Podcast RSS
Enable feeds
Four requirements for a live feed with episodes:
- Enable Podcasts (General Settings)
- Enable Podcast RSS Feeds (Podcast Settings)
- RSS Enabled for This Show (Podcast Show edit screen)
- At least one published free episode with a valid enclosure (see below)
Feed URL
Default pattern:
/podcast-feed/{show-slug}/
Customize the base with Podcast RSS Feed Base on the Podcast Settings tab (default: podcast-feed).
The show edit screen RSS Feed side panel displays a read-only, copyable URL when global and show RSS are both enabled.
Episode inclusion
Included when all are true:
- Published episode
- Assigned to the show
- Access level = Free
- Include in RSS = Default or Yes
- Valid RSS enclosure exists (direct media file URL or WordPress upload)
Excluded: draft, scheduled, private, premium, manual RSS No, missing enclosure.
Manual Include in RSS = Yes cannot override premium safety rules in v1.
Enclosure resolution
Each episode needs media in Episode Media (or an Advanced RSS override).
Priority order:
- RSS Enclosure Override URL (Advanced RSS metabox), if set
- Show RSS Media Priority (audio-first or video-first)
- Canonical uploaded file or direct external media URL
Accepted sources:
- Audio Upload or Audio External URL (MP3, M4A, etc.)
- Video Upload or Video External URL when show priority is video-first or audio is unavailable
Not accepted as enclosures:
- YouTube or Vimeo page/player URLs (embed playback only)
- Episodes with Audio Source = Uploaded File but no file attached
- Episodes with Video Source = External URL but an empty URL field
Uploaded files are stored by the WordPress Media Library. MediaBlaster reads the attachment ID from CMB2’s {field}_id meta key.
RSS Readiness checklist
On each show edit screen, the RSS Readiness side panel verifies title, artwork, subtitle, owner, category, language, global RSS, show RSS, and at least one free published episode with a valid enclosure.
Troubleshooting empty feeds
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Feed URL 404 | Rewrites not flushed | Save Podcast Settings, then Settings → Permalinks → Save |
Feed loads, channel only, no <item> | missing_enclosure | Edit episode → Episode Media → upload audio or paste a direct file URL → Update |
| Side panel says RSS disabled | Global or show toggle off | Enable both RSS switches |
| Episode published but still missing | Premium or Include in RSS = No | Set Access = Free, Include in RSS = Default/Yes |
A non-blocking admin notice appears on episode edit when RSS is expected but no valid enclosure is found.
v1 limitations
- Public feeds only (no private/tokenized feeds)
- Standard RSS 2.0 + basic iTunes tags — no Media RSS or transcript namespace yet
After changing RSS or public page bases, save Podcast Settings and visit Settings → Permalinks → Save if URLs do not resolve.