How to Fix Common Podcast Issues on Squarespace
TL;DR:
- Set up your podcast RSS feed correctly for Apple Podcasts validation
- Fix RSS feed update delays by checking domain connections and URLs
- Remove embedded images from audio files to resolve cover art problems
- Reduce RSS feed size by shortening episode descriptions
- Test your feed after every change using Apple's validators
Getting your Squarespace podcast to work properly usually comes down to a few common issues. Here's how to fix the ones that trip up most people.
Validating Your Podcast RSS Feed
When Apple Podcasts throws validation errors at your RSS feed, work through this checklist:
Enable the Blog Page – Your podcast blog needs to be live and accessible. No exceptions.
Remove Passwords – Turn off any site-wide passwords or page-specific ones. Apple's crawlers can't get through password protection.
Check Config Settings – Go to your Blog Page settings and make sure all podcast details are filled in. Set the feed change setting to "None" unless you're actively migrating.
Publish an Audio Post – You need at least one blog post with an audio block before the RSS feed will validate.
Domain Connection – Head to your domain panel and confirm everything's connected properly. This trips up more people than you'd think.
Test Everything – Use Apple's recommended validators to check your RSS feed. Fix any errors before submitting.
Always test your RSS feed after making changes. What looks fine on your end might still have validation issues.
Fixing RSS Feed Update Delays
If your episodes aren't showing up in Apple Podcasts within 24 hours, here's what to check:
URL Changes – If you changed your blog page URL, you need to update it in Apple's Podcasts Connect. Or revert to the original URL if that's easier.
Domain Panel Issues – Double-check your domain is active and properly linked in Squarespace settings. A loose connection here causes all sorts of problems.
Use Squarespace's Built-in Domain – If you're having persistent issues, try using your site's built-in Squarespace domain in Podcasts Connect instead of your custom domain. It's more reliable for updates.
Want to check if things are working? Follow your own podcast directly to see if the latest episodes show up. That tells you if the update went through.
Sorting Out Cover Art Problems
Cover art issues usually come down to embedded images in your audio files:
Remove Embedded Images – If your MP3 or M4A files have images embedded, remove them. You can do this in iTunes or similar software by clearing the artwork in the song info.
Clean Upload – Upload the cleaned audio files back to your blog post.
Episode-Specific Images – For individual episode artwork, add JPEG files between 1400×1400 and 3000×3000 pixels to each episode before uploading.
Check each audio file's metadata before uploading. Old embedded images cause confusion and display problems.
Reducing RSS Feed Size
If your RSS feed gets rejected for being too large:
Trim Episode Descriptions – Cut down your episode summaries. The text content is what bloats RSS feeds, not the audio files or artwork.
Keep descriptions informative but concise. A paragraph or two is usually enough.
FAQs
How do I know if my RSS feed is set up correctly?
Test it with Apple's recommended validators. If it passes without errors, you're good to go.
Why isn't my updated episode showing up in Apple Podcasts?
Check your domain connection first, then verify the blog URL hasn't changed without updating Apple Podcasts Connect. Updates can take up to 24 hours.
What should I do if my podcast cover art isn't appearing correctly?
Remove any embedded images from your audio files and make sure your official cover art is set in the podcast settings.
Jargon Buster
RSS Feed – The digital feed that distributes your podcast episodes to platforms like Apple Podcasts.
Audio Block – Squarespace's tool for embedding audio files in blog posts.
Domain Connection – The settings that link your custom domain to your Squarespace site.
Wrap-up
Most Squarespace podcast problems come down to RSS feed setup, domain connections, or audio file issues. Work through these systematically and you'll sort out the vast majority of problems. The key is testing after each change and keeping your setup simple.
Small fixes often solve big problems, so don't overcomplicate things.
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