is to be replaced by placeholders in the parentheses is to be replaced by placeholders to dynamically generate these values from job profiles and post them on the job board.

8. Once all the relevant data is added, do not forget to close the tag on the posting.

The XML body will identify any errors in the syntax. However, if the error is an error in the posting or anything else other than the syntactical error, it will not be identified.

9. You can refer to the image below for more notes by Xing:

Here's an example to create the XML feed for Jooble

To access the documentation for the Jooble XML feed, please visit the following link:

https://jooble.org/files/XML-feed/EN/jooble-xml-4job.pdf

1. Add the static component of the feed as reflected below:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<jobs>
{xml_body}
</jobs>

2. The beginning of the variable component that is to be added to the XML body is signified by the <jobs> tag. Remember to close the tags after filling in the job details.

This is what it would look like:

<job id=" ">
  <link><![CDATA[{job_application_url}]]></link>
  <name><![CDATA[{job_title}]]></name>
  <region><![CDATA[{job_locality}]]></region>
  <description><![CDATA[{job_description}]]></description>
  <company><![CDATA[]]></company>
  <pubdate>...</pubdate>
</job>

3. In the XML body, replace the sample data with placeholders from the drop-down menu on the top right of the window.

4. It is important to note that not all data requires CDATA. When replacing the 'Pubdate' field with a placeholder, ensure that the placeholder is in the correct format specified for the field.

How to post jobs using the XML feed

In order for the jobs to be visible on the XML feed you have created, certain criteria need to be fulfilled first:

Please note that it's not necessary to fill the fields with the message "Required To Post On Partner Job Boards" (City, State, Country, Maximum Salary, Job Description, Currency, Salary Type) for the jobs to be posted in the custom XML feed.

However, if you’re posting to Free Job Boards, all fields marked "Required To Post On Partner Job Boards" must be completed.

The job application form should be enabled;

The Updated On date should be within the last 30 days;

'Note for candidates' should be filled in (only if the Job Description is uploaded as a file);

The "Post On Job Boards" option should be selected inside Admin Settings >> Job Custom Fields;

The job status should not be 'closed', 'on hold' or 'cancelled';
Select the custom XML feed you have created under the XML Feeds section ⬇️⬇️⬇️

You have the ability to selectively push job postings to specific XML feeds.

While adding/editing a job, you'll get an option to select the XML feeds from both the default and custom XML feeds that you have built, provided the 'Post on Job Board' option is enabled from the Job Fields settings.

While creating a new job or editing an existing one, make sure to select the custom XML feed you created in the XML Feeds section to get your jobs posted on the correct XML Feed.

By selecting the appropriate XML feeds, you can ensure that your jobs reach the intended audience through the most relevant job boards.

You also have the option to preselect the XML feeds in the Build Job Feed XML page. This means the XML Feed will automatically be selected for all the new jobs created.

If you don't want a job to be automatically posted on the custom XML Feed you can simply disable the preselection on the Build Job Feed XML or uncheck the XML Feed while creating/editing the job:

The jobs will be indexed to the job board only if the requirements given above are met.

Once the XML is created and the jobs appear on it, you can share the XML Feed URL with your point of contact at the job board to proceed.

You can either reach out to your account manager if you already have a paid account with the job board or reach out to their support team.

How to check if your job is visible in the custom XML Feed

You can check the list of jobs being pushed to your custom XML Feed by going to Admin Settings >>>>>> Build Job Feed XML.

Here you can click on "View Listed Jobs" to get a list of all the jobs in your account that currently meet the required criteria:

If the job is not visible on the XML Feed it means one of the mandatory criteria wasn't met. Please review them again here.

You can also run an Advanced Search inside the Jobs List Page to see all the jobs that have been posted on Indeed (including old jobs that are no longer being pushed to the XML feed).

Recruit CRM has the requirements mentioned above for pushing jobs to the XML feed, job boards may have additional mandatory fields such as 'Company ID'. If such fields are not available in Recruit CRM by default, you can create a custom field and input the necessary values in the relevant format to ensure they appear correctly in your XML feed.

Troubleshooting

Problem: Jobs are not appearing in the XML feed

Likely cause: One or more posting criteria for inclusion in the XML feed have not been met.

What to check:

Confirm that the job application form is enabled for the job.
Check that the job’s Updated on date is within the last 30 days.
Verify that the job status is not Closed, On Hold, or Canceled.
Ensure the Post on Job Boards option is selected inside Admin Settings > Custom Fields.
Confirm that the correct XML feed is selected for the job under the XML field section.

Resolution:

Update the job fields so that all required conditions are satisfied.
Re-save the job so the Updated on date is refreshed if needed.
Recheck the XML feed preview to confirm the job now appears.

Problem: XML feed fails validation or is rejected by the job board

Likely cause: XML syntax errors or mismatched structure compared to the job board’s specification.

What to check:

Review the XML header and body for missing or extra tags.
Confirm that opening and closing tags match.
Check that you did not accidentally remove or misplace mandatory elements required by the job board.

Resolution:

Correct any syntactical errors in the XML.
Compare your XML to the job board’s sample XML.
Use the preview again to verify that the structure is valid before sharing the URL.

FAQs

How many XML feeds can I create in Recruit CRM?

On the Pro plan, you can create only one XML feed at a time. On the Business plan, you can create up to 10 XML feeds at a time.

Who can create and manage XML feeds?

By default, only Account Owners and Admins can create XML feeds. However, you can grant access to build XML feeds to users who are assigned to custom roles in the Business and Enterprise Plans.

🎥 Here's a tutorial to help you get started!

Conclusion:

By setting up a custom XML feed in Recruit CRM, you can automate job distribution to virtually any job board while keeping all applications centralized in your database; if you need further help tailoring the XML format for a specific job board, contact your internal administrator or the Recruit CRM support team for guidance.