The Subscriber Account Page
The subscriber account page is a front-end WordPress page where subscribers can access their private feed URL, add it to a podcast app, reset their token, and download their data. Benecaster creates a /podcast-account/ page automatically on activation — the shortcode is already placed. You can use any page you like.
Setting up the Account Page
Benecaster creates a /podcast-account/ page with [benecaster_account] on first activation. The page ID is stored in the benecaster_account_page_id option. If you prefer a different URL, create a page at the path you want and add the shortcode — both pages will work, but link your members to the one you intend.
The page is only useful when a logged-in subscriber views it. Logged-out visitors see a login prompt. You do not need to restrict the page itself — Benecaster handles the authentication check.
Showing Account Info for One Show
[benecaster_account show_id="3"]
Without show_id, the shortcode shows subscriptions across all shows the current user has access to.
Showing Specific Sections Only
[benecaster_account show_id="3" sections="feed_url,app_links"]
Available sections: subscription, feed_url, token_reset, app_links, qr_code. Default is all. Token reset is a discrete section — you can include or exclude it independently of the feed URL section.
What Subscribers See
When a subscriber visits the account page while logged in, each show they’re subscribed to appears as a card.
Subscription Section
The subscription card shows the show name, their tier name, and join date.
Feed URL Section
The subscriber’s private RSS feed URL is masked by default — only the token prefix is visible until they take action. This prevents the URL from being captured in screenshots or browser history unintentionally.
Revealing the full URL: The subscriber clicks Show my feed URL (or Reset my feed URL). A two-step confirmation explains that revealing the URL for the first time is safe, and that resetting generates a new URL and invalidates the old one.
Once confirmed:
- The full feed URL is shown with a Copy button
- Podcast app deep links activate (Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro)
- The QR code renders with download buttons
The full token is never stored in browser history or page HTML — it’s delivered client-side after the reveal/reset action is confirmed.
App Links Section
After the feed URL is revealed, direct links appear to open the feed in:
- Apple Podcasts (
podcast://deep link) - Overcast (
overcast://x-callback-url/add?url=deep link) - Pocket Casts (
pktc://subscribe/deep link) - Castro (
castro://subscribe/deep link) - Spotify (shown only when the show has a Spotify entry configured in show settings — links to the show’s public Spotify page, not the private feed)
QR Code Section
After the feed URL is revealed, a QR code for the subscriber’s private feed URL renders with SVG and PNG download buttons.
See QR Codes for print dimensions and use cases.
Token Reset Section
The token reset section provides the subscriber’s self-service reset button — a dedicated section separate from the feed URL display. After confirming, they receive a new private feed URL and the old one stops working immediately. See Resetting a Subscriber’s Feed URL for what subscribers need to do after a reset.
Finding the Account Page from Your Membership Plugin
Subscribers don’t need to bookmark the account page URL — Benecaster adds links to it in common membership plugin account areas:
| Plugin | Where the link appears |
|---|---|
| WooCommerce | A “Podcast Subscriptions” tab in My Account |
| Paid Memberships Pro | A “Manage Podcast Subscriptions” link in the account page |
| MemberPress | A section added via mepr_account_home_after |
| Restrict Content Pro | A section added via rcp_after_member_profile_form |
WooCommerce: The “Podcast Subscriptions” tab requires a WordPress permalink flush after Benecaster activation. If the tab doesn’t appear, go to Settings → Permalinks and click Save — no changes needed, just a flush.
Downloading Subscriber Data
A Download my data button appears at the bottom of the account dashboard. Clicking it triggers an immediate download of benecaster-my-data.json containing:
- Account details (email, display name, registration date)
- All token records across all shows (token prefix only — the hash is never returned)
- Migration patron records (if migration tables exist for this account)
- Download history entries (if the download proxy is enabled — IP hashes are excluded)
The file downloads instantly from the browser. Nothing is stored server-side.
Avatars, Badges, and Supporter Wall (Phase 2)
Built-in membership subscribers see additional sections in the account dashboard.
Profile picture — Subscribers can upload a profile photo that appears in the admin subscriber list and, when opted in, on the Supporter Wall. The upload form includes a disclosure when the Supporter Wall is active: “Your avatar will be visible on the Supporter Wall.” Subscribers can remove their avatar at any time.
Tier badges — Badge chips assigned by the creator appear below the profile picture. These are decorative and assigned automatically based on tier or manually by the creator.
Supporter Wall opt-in — When at least one of the subscriber’s active shows has the Supporter Wall enabled, a “Show me on the Supporter Wall” checkbox appears inside the Profile picture / Badges block. Checking it makes the subscriber visible on the wall; unchecking removes them immediately — no cache flush required. Status messages inform the subscriber while the preference saves:
- “Saving…” — while the request is in flight
- “Saved” — on success
- “Could not update your preference. Please try again.” — on failure (the checkbox snaps back to its prior state)
The checkbox only appears when the Supporter Wall is active on at least one of the subscriber’s shows. Subscribers with no active show wallet do not see it.
Promote to Bridge — Grace Period Banner (Phase 2)
Subscribers who have been migrated via the Promote to Bridge wizard and are within their grace period see an amber banner at the top of their account page:
Your membership is being transferred.
Your current feed URL works until [date]. Complete your setup in [target plugin name] before then to avoid interruption.
The banner appears automatically based on the promote_grace_period_ends_at value in the subscriber’s record. It disappears once the grace period ends and the token is revoked. Subscribers whose grace period has been manually cleared by an admin also stop seeing the banner.
Free Followers
Free followers — listeners who signed up via [benecaster_follower_signup] — appear on the account page in the same way as paying subscribers. They see their public RSS feed URL, can add it to a podcast app, reset their token, and unsubscribe from emails. The only difference from a paying subscriber’s view is the absence of a billing or membership section — followers have no bridge membership and no payment history to display.
From the follower’s perspective the account page is identical to a paying subscriber’s page. There is no “follower” label or downgraded view.
Caching Warning
The account page contains subscriber-specific data and must not be cached per-user. Configure your caching plugin to exclude the account page URL.
See Caching Plugin Configuration for instructions.
