Description
OP3 (Open Podcast Prefix Project) is a free, open-source podcast analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. This plugin integrates OP3 with any WordPress podcast site in minutes.
What it does
- Automatic feed prefix — Adds
https://op3.dev/e/before every audio enclosure URL in your RSS feed. Works with PowerPress (Blubrry), Seriously Simple Podcasting, Podlove, and any plugin that generates a standard RSS2 podcast feed. - Dashboard widget — Shows your podcast’s downloads for the last 7 days directly on the WordPress dashboard.
- Statistics page — A dedicated admin page with download counts per episode, switchable between last 24 hours, 7 days, and 30 days.
How the OP3 prefix works
OP3 is a transparent redirect service. When a listener downloads an episode:
- Their app requests
https://op3.dev/e/yoursite.com/episode.mp3 - OP3 logs the download anonymously and immediately redirects to
https://yoursite.com/episode.mp3 - The audio file is served normally from your server
Your audio files are not modified or hosted anywhere else. Only the URL in the RSS feed changes. Listener privacy is protected — OP3 never stores raw IP addresses.
Why OP3?
- 100% free and open source — no subscription, no lock-in
- No signup required to start measuring — just add the prefix
- Open data — your stats are publicly accessible to anyone, including app developers
- Privacy-first — no raw IPs stored, no tracking pixels
- Every show automatically gets a free public stats page at
op3.dev/show/{uuid}
Requirements
- A WordPress site with a podcast RSS feed
- A bearer token from op3.dev/api/keys for statistics (the feed prefix works without one)
Privacy Policy
This plugin sends data to the external service op3.dev in two ways:
- Feed prefix — When a listener downloads a podcast episode, their request passes through
op3.devbefore reaching your audio file. OP3 logs anonymised request data (no raw IP addresses). See OP3 Privacy Policy. - Statistics API — When you view the Statistics page or Dashboard widget, the plugin makes an authenticated request to the OP3 API (
op3.dev/api/1/) to retrieve download counts for your show. No user data from your WordPress site is sent to OP3.
No data is collected from your site’s visitors beyond what OP3 records as part of the redirect.
Installation
- Upload the
podcast-analytics-for-op3folder to/wp-content/plugins/, or install via Plugins Add New Upload Plugin. - Activate the plugin.
- Go to OP3 Analytics Settings and:
- Enable the OP3 prefix
- Paste your bearer token from op3.dev/api/keys
- Enter your Show UUID (visible in your OP3 stats page URL:
op3.dev/show/{uuid})
- Open your RSS feed in a browser and confirm that audio
<enclosure>URLs start withhttps://op3.dev/e/.
FAQ
-
Does this work with PowerPress / Blubrry?
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Yes. The plugin hooks into WordPress’s RSS feed output buffer, so it is completely independent of whichever podcast plugin you use to manage your episodes.
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Can I use the prefix without an OP3 account?
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Yes. The feed prefix starts working as soon as you enable it — no token needed. The statistics section (dashboard widget and stats page) requires a bearer token from op3.dev to retrieve download data.
-
What is the difference between the API Key and the bearer token?
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On op3.dev, your API Key is your identity, but the credential used in API calls is the bearer token associated with that key. You can generate or regenerate your bearer token at op3.dev/api/keys. Paste the bearer token (not the API Key itself) into the plugin settings.
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Will this slow down my RSS feed?
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No. The URL rewriting is a regex string replacement done in PHP memory before the feed is sent to the client. It adds no network latency.
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Does OP3 store my listeners’ IP addresses?
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No. OP3 never stores raw IP addresses. It stores a rotating, salted hash of the IP that cannot be reversed, ensuring listener privacy.
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My stats page shows “No download data available yet”. Why?
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OP3 data is updated daily. If you just enabled the prefix, wait 24 hours for the first data to appear.
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Can I use the same bearer token on multiple WordPress sites?
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Yes, if you own all the podcasts. The bearer token is tied to your OP3 identity, not to a specific show. Each site needs its own Show UUID configured.
Reviews
Contributors & Developers
“Podcast Analytics for OP3” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
“Podcast Analytics for OP3” has been translated into 1 locale. Thank you to the translators for their contributions.
Translate “Podcast Analytics for OP3” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.0.2
- Fixed output buffer handling: ob_start() is now explicitly closed with ob_get_clean() on the shutdown action, ensuring correct buffer lifecycle management.
1.0.1
- Renamed plugin to “Podcast Analytics for OP3” to clarify it is a community integration, not an official OP3 product.
1.0.0
- Initial release.
- Feed prefix: automatically adds
https://op3.dev/e/to all audio enclosures in the RSS feed. - Dashboard widget: shows last 7 days of downloads.
- Statistics page: per-episode download counts with 1/7/30 day periods.
- Compatible with PowerPress, Seriously Simple Podcasting, and any RSS2 podcast feed.