Timed links on Apple Podcasts

Apple Podcasts makes it easy to connect to the content you discuss in your episode. When you provide a timed link to media across Apple services, a banner is displayed for the listener at just the right moment. For shows in English, if you don’t provide timed links, Apple Podcasts may automatically identify when another podcast is mentioned. Podcast links let the listener tap to browse or follow the show in Apple Podcasts.

Timed links appear in your transcript, on the Now Playing screen, and in a From This Episode section on your episode details page.  

How it works

Apple Podcasts will display links in two different ways: those you provide and those automatically detected.

Providing your own timed links

When you provide links in your episodes to Apple services such as Apple Books, Apple Music Classical, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple News, Apple Podcasts, Apple Sports, Stocks, Apple TV, and Shazam they’ll be displayed in Apple Podcasts, even if you add them to an episode that’s already been published. For podcasts, you can include links to a show, an episode, a trailer, a subscriber episode, or even a channel.

To provide your own timed links, choose one of the following options:

• Episode Description: Add links and timestamps directly to your episode description. Timestamps will allow links to appear at the relevant points in the transcript.
• RSS Feed: Submit links through your hosting provider and RSS feed using the <podcast:chapters> tag. If your hosting provider supports chapters, they should support links too.

Prepare your show for timed links

When you discuss a book, movie, song, or TV show that’s available on Apple platforms, you can provide a direct link in your episode description that appears to listeners at the exact moment you mention it. To take advantage of this feature:

1. Identify Opportunities: During recording, be mindful of when you mention content available on Apple Books, Apple Music Classical, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple News, Apple Podcasts, Apple Sports, Stocks, Apple TV, and Shazam.
2. Find the Links: Locate the corresponding link on the appropriate Apple platform.
   
3. Add the Timestamp: Include the link and the timestamp (01:12:35) in your episode description.
   
4. Test and Verify: After publishing, check the episode in the Apple Podcasts app to ensure the links are appearing correctly and at the right time.
   

Automatically created links

When you discuss another podcast in your episode, Apple Podcasts may detect it and automatically create a link to that show. Automatically created links are available starting with iOS 26.2 for English language podcasts. This feature is offered as a limited beta for shows in English.

Because private RSS feeds are not processed in Apple Podcasts Connect, links are not created for episodes that are not distributed to the Apple Podcasts catalog. Learn more about ways to distribute your show to listeners.

Timed link settings in Apple Podcasts Connect

Automatically created links make it easy for your listeners to take action in the moment. If you prefer not to use them, you can disable them:

1. Sign in to Apple Podcasts Connect.
2. Go to your show’s Availability tab.
   
3. Deselect the option to display links created by Apple Podcasts.
   

Custom settings for specific episodes

You can also tailor link settings for specific episodes. To do so:

1. In Apple Podcasts Connect, select the episode.
2. In the Audio section, click select the Free RSS or Subscriber Audio version of your episode.
   
3. In the Settings section, click Edit.
   
4. On the Edit Settings screen, select the media link setting you’d like to use and click Save.