Selfhost Podcasting can import episodes from an existing podcast RSS feed.
Find the importer in Selfhost Podcasting > Manage Podcasts > open a podcast > Manage Episodes.
What the Importer Does
The importer reads a remote RSS feed and extracts episode data such as:
- Episode title.
- Episode description.
- Media URL.
- Publication date.
- Duration.
- Episode artwork.
- Episode number.
- Season number.
- Episode type.
- Explicit flag.
- Block flag.
- Transcript URL and metadata, when available.
It supports common podcast namespaces including iTunes, Podcast Index, Atom, content, and Media RSS.
Import Steps
- Open the destination podcast in WordPress.
- Go to Manage Episodes.
- Choose the import option.
- Paste the source RSS feed URL.
- Fetch the feed.
- Select the episodes you want to import.
- Import the selected episodes.
Import Cache
Fetched feed data is cached for about one hour. This avoids repeated remote fetches while you select and import episodes.
After a successful import, the cached copy is cleared.
What Happens to Imported Episodes
Each imported episode becomes a Podcast Episode post in WordPress and is attached to the current podcast.
The imported episode keeps the media URL from the original feed unless you later replace it.
If S3 bucket storage is enabled for the podcast, imported episode media can be queued for upload to the bucket.
Common Import Problems
Feed URL Is Rejected
Check that the source URL is a valid public RSS feed and starts with http:// or https://.
No Episodes Found
The source feed may not contain valid audio or video enclosures. Podcast episodes need a usable media URL.
Some Metadata Is Missing
Feeds differ in structure. If the source feed does not provide season numbers, episode artwork, transcripts, or duration, the plugin cannot import those values.
Imported Media Still Points to the Old Host
This is expected unless S3 storage is enabled and the media upload job completes. The importer imports the episode metadata and media URL. It does not automatically rewrite remote media URLs unless cloud storage processing later replaces them.