Castos
Free Podcast Tool

Free RSS Feed Validator

Check your podcast RSS feed for errors and warnings before submitting to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other directories.

Paste your podcast RSS feed URL to check it for errors and warnings.

Checks your feed against Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Podcast 2.0 requirements. Nothing is stored.

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How To Use This RSS Validator

  1. Step 1

    Paste Your Feed URL

    Enter your podcast's RSS feed URL and click Check My Feed. Your feed is fetched and checked in seconds, and nothing is stored afterward.

  2. Step 2

    Review The Report

    See a full breakdown covering server checks, your cover image, podcast details, and every episode issue, laid out in one report instead of scattered across tabs.

  3. Step 3

    Fix What's Flagged

    Each error and warning comes with a specific suggestion, so you know exactly what to change before you submit your feed to a directory.

Catch Problems Before A Directory Does

Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other directories reject feeds that don't meet their technical requirements, often with an error message that doesn't explain what's actually wrong. This RSS validator checks your feed against those same requirements before you submit, so you find out about a missing tag or an undersized cover image from a clear report instead of a bounced submission.

Built On The Same Rules Directories Use

Every check maps to a real, published requirement: Apple Podcasts' tag and image specs, Spotify's episode requirements, and the Podcast 2.0 namespace. None of it is guesswork. Required tags, recommended tags, duplicate GUIDs, unsupported audio formats, and byte-range support are all checked the way a directory's own ingestion process would check them.

Useful For Migrations Too

Moving to a new host? the validator flags a locked feed (podcast:locked) before it becomes a migration problem, follows 301 redirects so you're always validating the feed a directory would actually fetch, and gives you a clean read on your feed's current health either way.

Feed Looking Healthy? Get More From It With Castos

  1. Upload a new episode in Castos

    Host Your Podcast

    Castos generates a clean, directory-ready RSS feed automatically, handling every required tag, image spec, and Podcast 2.0 field for you.

  2. Migrate a podcast feed to Castos

    Migrate Without Losing Your Feed

    Bring an existing show over from another host. Castos preserves your feed history so your ranking and subscribers move with you.

  3. Distribute a podcast to directories from Castos

    Publish Everywhere

    Submit your feed to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and every other directory once. New episodes distribute automatically after that.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this RSS feed validator check?
It checks your feed's XML validity, whether it's served over HTTPS, all the required and recommended podcast tags (title, description, category, cover art, author, explicit flag, and more), every episode for required fields like enclosure and GUID, duplicate GUIDs and audio file URLs, supported audio file types, HEAD and byte-range request support for your feed, image, and audio files, and Podcast 2.0 namespace tags.
Is my feed uploaded or stored anywhere?
No. This RSS validator fetches your public feed URL to run the checks and returns the report to your browser. Nothing about your feed is stored afterward.
What are the cover art requirements?
Apple Podcasts and Spotify require a square JPG or PNG between 1400x1400px and 3000x3000px, in RGB colorspace. CMYK images, non-square images, and images outside that size range will fail.
Why does it flag my itunes:explicit tag?
Apple Podcasts only accepts "true" or "false" for itunes:explicit. Older values like "yes", "no", "clean", "1", and "0" are no longer supported and will be flagged as invalid.
What does "feed is locked" mean?
The podcast:locked tag tells other hosting platforms not to import your feed without permission, guarding against unauthorized migrations. If you need to move your show to a new host, follow your current host's instructions for unlocking the feed first.
What is byte-range request support and why does it matter?
Podcast apps use HTTP byte-range requests to stream and resume episodes without downloading the whole file first. If your host or CDN doesn't support them for your feed, image, or audio files, some apps will struggle to play your show smoothly.
Do I need to fix every warning?
Errors should be fixed. They can cause directories to reject your feed. Warnings won't necessarily get your feed rejected, but fixing them (like adding episode descriptions or the itunes:duration tag) improves how your show displays and is discovered.

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