The short answer
Check the file format, transcript setting and published RSS file reference. Subscriber episodes can use a different upload route in Podcasts Connect.
Identify the route
Apple accepts VTT or SRT transcripts through RSS; subscriber episodes can use an upload in Podcasts Connect. Its guide explains the setting for supplied transcripts and the subsequent feed refresh.
Record the route you used. “Uploaded to my host” and “uploaded in Podcasts Connect” are not interchangeable descriptions.
Inspect the contents
Castos explains that WebVTT begins with WEBVTT and contains timed captions. Renaming a text file to .vtt is not conversion. An original structural example:
WEBVTT 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:04.000 Welcome to our paper workshop.
A real transcript must match the episode. One sample caption demonstrates syntax; it does not meet that editorial goal.
Check availability conditions
Apple documents language and quality requirements, advises allowing at least 24 hours for new episodes, and points to warnings in Audio and Transcripts. Private feeds outside its catalog do not have the same transcript availability.
Record the public file URL, format, language, setting and warning text. Consult the linked documentation for current supported languages. A transcript on your host’s webpage alone does not prove that a listening app has ingested it.
A checklist to take with you
Tick items as you go. Checks reset when you leave this page.
Sources & scope
These original sources support the factual guidance above. Examples, diagrams and observation worksheets were prepared for this guide; they are not reports of hands-on tests.
Source check: October 23, 2026. Platform behavior can change. Check the linked official documentation when a control or requirement differs.
Keep reading
Add chapter timestamps to an Apple Podcasts episode description →A published episode is missing from Apple Podcasts: a checking order →