Channel fields reference
This page is for producers and administrators filling in the Apple Podcasts section of a podcast export. The
fields are stored as JSON in the column ezrss_export.podcast_head and read by eZRSSExport::podcastHead(); their
values are checked by setPodcastHead() when the export is saved (kernel/classes/ezrssexport.php).
Contents
The fields
| Field on the form | Element in the feed | Required for Apple (per the feature description) | Enter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | itunes:author | no | who makes the show, as listeners should see it |
| Owner name | itunes:owner/itunes:name | yes | the person or organization responsible for the feed |
| Owner email | itunes:owner/itunes:email | yes | an address the directory may write to; it is public in the feed |
| Artwork address | itunes:image href | yes | the full address of the cover image (Artwork and episode images) |
| Category | itunes:category text | yes | chosen from a list (below) |
| Subcategory | nested itunes:category | no | one of the chosen category's subcategories |
| Show type | itunes:type | no | Episodic - newest first (default) or Serial - oldest first |
| Language | language | no | a two-letter code such as en, or a regional one such as en-us; empty uses the siteaccess language |
| Copyright | copyright | no | for example "Copyright 2026 Example Media" |
| Subtitle | itunes:subtitle | no | one line |
| Summary | itunes:summary | no | a longer description |
| Contains explicit content | itunes:explicit | no | tick if any episode needs it; applies to every episode |
| The show is finished - no further episodes | itunes:complete | no | only when the show has ended |
| Keep the show out of the Apple Podcasts directory | itunes:block | no | only to withdraw the show |
| Moved to | itunes:new-feed-url | no | only when the feed moves to a new address |
The owner e-mail address appears in the public feed. Use a role address of the show (for example
[email protected]), not a personal one.
How values are checked
| Field | Rule (setPodcastHead()) |
|---|---|
| Artwork address, Moved to | safeURL(): white space removed, only http and https (or a relative address), at most 255 characters |
| Contains explicit content | stored as true or false; true, yes and 1 count as true; empty is false |
| The show is finished, Keep out of the directory | true, false or empty; written only when true, as Yes |
| Show type | serial stays serial; anything else becomes episodic |
| Category | kept only if Apple lists it, spelled exactly; otherwise dropped |
| Subcategory | kept only if it belongs to the chosen category |
| All other fields | safeText(): control characters removed, trimmed, at most 1024 characters |
A dropped value is not an error message; the field is simply empty when you open the export again. Check the form after saving.
Show type only tells apps how to present the show. The feed itself always lists items newest first (How a show maps to content).
Categories
The accepted list is eZRSSExport::podcastCategories(), described in the code as "the list Apple published with the
2019 revision". Top-level categories:
Arts, Business, Comedy, Education, Fiction, Government, History, Health & Fitness, Kids & Family, Leisure, Music, News, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Society & Culture, Sports, Technology, True Crime, TV & Film.
Examples of subcategories: News has Business News, Daily News, Entertainment News, News Commentary, Politics, Sports News and Tech News; Society & Culture has Documentary, Personal Journals, Philosophy, Places & Travel and Relationships; Technology, History, Government and True Crime have none. The full list is in the code. If Apple revises its list, that function is "the one place to change".
Fields from the rest of the form
| Field | Element |
|---|---|
| Name | title, itunes:title |
| Description | description |
| Access URL | the feed's own address, in atom:link rel="self" |
| Site URL | the base of link and of every episode address |
Related pages
- Building a podcast feed
- Episode mapping reference
- Moving, pausing or ending a show
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
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