Podroll Podcast Recommendations

This guide explains how Podroll works in Pocket Casts, where to find it in the mobile app, and how podcast creators can add Podroll recommendations to their show’s RSS feed. Support for the Podcasting 2.0 RSS tag was added in the Pocket Casts mobile apps starting with version 7.89.

A Podroll is a list of podcasts that a show’s creator personally recommends. These recommendations are gathered from the podcast’s RSS feed using the podroll tag. Podroll helps creators share their favorite shows with listeners, making recommendations more personal and building a stronger connection between creators and their audience.

Podroll recommendations are available in the Pocket Casts mobile apps:

1. Open the Pocket Casts app on your mobile device.
   
2. Go to any podcast’s page by tapping on the show you’re interested in.
   
3. At the top of the episode list, you’ll see three tabs:
   
   • Episodes
     
   • Bookmarks
     
   • You might like
     
4. Tap the “You might like” tab.
   • If the podcast creator has set up Podroll recommendations, you’ll see a list of shows they recommend at the top of this tab. These are labeled “Recommended shows by the creator”.
   • You may also see a list of automatically generated recommendations for similar shows.

Tap the + sign to follow a podcast. When following the podcast you will see a green checkmark. Tap the podcast title to view the Podcast’s Page and Episode list.

To unfollow a podcast, tap the podcast title to view the Podcast Page. Tap the green checkmark, then select Unfollow.

We’ve created a list of some of the podcasts that make use of Podroll in their show’s feed, which you can use to see the feature in action.

If you’re a podcast creator and want your recommendations to appear in Pocket Casts, you can follow the steps below to add the corresponding tags when editing your RSS feed by hand. Steps to add a Podroll may vary by podcast host. Please consult the documentation provided by the hosting service or contact them for more assistance.

There is no limit to how many podcasts you can list in your Podroll. However, podcast players typically have limits on how many podcasts are displayed on their platform. If you don’t add a Podroll, Pocket Casts will automatically recommend similar podcasts from the same category. For example, if you have a Technology podcast, up to 10 podcasts in the same category will be displayed.

1. Edit your podcast’s RSS feed file.
   
2. Add a <podcast:podroll> tag inside the <channel> section of your RSS feed.
   
3. List your recommended podcasts using <podcast:remoteItem> elements within the <podcast:podroll> tag.
   
4. Use the feed GUID for each recommended podcast.
   
5. Save and publish your updated RSS feed.
   
6. Pocket Casts will automatically detect your Podroll and display your recommendations in the “You might like” tab for your podcast.
   

The GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) is a special code that uniquely identifies each podcast feed. The GUID is often available in the podcast’s RSS feed as a <podcast:guid> tag.

If you need help finding a podcast’s GUID, you can use tools like PodcastIndex.org to look up the feed and its GUID.

• Podcast Namespace Specification for the Podroll tag
• How to Add Podcast Recommendations with Podroll