📌 Important: If you are not sure how or when to set a 301 Redirect, please reach out to the Simplecast support team first so you do not run the risk of losing your podcast subscribers. Do not set a 301 Redirect until the import process and setup is complete and you are ready to start publishing new episodes on Simplecast to all of the podcast directories.
📌 Important: FeedBurner will not accept or update RSS Feeds that are larger than 1 MB (1024 KB). If your show has a large catalog of episodes (300+), you may get an error when trying to set a 301 Redirect on FeedBurner because of the RSS size limit.
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If you currently publish an existing FeedBurner feed, and the original source feed exceeds the 1 MB limit, FeedBurner will not update the 'burned' version of your feed until the original drops below the limit.
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In this article:
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What is a 301 Redirect?
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How to Set a 301 Redirect on your Feedburner RSS Feed
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How to Test if the 301 Redirect is working
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How To Update the Podcast Directories & Apps after the 301 Redirect
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1. What Is a 301 Redirect for a Podcast?
The 301 redirect is like a change of address for your podcast RSS Feed URL and is necessary to keep your current subscribers when moving your show to Simplecast. Once you set a 301 Redirect, any requests from subscribers, devices, directories, and apps looking for your old RSS Feed URL will be forwarded to your new Simplecast RSS Feed URL.
The 301 Redirect will not forward any new episodes published to your old RSS Feed after importing your show to Simplecast. However, you can add the 'missing' episodes manually to your Simplecast dashboard and adjust the publishing date to match the original if needed.
2. How to Set a 301 Permanent Redirect on FeedBurner?
The following steps will show you how to permanently move your show off FeedBurner to Simplecast. Subscribers to your FeedBurner RSS feed will be automatically redirected to your Simplecast RSS Feed.
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Sign in to FeedBurner: https://feedburner.google.com
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Locate and click on the show you are moving to Simplecast
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Click on 'Edit Feed Details'
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Enter Simplecast RSS Feed in 'Original Feed' box
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Click on 'Save Feed Details'
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Confirm you see ✅ the banner up top that reads 'You have successfully updated the feed'
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Double-check your original feed is loading correctly (enter RSS Feed URL in a web browser address bar and it should open a window with the RSS Feed code)
After confirming the original feed you are redirecting to is loading correctly: -
Click on 'Delete Feed'
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*****Tick the box for 'With permanent redirection*****
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Click the 'Delete Feed' Button
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Confirm you see ✅ the banner up top that reads 'The feed has been deleted'
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Under the show title, you should see the message 'the feed is permanent redirecting to the source feed'
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Test the 301 Redirect (see video below) by entering your old FeedBurner feed in a web browser address bar and it should open your Simplecast RSS Feed.
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3. How to Test If the 301 Redirect Is Working?
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You can test to see if it is working by entering your FeedBurner RSS Feed URL in a web browser address bar and click Enter/Return.
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If the URL in the address bar changes to your Simplecast RSS Feed URL, then the 301 Redirect is working!
4. How to Update the Podcast Directories & Apps
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First, confirm the 301 Redirect is set and working.
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The 301 Redirect should update Apple Podcasts and many other podcast directories automatically, but it is recommended you do sign into Apple Podcasts Connect and confirm you are seeing the Simplecast RSS Feed URL.
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There are a few directories that you may need to update manually with your Simplecast RSS Feed such as the list below.
• Spotify for Podcasters
• iHeart
• TuneIn
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Once you confirm the 301 Redirect is working and the podcast directories are updated with your Simplecast RSS feed URL, the moving process is complete!
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You will publish new episodes and manage your show from your Simplecast dashboard and the directories will update automatically update the next time they check your Simplecast RSS Feed.
📌 Here is a complete list of links and instructions for how to update a show's feed URL in the podcast directories here.
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Related Articles
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Still have questions? We'd be happy to answer them. You can reach our Support Team at support@simplecast.com!