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How to Add an Analytics Prefix URL to your RSS Feed

Luke Brawner
Updated

Please note: Changing or adding the prefix URL will cause all listeners who have downloaded your episodes on Spotify to re-download the episodes, which will result in an analytics spike. Unfortunately, there is no workaround for this at the moment.

 

What is an Analytics Prefix?

If you use a 3rd party tracking service such as Podtrac for additional analytics insights or monetization options such as PodCorn, then each service will provide you with an Enclosure Prefix URL to be added as a 'prefix, which means before the media file URL in your RSS Feed. You may also see this noted as a 'pre-pend URL.'

 

The good news is Simplecast makes it easy to add the analytics prefix for 3rd party tracking services and you can even combine them if you want to use multiple services.
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Analytics Prefix Examples:

Podtrac: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/

PodCorn: https://pdcn.co/e/

 

This article will show you:

  1. How to add enclosure URL prefix to your Simplecast RSS Feed

  2. How to add and combine multiple analytics prefixes

  3. How to test and confirm the analytics prefix was applied correctly.

 

1. How to add an Analytics Prefix to your Simplecast RSS Feed

  1. Click on the GEAR ICON in the drop-down menu in the top-left corner of your dashboard.

  2. Select DISTRIBUTION in the lefthand side menu

  3. Click ADVANCED SETTINGS beneath the Main Feed URL

  4. Locate the ANALYTICS PREFIX field and enter the ≈ URL provided to you by Podtrac, PodCorn, etc.

  5. Click SAVE to register the update for your feed.




2. How to add and combine multiple Analytics Prefixes

  1. Click on the GEAR ICON in the drop-down menu in the top-left corner of your dashboard.

  2. Select DISTRIBUTION in the lefthand side menu

  3. Click ADVANCED SETTINGS beneath the Main Feed URL

  4. Enter the FIRST URL PREFIX the ANALYTICS PREFIX field and include https:// and be sure to leave the trailing backslash at the end (/)

  5. Enter any additional URL Prefixes without the https:// in the ANALYTICS PREFIX field directly after the first URL backslash (/). Leave the backslash (/) at the end of the last URL Prefix entered.

  6. Click SAVE in the top-right corner when finished.

Example: Podtrac + PodCorn:
https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdcn.co/e/

 


3. How To Test the Analytics Prefix:

⚠️ If Analytics Prefix URLs are not added correctly, episode audio may not play.

  1. Click on EPISODES in the top navigation menu

  2. Click on any published episode card

  3. In the sharing section, 'click to copy the MP3 download link'

  4. Paste the mp3 URL (cmd/ctrl + v) in the web browser address bar

  5. Hit Enter/Return

  6. ✅ If an audio player appears, then Enclosure URL is configured correctly.

  7. ❌ If the audio player does not appear, the Enclosure URL needs to be fixed.

 

How to remove an Analytics Prefix to your Simplecast RSS Feed

  1. Click on the GEAR ICON in the drop-down menu in the top-left corner of your dashboard.

  2. Select DISTRIBUTION in the lefthand side menu

  3. Click ADVANCED SETTINGS beneath the Main Feed URL

  4. Locate the ANALYTICS PREFIX field and remove the ≈ URL provided to you by Podtrac, PodCorn, etc.

  5. Click SAVE to register the update for your feed.

 

 

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Still have questions? We'd be happy to answer them. You can reach our Support Team at support@simplecast.com!

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