Import Troubleshooting
The RSS feed is the container that holds all of your podcast’s information, details, and episodes. Podcasts are moved from one hosting service to another using the RSS feed.
RSS feed validation tools (recommended)
Before migrating your podcast to Castos, we recommend checking the RSS feed to make sure it's valid, it contains the correct number of episodes, it's accessible, and it's free of errors.
The following tools are free and do not require the podcaster to download an app or program:
- Podba.se
Errors
General error – most often, we see this when a non-RSS feed URL has been entered. Double-check that the URL entered is the RSS feed provided by the previous podcast host and isn’t a link to a website or your podcast’s page on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or another podcast app.
Inaccessible feed (“404 error”) – Verify the RSS feed URL is correct. Check for spelling errors.
Validation error – occurs when the RSS feed isn't formatted correctly or contains something it shouldn't.
- An invalid feed is often caused by one or more "invalid" characters that need to be removed or edited. For example, using a series of dashes "-" in the description or show notes to create a line break or an episode file that contains characters other than: 0-1, a-z, or A-Z
- An episode file uploaded using a filetype that isn't supported by Apple Podcasts and other podcast listening platforms. We recommend uploading audio episodes as MP3 files and video episodes as MP4 files.
Missing episodes
Castos will import exactly what is contained in the RSS feed. If the episode count is off, episodes are likely missing from the RSS feed. Below are a few reasons this might be the case:
- The original hosting platform has limited the number of episodes included in the RSS feed. Hosting platforms that offer both free and paid subscription plans may have a limitation on the number of episodes included in the RSS feed.
- The original hosting platform account settings need to be updated. We recommend double-checking with the original host to ask if they have a setting or feature that would add episodes to the RSS feed.
- Your website or feed cache needs to be refreshed.
If you're still seeing discrepancies, we recommend contacting the original hosting platform for assistance.