Feed Factory troubleshooting starts with server-side reachability, Import2Content maps, plugin state, and schedule paths—not with blaming SimplePie because the remote feed is empty.
Confirm the feed URL resolves from the server, not only from your laptop. Confirm Import2Content publish rules and target category allow creation. Confirm permissions and author assignment. Confirm duplicate detection has not skipped the item because it was already imported. Confirm the remote feed actually published new items since last successful fetch. Confirm system and content plugins are enabled when your workflow depends on them.
Inspect raw feed items for description or content fields and fix Import2Content field map. Some feeds ship title and link only; body will stay thin unless you accept that limitation or enrich content outside Feed Factory.
Fix feed or Import2Content category setting, save, and manual fetch. Move already-imported articles manually if editors already filed them under the wrong menu story.
Check enclosure or image map in Import2Content. Check remote URL blocking or hotlink protection. For Helix layouts use Helix Compat Media Bridge with Feed Factory 6.0.17 or newer for image sync, and Helix Format with 6.0.18 or newer for format-specific media fields. Helix Format does not substitute for Media Bridge when the problem is paired featured and intro images.
Confirm scheduled task or CLI path points at the real fetch flow documented for your installed version. Run manual fetch from administrator and compare results. Check server logs for HTTP failures, timeouts, or PHP memory limits. Confirm cron user can create articles under configured author.
Enable the Finder or Search plugin as needed, confirm articles are published and accessible to the search context, and re-index Smart Search after large imports.
Confirm Helix Compat is installed with Helix Format On, Apply Helix blog format is on for that feed, and Feed Factory version meets 6.0.18 for the Import2Content fieldset. Separate missing format from missing images using Integrations guidance.
Expected if the site still points at free public feed. Feed Factory 6.0.x is Pro; configure private Pro update channel from your purchase.
Restore backup, retry on staging, read package UPGRADE and CREDITS before next attempt, and email support with Joomla version, old RSS Factory Pro version, and exact failure text.