Import Troubleshooting

Import Troubleshooting

Resolve common issues when importing your podcast to Castos.

Before Troubleshooting

Validate your RSS feed before importing to catch issues early:

• CastFeedValidator.com — Comprehensive validation with detailed error messages
• Podba.se — Quick feed check and episode preview

These free tools will identify most problems before you attempt an import.

Common Errors

"Invalid RSS Feed" or General Error

Cause: You entered a URL that isn't an RSS feed.

Common mistakes:

• Entering your podcast's Apple Podcasts or Spotify URL (not the same as RSS)
• Entering your podcast website URL
• Entering a partial or malformed URL

Solution:

1. Get your actual RSS feed URL from your current podcast host's dashboard
2. Or use Castos' RSS Lookup Tool to find it
3. Verify the URL starts with http://  or https://

See How to Find Your Podcast's RSS Feed for detailed instructions.

"Feed Not Found" (404 Error)

Cause: The RSS feed URL doesn't exist or is inaccessible.

Solutions:

1. Double-check for typos in the URL
2. Verify your podcast is still active on the original host
3. Check if your original host requires you to "publish" or "activate" the feed
4. Confirm the feed isn't password-protected or private

"Feed Is Locked"

Cause: Your current host has enabled the <podcast:locked>  tag, which prevents unauthorized imports.

Solution: Disable the lock setting on your current host, then retry the import.

See Unlock a Locked RSS Feed for host-specific instructions.

Validation Errors

Cause: The RSS feed contains formatting issues or invalid content.

Common issues and fixes:

Missing Episodes

Castos imports exactly what's in your RSS feed. If episodes are missing after import, they weren't in the feed.

Why Episodes Might Be Missing

Feed episode limits: Many hosts limit how many episodes appear in the RSS feed, especially on free plans. Check your current host's settings for:

• "Episodes in feed" or "Feed episode count"
• Archive or limit settings
• Premium features that unlock full feed access

Episodes not published: Draft, scheduled, or private episodes won't appear in public RSS feeds.

Cache issues: Your host may be serving a cached (outdated) version of your feed. Look for a "refresh feed" or "clear cache" option.

Unsupported file types: Episodes with unsupported audio formats (WAV, FLAC, OGG) may be excluded from the feed.

How to Fix

1. Log in to your current podcast host
2. Find feed or distribution settings
3. Increase the episode limit to include all episodes (or "unlimited")
4. Save changes and wait 10-15 minutes for the feed to update
5. Validate your feed again to confirm all episodes appear
6. Retry the import in Castos

Import Taking Too Long

Large podcast catalogs take longer to import. Import time depends on:

• Number of episodes
• Length/size of each episode
• Current server load (self-hosted RSS feeds may encounter higher server loads than a traditional podcast host)

You'll receive an email when the import completes. No need to stay on the page.

Import Completed But Something's Wrong

Episodes won't play

• Wait 15-30 minutes—files may still be processing
• If still not working after an hour, contact support

Wrong cover art or metadata

• Castos imports what's in the feed at the time of import
• Update details in your Castos dashboard after import

Episode order is wrong

• Episode order is determined by publish dates in your RSS feed
• You can reorder episodes in Castos after import

Still Having Issues?

If you've tried the solutions above and still can't import:

1. Take a screenshot of the error message
2. Copy your RSS feed URL
3. Note how many episodes should be in your podcast
4. Contact Castos support with these details

We can often identify issues by looking at your specific feed.