iTunes description too short and CSS problem.

  • Resolved webexpress2019

    (@webexpress2019)


    6 years, 5 months ago

    Hi,

    Blubrry fetches the blog text and puts it in the description box on ITunes. This connection seems to work. But the problem is:

    • The text is too short, it gets cut of at about 25% of the real length of the text.
    • The box in which the text is displayed on iTunes looks weird, as if the CSS got ruined: (see image).

    ITunes URL:

    Any idea what has gone wrong here? 🙂

    Regards
    Johan

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Plugin Support Mike Dell

    (@benzoid)

    6 years, 5 months ago

    Hi Johan,

    In WordPress settings > Reading, what do you have the syndication feeds contain set to? Full text or Summary. It looks like Apple is showing a summary on the web preview. NOTE: it will show the content:encoded tag in the Apple Podcasts App (I think)

    -Mike
    Blubrry Support

    Thread Starter webexpress2019

    (@webexpress2019)

    6 years, 5 months ago

    Hi Mike,

    thanks for answering.

    • Syndcation feed has always been set to “Full text”.

    • Actually the complete text appeared when we activated the “iTunes Summary Field” under Episodes and inserted the text there. But we turned it off so you could check the original problem. We’ll try the “iTunes Summary Field” again.

    • Don’t get what you mean by: “NOTE: it will show the content:encoded tag in the Apple Podcasts App (I think)”. This is something you could se in the RSS file or…? Can I access that?

    Cheers,
    Johan

    Plugin Contributor Angelo Mandato

    (@amandato)

    6 years, 5 months ago

    Hello Johan,

    Looking at your feed (http://www.medstream.se/feed/podcast/) the <content:encoded> values are empty. This is an indication that the blog post content may be blank or something is filtering this data and making it blank before the feed is created.

    We are aware this is confusing, but the blog post content is considered your podcast show notes. What ever you enter here goes into the <content:encoded> field in your feed.

    The WordPress settings “Full text” option toggles this <content:encoded> value. If you turn this off, you will not have full text and HTML in your feeds, you will only have a non HTML description which is limited in length. Appears you have this set to “Full Text’ now which is great, we just need to figure out why the text in your blog post is not getting to the feed.

    The iTunes summary is an alternative entry for Apple. Since the migration to iOS Podcasts app, Apple has for the most part, abandoned the <itunes:Summary> tag. From our testing, the iOS podcast app will use the values in the following order as they are found…

    1. content:encoded
    2. itunes:summary
    3. description

    To make things more confusing, the directory (where someone searches and finds your podcast) vs subscribed to version of your podcast will appear differently in the iOS app. Late summer it appears the directory only uses the content:encoded and description data, where-as the mobile app will use the itunes summary if the content encoded is not present. Not to make matters worse, but the iTunnes desktop app only recongizes the itunes:summary.

    To keep things as simple as possible, we recommend not filling out the <itunes:summary> field in PowerPress, instead write good show notes in your blog post content (which will resolve to the <content:encoded> tag). PowerPress will then also create an <itunes:summary> version from the blog post content and WordPress will create a shortened version of your blog post content for the <description> tag.

    When viewed from the directory, links in your show notes will not work. Once someone is subscribed in the app however, when they view your show notes the links will work.

    Please see the Podcasters guide to RSS on Apple podcasts’s help to understand what is currently the recommended tags for the iOS podcast app (they are no longer documenting for the desktop iTunes app).

    Thanks,
    Angelo

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

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