> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.podigee.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.podigee.com/documentation/create-and-publish/hosting-and-management/set-up-the-podcast-website.md).

# Set up the podcast website

Configure the hosted podcast website, theme, colors, branding, sections, comments, and website mode.

Use this task to configure the website that Podigee hosts for your podcast. The website is available at the web address of the podcast, `https://<name>.podigee.io`, as soon as the podcast is published.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Classic view" %}

### What listeners see

The podcast website shows the episode list, one page per episode with the player, an archive, and an about page. It also shows the imprint and privacy policy pages when you enable them. Podigee serves the website over HTTPS. The website is public only when the podcast is published. Before that, only you see it while you are signed in. If the podcast is restricted to invited listeners, the website asks for the listener sign-in.

### Before you start

* You must be the owner of the podcast, or an organization member with the permission to edit podcast information.
* Colors: the curated color picker is available on Scale and above. Free color values are available on Pro and above. Both are also available on an older plan that includes them.
* Hide the Podigee branding and upload a favicon: available on Pro and above, or on an older plan that includes it.
* External website mode: available on Starter and above, or on an older plan that includes it.

### Choose a theme and colors

1. Open the podcast and select the **Blog** tab ("Configure your blog").
2. Under **Theme**, select one of the Podigee themes, or one of your own themes.
3. With a current Podigee theme, select the main color under **Choose color**. The picker offers 12 curated colors. On Pro and above you can enter any color as a HEX value (hexadecimal color code).
4. With an older or custom theme, upload a **Blog header image** instead (smaller than 2 MB, between 100x100 and 3000x3000 pixels). The tab notes: "These settings are only available, when you select a standard theme."
5. Save.

![The Blog tab with the Blog mode select set to Use Podigee Blog and the expanded section Choose color with Color themes, Custom color, and upgrade notices](https://2032417310-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbqUKO6lljHGzkEAzliPI%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-947dd860dd8531af13f0f08a014a15b68f843f9c%2Fdoc-hosting-009-classic-blog-mode-and-colors.png?alt=media)

The Blog tab shows the website mode and the color options; on a plan without colors the section shows the upgrade notices.

Select **Customize themes** to open the theme editor. See [Customize website themes](/documentation/create-and-publish/hosting-and-management/customize-website-themes.md).

### Remove the Podigee branding and add a favicon

1. In the **Blog** tab, go to **Podigee branding** and select **Hide**.
2. Under **Blog favicon**, upload a square image: gif, jpeg, jpg, png, or ico, up to 100 kB.
3. Save.

Without this option the tab shows: "Remove Podigee branding from your hosted website and upload your own favicon. This is included on the Pro plan."

### Enable website sections

With a current Podigee theme, the **Blog** tab offers these sections. Select **Enable section** for each one that you want to show:

* **Call to action**: enter **Headline**, **Description**, **Button text**, and **Button link**.
* **More from us**: shows the podcasts that you selected under **Podcast recommendations** in the **Feeds** tab. See [Manage podcast feeds](/documentation/create-and-publish/hosting-and-management/manage-podcast-feeds.md).
* **Imprint**: enter the **Imprint text** in Markdown.
* **Privacy policy**: enter the text in Markdown.
* **Show announcement**: enter the **Announcement text** in Markdown.

### Set comments and a tracking code

1. In the advanced settings of the **Blog** tab, select **Show comments on blog** to let listeners comment on episode pages. New podcasts have comments enabled. You moderate comments in [Moderate comments](/documentation/create-and-publish/publishing-and-distribution/moderate-comments.md).
2. If you use a web analytics service, enter a **Tracking code**. Podigee inserts the code into the website pages.
3. Save.

![The advanced settings of the Blog tab with the expanded sections Tracking code and Comments with the checkbox Show comments on blog, and the Save button](https://2032417310-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbqUKO6lljHGzkEAzliPI%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-7d9e718e819b83a7ad395212c74cabb61c91d2eb%2Fdoc-hosting-009-classic-tracking-and-comments.png?alt=media)

The advanced settings hold the tracking code field and the comments switch.

A custom theme shows comments only when its episode template includes the comments partial behind the show-comments condition. The default themes already contain it.

### Choose the website mode

The **Blog mode** select offers:

* **Use Podigee Blog**: the hosted website at `https://<name>.podigee.io`. This is the default.
* **Deactivate Podigee blog and redirect to external website**: Podigee sends every visitor of the hosted website to the address in **Website URL** (for example `https://yourwebsite.com`). Episode pages send visitors to the external address of the episode when one is set.

1. Select the mode.
2. For the external website mode, enter the address in **Website URL**.
3. Save.

### Expected result

Select **View live blog** in the **Blog** tab. The website shows the selected theme, color, sections, and branding. Changes are visible after you save. In external website mode, the hosted address redirects to your website.

### If you cannot complete the task

* A color or branding option is disabled or shows an upgrade text: your plan does not include it. The text names the plan that includes it.
* "Use of external websites is not available with your plan." appears when you save: select a mode that your plan includes.
* The sections and the color picker are missing: you selected an older or custom theme. Select a current Podigee theme.
* Comments do not appear on a custom theme: add the comments snippet to the episode template.
  {% endtab %}

{% tab title="Podigee workspace" %}
In the Podigee workspace you set up the website on the **Website** tab of **Reach**. There you change the Podigee address, set a custom domain, select the theme, and set the main color. The workspace does not include the website mode, the website sections, the comments, the tracking code, the Podigee branding, the favicon, the header image, and the theme editor. Use the classic view for these settings. You also cannot set or change a forwarding to an external website in the workspace.

The plan of the podcast owner decides which options you get, also when you are a team member. You see the form only when you have the permission to edit podcast information.

### Complete the task

1. Open the podcast. In the sidebar, select **Reach** under **Publish**. Reach opens on **Feeds**.
2. Select the **Website** tab. The tab row shows **Channels**, **Feeds**, and **Website**. The pill of the **Website** tab shows **Podigee address**, **Custom domain**, **Forwarded**, or **Not set up**.
3. Read the website address at the top of the **Your website** card:
   * A published show shows the **Website address** card with the kicker **Live** and the text "Your website is public at this address." Select **Copy link** to copy the address, or **Open** to open the website.
   * A show that is not published shows the address with the hint "Not public yet. Listeners can open the website once the show is published."
   * When the show has a custom domain, the address is the custom domain. Otherwise it is the Podigee address.
4. To change the Podigee address, go to the **Address** panel. Enter the new name in **Podigee address**. Use only letters, numbers, and dashes, up to 50 characters. Podigee changes capital letters to small letters. The hint below the field shows the form of the full address.
5. To set a custom domain, first set up the domain with your domain provider. Then enter the domain in **Custom domain**, for example `podcast.example.com`. If you paste the domain with `https://`, Podigee removes this part. To remove the custom domain, clear the field.
6. If the show is published and you changed the Podigee address or the custom domain, select **I understand that my feed and website addresses change**. Your RSS feed, your website, and the embedded players move to the new address. The old address becomes free at once, and another show can take it. A show that is not published does not show this checkbox.
7. To change the theme, go to the **Look** panel and select a theme under **Theme**. Each option shows **Podigee theme** or **Private theme**. The list shows only when two or more themes are available for the show.
8. To change the color, set **Main color**. The field depends on the plan of the podcast owner:

   * A field for a hex value (hexadecimal color code) and a color picker. Enter a value such as `#DB4615`, or use the picker.
   * A palette of 12 colors. Select one of the colors.
   * A read-only value with the hint "Your plan does not include changing the website color."

   To go back to the theme default, clear the hex value field.
9. Select **Save website**.

![The Website tab of Reach in the Podigee workspace with the Address panel, the fields Podigee address and Custom domain, and the checkbox I understand that my feed and website addresses change](https://2032417310-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbqUKO6lljHGzkEAzliPI%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-4a236b8f212bf35d25acc3c30a17271df510bc21%2Fdoc-hosting-009-website-settings.png?alt=media)

The Address panel holds the Podigee address, the custom domain, and the confirmation for a published show.

![The Website tab of Reach in the Podigee workspace with the Website address card of a published show, the kicker Live, and the Copy link and Open buttons](https://2032417310-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FbqUKO6lljHGzkEAzliPI%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-bc343a1ff2a732abae866480b1695b6c4d9610a0%2Fdoc-hosting-009-website-address.png?alt=media)

The Website address card shows the public address of a published show and lets you copy or open it.

The main color follows the saved theme. After you select a new theme, select **Save website** before you set the color. To get the code for the player on other websites, select **Get the player embed code**. See [Embed the player on your website](/documentation/create-and-publish/publishing-and-distribution/embed-the-player-on-your-website.md).

### Expected result

* Podigee shows "Website settings saved." and opens the **Website** tab again.
* The website shows the new address, theme, and color. When you changed nothing, Podigee changes nothing.
* After an address change, update the feed address in each directory right after you save, for example in Apple Podcasts. Until then, these directories do not get new episodes. Paste the embed code again on each website that embeds the player.
* A forwarding website shows "This show forwards its website to \[address]." and the link **Get the player embed code**. The tab shows no address and no form. To change the forwarding, use the classic view.

### If you cannot complete the task

When Podigee refuses a save, the tab shows "The website settings were not saved." with the list of the problems. Each field with a problem shows its own message, and the form keeps your entries.

* "Enter a name for the Podigee address.": the **Podigee address** field is empty. Enter a name.
* "Use only letters, numbers and dashes, up to 50 characters.": remove the other characters, or make the name shorter.
* "This name is reserved. Choose another one.": Podigee uses this name itself. Enter a different name.
* "Another show already uses this name. Choose another one.": a different show, or a deleted show, uses the name. Enter a different name. Podigee checks the name only when you save.
* "Your plan does not include a custom domain.": the plan of the podcast owner does not include a custom domain. The tab shows the custom domain as a read-only value and the link **See plans**.
* "Your plan no longer includes a custom domain. You can keep it or remove it.": the show keeps its custom domain. To remove it, select **Remove the custom domain**, then save.
* "Enter a domain such as podcast.example.com.": the domain contains spaces or is not a valid domain. Enter only the domain name.
* "This is a Podigee address. Enter your own domain.": you entered a Podigee address. Enter a domain that you own, or change the **Podigee address** field instead.
* "Another show already uses this domain.": a different show, or a deleted show, uses the domain. Use a different domain.
* "Confirm the address change before saving.": select **I understand that my feed and website addresses change**, then save again.
* "Enter the color as a hex value such as #DB4615.": enter a number sign and six hex digits.
* "Your plan does not include this color. Choose one from the palette.": select a color from the palette.
* "This theme is not available for this show.": select a theme from the list.
* "The website settings could not be saved. Try again.": Podigee did not save the settings. Select **Save website** again.
* The tab shows "The saved theme does not use a main color.": the saved theme has no main color. Select a current Podigee theme and save. Then set the color.
* The tab shows "You can see these settings, but you cannot change them for this show.": you do not have the permission to edit this podcast. The tab shows the Podigee address, the custom domain, the theme, and the main color as read-only values. Ask the podcast owner for the permission.
* The tab shows "This show has no Podigee website, so there is nothing to set up here.": the show has no website at Podigee. There is nothing to set up.
* Podigee shows "Show not found.": you have no access to this show. Ask the podcast owner to add you.
  {% endtab %}
  {% endtabs %}

## Next step

[Customize website themes](/documentation/create-and-publish/hosting-and-management/customize-website-themes.md), or [publish the podcast](/documentation/create-and-publish/hosting-and-management/publish-or-unpublish-a-podcast.md).


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