Troubleshooting Shows
Why can’t I create a new show?
Two different plan-related conditions block show creation. The error code in the API response or UI message tells you which one you’re hitting.
show_limit_reached — you’re at your plan’s boundary
This is the standard at-capacity response: your active show count is exactly at your plan limit. You have not exceeded it yet — you’re simply at the ceiling. No shows have been disabled.
How to resolve: Archive one of your existing shows to free a slot, or upgrade to a plan with a higher limit at benecaster.com/shop/plans/.
show_limit_exceeded — you’re already over the limit
This code means your active show count already exceeds your plan limit — the plan check ran and found you over. This typically happens after a plan downgrade where you had more shows than the new plan allows. One or more of your shows has already been automatically disabled.
How to resolve: The same options apply — archive a show or upgrade your plan — but note that disabled shows are still counted as active for this check (archiving a disabled show frees a slot just as archiving an active one does). See Licensing, Plans, and Show Limits → for how the auto-disable logic works and how recovery happens.
Why is a show returning 410 Gone?
A 410 response on a show’s feed URL means the show has been automatically disabled because your site is over its plan’s show limit. The response body includes an XML comment explaining the reason:
This podcast feed is temporarily unavailable while the site owner is over their plan's show limit.
This is different from an archived show — archived shows also return 410, but with a different message. If you’re seeing the over-limit message and didn’t expect it, check your Shows portfolio in Benecaster (a red banner and disabled pills will be visible) and see Shows Portfolio — Over-Limit State →.
Why is a show missing from my public site?
If a show isn’t appearing in your public show listings or archive pages, it may be disabled due to an over-limit condition. Disabled shows are hidden from public listings by Benecaster’s query filters — they remain fully visible in the Benecaster admin Shows portfolio.
Check Benecaster → Shows for the red over-limit banner. If it’s present, one or more shows are disabled and hidden. Resolve the over-limit state (upgrade or archive) to restore public visibility.
Why did I get “we couldn’t verify your plan slot right now”?
This message appears when you try to unarchive a show and the license server is unreachable. Benecaster makes a live validation call on each unarchive attempt to confirm a slot is available before proceeding.
Common causes:
- Your server’s outbound HTTP is blocked by a firewall or hosting restriction
- A temporary outage on benecaster.com
- A DNS resolution failure
How to resolve: Wait a minute and try again. If the problem persists, check that your hosting environment can reach benecaster.com on port 443. Contact support if outbound connectivity looks fine from your end.
Why did an unarchive fail with “show limit reached”?
When you unarchive a show, Benecaster makes a live call to the license server. If that call confirms your plan is at or over capacity, the unarchive is blocked with the message:
Unarchiving this show would exceed your plan’s show limit. Upgrade or archive another show first.
This replaces the pre-existing local-only capacity check for accounts where the license server response includes current plan state. Upgrade your plan or archive a different show, then retry the unarchive.