Automate Podcast RSS Feed Creation with n8n

2. How This n8n Automation Solves the Podcast Feed Puzzle

This workflow helps you build an up-to-date podcast RSS feed automatically.
The main problem it fixes is the slow and error-prone task of updating RSS feeds by hand.
With this workflow, users get a fresh RSS feed ready to publish anytime.

It works by getting the main podcast page, finding all episode links, and cleaning duplicates.
Then, it fetches each episode’s page to pull out metadata inside JSON scripts.
That data is turned into proper RSS XML items.
At the end, a webhook serves the full feed for podcast platforms.

4. Step-by-Step Setup Guide to Automate Your Podcast RSS Feed ✏️

How to Use This Workflow in Production

Step 1: Download Workflow File

1. Find the Download button on this page to save the workflow file.
2. You do not need to build nodes from scratch.

Step 2: Import the Workflow in n8n Editor

1. Inside your n8n editor workspace, click Import from File.
2. Select the downloaded workflow file to load it.

Step 3: Configure Workflow Settings

1. Check if any node needs API keys or credentials (none required here).
2. Update any links, emails, IDs, or URLs if you want to track different podcasts.
3. The first HTTP Request node’s URL can be changed to another podcast page if needed.

Step 4: Test the Workflow

1. Run the workflow manually using the Manual Trigger to verify steps.
2. Look for errors and check the output of each node.

Step 5: Activate for Production

1. Once testing is done, activate the workflow.
2. Use the URL from the Webhook node as your podcast RSS feed source.

That is how beginners quickly deploy the automated feed without technical setup hassles.
Consider self-host n8n for more control and reliability.

How This Workflow Works: Inputs, Process, and Output

Inputs

• Source URL: The podcast overview webpage URL from ARD Audiothek.
• HTTP Requests: Webpage HTML content as strings.

Processing Steps

• Fetch the podcast overview page with HTTP Request node.
• Extract all episode links using HTML Extract node with CSS selector a[href*="/episode/"].
• Split link arrays into single items via Item Lists node.
• Remove duplicate URLs using a second Item Lists node to avoid repeats.
• Fetch each episode page separately with HTTP Request, using dynamic URL expressions.
• Extract JSON metadata script from each page using another HTML Extract.
• Parse JSON into usable objects with a Set node.
• Create RSS feed items as XML strings in a Function node.

Output

• Complete RSS XML feed string embedding all episodes.
• Final XML feed is served through Respond to Webhook node.
• The webhook URL is the podcast RSS feed address you share.

5. Customizations ✏️

• Change the initial HTTP Request URL to use another podcast on ARD Audiothek.
• Modify the CSS selectors in HTML Extract nodes if the site design changes.
• Update the itunes:category inside the Function node code to match your podcast topic.
• Add support for explicit content flags by fetching and adding itunes:explicit based on episode data.
• Replace the Manual Trigger with a Cron node to update RSS feed regularly.

6. Troubleshooting 🔧

Problem: “No links extracted from overview page.”
Cause: Website structure changed or CSS selector wrong.
Solution: Use a browser to check page HTML and fix selector in HTML Extract node.

Problem: “Parsing JSON failed in Parse JSON node.”
Cause: Script tag content changed or invalid.
Solution: Find correct script tag with metadata, update selector in extraction node.

Problem: “Webhook response empty or invalid RSS XML.”
Cause: Error in Function code or empty data.
Solution: Check JavaScript in Function node. Make sure episode data exists.

7. Pre-Production Checklist ✅

• Run the Manual Trigger and verify the overview page HTML fetch.
• Confirm episode links are extracted correctly.
• Ensure no duplicates remain after filtering.
• Check that each episode page returns valid JSON.
• Validate the resulting RSS feed XML structure online before publishing.

8. Deployment Guide

• Save and activate the full workflow.
• Copy the provided URL from the Webhook node settings.
• Submit that URL to podcast directories or platforms to use as an RSS feed.
• Watch workflow logs in the n8n dashboard to catch errors.
• Optionally switch to a Cron Trigger to keep feed up-to-date automatically.

For stable operation, consider self-host n8n.

10. Conclusion

✓ The workflow automates updating podcast RSS feeds.
✓ It removes manual errors and saves hours weekly.
→ Feed always has latest episode information.
→ The user can focus on creating content instead of feed management.

✓ There’s room to expand with socials or analytics.
✓ The process uses open web pages, no API keys needed.