Can’t read your feed. host parameter is null & No explicit tag

  • Hi there,

    We’ve been using blubrry for years and years.

    I noticed in iTunes that our feed has an error:

    Can’t read your feed. host parameter is null

    The URL in Podcast Connect is:

    https://www.asianefficiency.com/feed/podcast/

    So problem #1 is: I am not sure why that error is occurring!

    Due to a website redesign that I, unfortunately, was not a part of, the feed URL changed, and there is a redirect to point that feed to the new feed, which is:

    https://www.asianefficiency.com/podcasts/feed/

    So I thought fine – maybe Apple doesn’t like the redirect, I’ll just go to Podcasts Connect and put in the new redirected-to URL https://www.asianefficiency.com/podcasts/feed/

    When I do that, Podcast Connect doesn’t like it

    Can’t submit your feed. There is no explicit tag in your feed, or the explicit tag is empty.

    When I go to look at the feed, it looks like it’s right – I can’t see an Explicit tag anywhere.

    In Blubrry I have it set to Clean, and I even changed a Category and resaved. The category changed, but the explicit tag is still not there.

    2020-12-15_15-45-27.png

    Any ideas what I can do to get that explicit tag in there and either way, have my feed working again?

    Thank you!

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
  • Plugin Support Shawn

    (@shawnogordo)

    Hi brooksd,

    Do this:
    1.) Log in to your WordPress site
    2.) Go to PowerPress >> Settings >> Feeds tab
    3.) Check the box next to Do not allow other plugins to modify podcast feeds. and click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the page
    4.) Clear any site caches, if applicable

    Then, go to the Advanced tab of PowerPress settings and tell me if either Category Podcasting or Custom Podcast Channels is enabled. Don’t check any boxes that aren’t already checked. Just tell me if either of those options is already checked.

    Thread Starter brooksd

    (@brooksd)

    Thanks so much for your quick reply!

    I went in and checked the Do not allow box as you requested.

    Yes, Category Podcast is checked

    2020-12-15_17-25-13.png

    Here are the settings:

    2020-12-15_17-26-46.png

    That URL that you can’t quite see that is cut off is:

    https://www.asianefficiency.com/podcasts/feed/

    Hope this helps. Thank you again!

    Plugin Support Shawn

    (@shawnogordo)

    Hi brooksd,

    Thanks for the clarification. Go to the Category Podcasting settings page in the screenshot, hover over the Podcasts link right under the Category Name header. Click the Edit link that pops up underneath.

    On the next page, click the Feeds tab; click the Apple Settings link on the left; find the Explicit dropdown menu and choose either Yes or Clean (you must pick one); click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the page and llear any site caches, if applicable.

    Let me know when that’s done and I’ll take another look at your podcast RSS feed.

    Thread Starter brooksd

    (@brooksd)

    Wow, didn’t even know about that setting! I think that got the explicit tag in there now:

    <itunes:author>Asian Efficiency</itunes:author>
	<itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:image href="https://asianefficiency.com/images/podcast/the-productivity-show.jpg" />
	<itunes:owner>

    Do you think I should go to iTunes and try entering the “redirected” URL https://www.asianefficiency.com/podcasts/feed/ for the feed? Or will that cause other issues?

    Plugin Support Shawn

    (@shawnogordo)

    Hi brooksd,

    The Explicit tag is populated now. However, there are still other problems with the feed.

    Cast Feed Validator is reporting that your WordPress site is using Cloudflare, which can cause issues sometimes with podcast RSS feeds. Not sure if Cloudflare is the source, but something is injecting some additional code at the very bottom of your podcast RSS feed:
    <!--A5350--><!--L0-->

    You may want to contact support for the company hosting your website and see if they can determine what’s injecting that code and turn it off. The feed won’t parse properly until that code is removed.

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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