Best Practices
Feed setup
- Choose a stable feed slug before submitting to directories.
- Use HTTPS.
- Complete all required podcast fields.
- Use square artwork, ideally 3000 x 3000 pixels.
- Publish at least one feed-ready episode before submitting.
- Keep the feed URL stable after approval.
Episode workflow
- Use Edit for Feed for podcast app metadata.
- Use Edit for Website for richer website content.
- Keep media URLs direct and durable.
- Check Feed Ready before expecting an episode in the feed.
- Use scheduled status for future releases.
Media hosting
- Use a media host that supports byte-range requests.
- Avoid expiring signed URLs for public podcast feeds.
- Test large-file playback in multiple podcast apps.
- Keep backups of original media files.
S3 storage
- Test credentials before relying on bucket URLs.
- Use a public delivery domain, not only the API endpoint.
- Confirm public read access.
- Keep local files until the bucket workflow is proven.
- Monitor Error Log after enabling storage.
Migration
- Back up the database before migration.
- Test on staging when migrating a live show.
- Review imported metadata before enabling feed takeover.
- Do not take over protected or premium source feeds.
- Keep the source plugin available until you verify the migrated feed.
Private podcasting
- Decide between RSS delivery and website-only delivery before onboarding subscribers.
- Use expiry and usage limits only when you have a clear access policy.
- Rotate tokens if a private feed URL is shared publicly.
- Keep your privacy policy aligned with subscriber records and email behavior.
Updates
- Back up database and uploads.
- Test custom hooks on staging.
- Test at least one feed URL, preview URL, and private subscriber URL after updating.