Podcast Website accounts come with exclusive website designs called "themes." These themes are designed for podcasts, with features highlighting your episodes and podcast information.
They're fully customizable, too! So you can change the look and feel of your website to match your podcast's brand.
Note: Podcast Websites uses a tool called WordPress to build your site. We may refer to it throughout this article. Check out the WordPress website or our other documentation for more information about the WordPress platform.
Identify Your Chosen Theme
If you have chosen one of our exclusive podcast themes, we can show you the exact steps to customize your theme.
But first, you need to know which theme you're using. You can check by:
- Logging in to the WordPress Admin Interface
- Clicking Appearance in the left sidebar
This will take you to the theme's page. The theme you currently use will be displayed in the top left corner. The theme's name is located at the bottom of the theme box.
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Tip: Want to try a different theme? Hover over another theme and click the Preview button to see how it would look on your site. |
Once you know the name of your theme, read its tutorial below for theme-specific instructions. You are currently reading the tutorial for Elsie's Theme. You can see our other theme guides here:
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If you use a third-party theme or another built-in theme like Twenty Twenty-One, these steps will differ. See your chosen theme's documentation for specific steps. |
Adding Hosts to Your Website
Elsie’s Theme, a Podcast Websites exclusive theme, makes it easy to spotlight the podcast host. You provide the host information, and Elsie’s theme will automatically add the information to the About page.
To add the host information to your Elsie’s theme:
- Click on Podcast Hosts in the left sidebar
- Click the Add New button
- This will open the Edit Podcast Host interface. Enter the following information:
a) Title: Enter the name of your host
b) Body: Enter a brief introduction about your host
c) Featured Image: Upload an image of the host. - Click Publish
Once published, the new host information will appear on your About page.
Access the Customizer
To customize your website’s look and feel, use the theme Customizer. To access the Customizer:
- In the left sidebar, hover over Appearance
- In the drop-down, click Customize
This will bring you to the Customizer interface. You can make custom changes to your website theme here.
Customizer Options
There are a few options when you enter the Customizer interface. We'll walk you through the interface below so you can use it effectively.
Theme Settings
Podcast Links
Footer Settings
Site Identity
Homepage Settings
- Homepage Featured Episode Section
- Homepage Recent Episodes Section
- Homepage Section One
- Homepage Section Two
- Reviews Section Options
Additional CSS
Menus
About Page Settings
See a specific action you'd like a tutorial for? Click on it to be taken to its instructions.
Theme Settings
Customize your site’s colors by going to Theme Settings > Site Colors.
To select from a list of color schemes, click on the drop-down menu below Color Swatch, then select a color scheme. Once selected, the new colors will appear in the live preview editor.
To manually select colors, you can use the Select Color button under the following sections:
- Light Accent Color
- Dark Accent Color
- Dark Shades Color
- Background Color
Site Identity
Click on the Site Identity tab to access any of the following customizations:
- Site Title
- Tagline
- Site Icon
Site Title
The Site Title is the name of your site. This title will appear in various places around your site, such as the home page and the footer.
To make changes, go into the Site Identity tab, then edit the text in the Site Title textbox. If you wish to remove the title altogether, leave the textbox blank.
Tagline
The Tagline is the line of text beneath the Site Title.
You can edit the tagline by changing the text in the Tagline textbox. If you wish to remove the tagline altogether, simply delete all the text in the Tagline textbox.
Site Icon
The Site Icon is an icon that is shown in browser tabs, bookmarks, and more. If you'd like to customize your site's icon, you can upload one in the Site Icon section.
To upload an image, click on the Site Identity tab, then go to the Site Icon section and click the Select Site Icon box.
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Icon images work best when they are square and at least 512 px by 512 px.Tip: Want to try a different theme? Hover over another theme and click the Preview button to see how it would look on your site. |
Episode Settings
Episode Cover Image
Want to overwrite all of your podcast episode images with a single image? You can do so by adding an Episode Cover Image at Episode Settings > Episode Cover Image.
Once in the section, click the Select Image button to upload your desired image.
Uploading an Episode Cover Image will overwrite all other episode artwork on your site, including featured images added in the Podcast Episodes individual settings.
To remove the episode cover image, you can return to this section and click the Remove Image button. You
| Don't have an Episode Cover Image, but still having trouble with your episode artwork? Check your podcast host settings or RSS feed for errors. |
Menus
The Menu section allows you to:
- Create and manage a navigation bar
- Edit Menu Logo and Text
Add noteworthy pages and links to your navigation bar. Visitors will use your navigation bar as a way to explore your site. Navigation bars on podcast websites often include pages like:
- About the Host
- Sponsors
- Merch
- Contact
Have you created pages on your website? If not, check out our page creation guide: Create Pages on Podcast Websites
You can customize your navigation bar by using the Menus section. Once in the Menus section, you can follow the steps below to build your own navigation bar.
To create a navigation bar:
- Under the Menus header, click Main
- Click + Add Items
- Click on the type of item you'd like to add. For example, if you want to add one of your pages, click on Pages.
- Click the + button next to the items you would like to add. If you are adding something that requires input (like Custom Links), fill in the information, then click Add to Menu
- If you want to remove an item, click the red x next to the item
Don't see a red x? Click the Add Items button again to make sure it's selected.
Adding your navigation bar to your website:
Once a navigation bar is created, you need to add it to your site. To do so:
- Return to the Menus section. You'll know you're here if the title text says, "You are customizing Menus"
- Under Menu Locations, click View Location
- Under Main Menu, select Main from the drop-down
This will add your navigation bar to your website.
Edit Logo Menu and Text
Click on Menu > Menu Logo to access settings for your menu logo.
From this section, you can upload an image to use as your menu’s logo.
Edit Buttons in Menu
Click on Menu > Edit Buttons in Menu to access button customization options.
| Section to Edit the Menu Buttons and Button Links in the Menu | Check the box next to Section to Edit the Menu Buttons and Button Links in the Menu to display the Support button in the navigation menu. |
| How Many Support Links? | Choose between 1-5 support links to show in the Support button dropdown. |
| Support Link [One - Five] Text and URL | Use the first textbox to add a title for the link in the Support dropdown. Use the second textbox to add a URL for the link in the support dropdown. |
| Show Subscribe Button in Menu? | Check the box next to Show Subscribe Button in Menu? to display the |
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You must add new text to the headline and second line fields for the button to appear on your live site. |
Podcast Links
Click on the Site Identity tab to access the following customizations:
- Podcast Subscription Links
- Podcast Social Media Links
Podcast Subscription Links
Use this section to add links to your podcast on your website. You can find this section through Podcast Links > Podcast Subscription Links. Once there, find the platform, then paste your podcast subscription link into the corresponding box.
Doing so will add a subscription link to your website.
Podcast Social Media Links
Use this section to add social media links to your website. You can find this section on Podcast Links > Podcast Social Media Links. Once there, find the platform, then paste the subscription link into the field.
Doing so will add a social media icon to your website. Visitors can click this icon to visit the subscription link.
Homepage Settings
Click on the Homepage Settings tab to access any of the following customizations:
- Homepage Featured Episode Section
- Homepage Recent Episodes Section
- Homepage Section One
- Homepage Section Two
- Review Section Options
Homepage Featured Episode Section
Use this section to display a prominent line of text on your homepage. You can access this section by going to Homepage Settings > Homepage Featured Episode Section.
Homepage Recent Episodes Section
Use this section to manage how many recent episodes display on the homepage. You can access this section by going to Homepage Settings > Homepage Recent Episodes Section.
You can display three, six, or nine recent episodes on the homepage.
Homepage Section One
Find the Homepage Section One options by going to Homepage Settings > Homepage Section Two. Use this section to manage the first homepage section.
| Show Section One? | Check this box to display the section on your website. |
| Upload an Image | Use this section to upload an image to display in Section One. |
| Hide Section One Image? | Check this box to hide the image from Section one. |
| Section One Paragraph Text | Use this box to enter paragraph text into Section One. |
| Add Button to Link to an Internal or External Page? | Check the box to add a button that links to another location. |
| Choose to have an internal or external link | If you chose to add a link button, select whether the link is to a location within your site (internal) or a location outside of your site (external). |
Homepage Section Two
Find the Homepage Section Two options by going to Homepage Settings > Homepage Section Two. Use this section to manage the second homepage section.
| Show Section Two? | Check this box to display the section on your website. |
| Upload an Image | Use the “Upload an Image” sections to add images to Section Two. |
| Hide First Image? | Check this box to hide the first image in Section Two. |
| Hide Second Image? | Check this box to hide the second image in Section Two. |
| Section Two Headline Text | This is the headline text that will display in Section Two on the homepage |
| Section Two Title | This is the title that will display in Section Two on the homepage. |
| Section Two Paragraph Text | This is the paragraph text that will display in Section Two on the homepage. Use to add a line break. |
| Add Button to Link to an Internal or External Page? | Choose the type of link used by the premium footer link button: - Internal Link: a link to a page within your website - External Link: a link to an outside website |
| Choose to have an internal or external link | If you chose to add a link button, select whether the link is to a location within your site (internal) or a location outside of your site (external). |
Review Section Options
The Review section pulls Apple Podcasts reviews and places them on your website.
In order for this section to display, you must first link your Apple Podcasts reviews to your site.
To link the Apple Podcasts reviews to your site:
- Return to the WordPress Admin Interface.
Be sure to save your changes before leaving the Customizer! - In the left sidebar, click Podcast Import
- Click Advanced Settings
- In the “Apple Podcast Reviews” textbox, enter the link to your Apple Podcasts reviews
- Click Save Settings
Once you have added the link, you may return to the Customizer to manage the Review Section.
Find the Review Section options by going to Homepage Settings > Review Section Options.
| Display Show Reviews? | Check this box to add a review section to your homepage. |
| Display Button for Listeners to Leave a Review? | Check this box to add a button to your review section that prompts visitors to leave a review. |
| Reviews Button Link | Enter a link to where visitors can leave a review. This link is used when visitors click the review button. |
About Page Settings
Manage your About Page by using the About Page Settings tab.
About Page Settings
Manage your About Page by using the About Page Settings tab. You can access the About Page Settings by going to About Page Settings > About Page Settings.
| Headline Text | This is the headline text that will display in the About the Podcast Section |
| Title | This is the title that will display in the About the Podcast Section |
Podcast Host Title Settings
Use the Podcast Host Title Settings tab to manage the host titles on the About page. These titles display in the host section of your About page.
Access these settings by going to About Your Page Settings > Podcast Host Title Settings.
Footer Settings
Click on the Footer Settings tab to access the following customizations:
- Premium Footer Link One Section
- Premium Footer Link Two Section
- Footer Buttons Section
- Footer Social Links Section
Premium Footer Link One Section
Use the Premium Footer Link One section to edit the first section of your footer. Access this section by going to Footer Settings > Premium Footer Link One Section.
| Display Premium Footer Link One Section above the footer on every page or on just the homepage | Choose where to display your premium footer link one section: - Display on every page - Display only on homepage - Do not display |
| Add a Background Image for Premium Footer Link One Section | Upload an image for the background of the Premium Footer Link One section. |
| Premium Footer Link One Headline Text | Use this text box to enter a headline for the Premium Footer Link One section |
| Premium Footer Link One Title | Use this text box to enter a title for the premium footer link one section |
| Premium Footer Link One Paragraph Text | Use this text box to enter paragraph text for the premium footer link one section |
| Choose to have an internal or external link | Choose the type of link used by the premium footer link button: - Internal Link: a link to a page within your website - External Link: a link to an outside website |
| Premium Footer Link One Text | Enter the URL for the premium footer link button |
Premium Footer Link Two Section
Use the Premium Footer Link Two section to edit the second section of your footer. Access this section by going to Footer Settings > Premium Footer Link Two Section.
| Display Premium Footer Link Two above the footer on every page or on just the homepage | Choose where to display your premium footer link one section: - Display on every page - Display only on homepage - Do not display |
| Premium Footer Link Two Headline Text | Use this text box to enter a headline for the Premium Footer Link Two section |
| Premium Footer Link Two Title | Use this text box to enter a title for the Premium Footer Link Two section |
| Premium Footer Link Two Paragraph Text | Use this text box to enter paragraph text for the Premium Footer Link Two section |
| Choose to have an internal or external link | Choose the type of link used by the Premium Footer Link Two button: - Internal Link: a link to a page within your website - External Link: a link to an outside website |
| Premium Footer Link Two Link Text | Enter the URL for the Premium Footer Link Two button |
Footer Buttons Section
The Footer Buttons section adds clickable buttons to your website’s footer.
| How Many CTA Buttons To Display in the Footer | Use the drop-down to select between 1 - 3 buttons in the footer. |
| Footer CTA One | Use the text boxes to enter a headline and second line of text for the first CTA button. Use the drop-down to select whether the button URL is: - Internal Link: a link to a page within your website - External Link: a link to an outside website Depending on your choice, either enter your chosen URL or use the drop-down to select an internal page to link to. |
| Footer CTA Two | Use the text boxes to enter a headline and second line of text for the second CTA button. Use the drop-down to select whether the button URL is: - Internal Link: a link to a page within your website - External Link: a link to an outside website Depending on your choice, either enter your chosen URL or use the drop-down to select an internal page to link to. |
| Footer CTA Three | Use the text boxes to enter a headline and second line of text for the second CTA button. Use the drop-down to select whether the button URL is: - Internal Link: a link to a page within your website - External Link: a link to an outside website Depending on your choice, either enter your chosen URL or use the drop-down to select an internal page to link to. |
Footer Social Links Section
Do you want social media icons in your footer? If so, go to Footer Settings > Footer Social Links Section.
Check the box next to Show “Follow Us” Icons? in order to show the social media icons in your footer. Uncheck the box to remove them.
Additional CSS
The additional CSS tab gives you a space to enter CSS into your site manually.
Not familiar with CSS? It's short for Cascading Style Sheets. You can find out more about CSS at this resource: W3 School's CSS Tutorial.