Roku Search Feed feature unlocks a powerful new way for users to discover your content. With Roku Search Feed, your app's video content will appear directly in the Roku platform search results.
- Increased Discoverability: Attract new users by exposing your content to a wider audience through Roku's platform-wide search.
- Streamlined User Experience: Simplify content discovery for existing users by allowing them to find and access your videos quickly and easily without needing to navigate directly to your app.
- App Download Prompts: If a user finds content they like and doesn't have your app, Roku will prompt them to download it, driving new installations.
If you do not have a Roku app, reach out to your Account Manager or OTT Sales Team for more info on adding a Roku app to your site.
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Adding required metadata
Roku Search Feed will only index your content if you have added specific pieces of required metadata. In your OTT admin site, click on the “Content” dropdown and navigate to a collection or individual video. Metadata fields are found on the General, Distribution, and Discovery tabs of videos and collections. For each piece of content, specific metadata is required:
Episodes
- Subscription Plans: A plan must be added to an episode. Episodes without plans will not appear.
- Media Type: The Media Type field must be set to Episode
- Episode Number: Episode number needs to be assigned.
- Genre: At least one genre must be assigned, choose the closest fit to your content type from the pre-defined genre list.
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Rating: You must set a value for each rating sub-field.
- Rating: e.g. ‘TV-PG’
- Location: US or no location
- Rating Board: e.g. ‘USA Parental Rating’
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Release Date: Date the video was released and location.
- Location: US or no location
Series
- Visibility - The series must be set to published
- Thumbnail - You need to set a Thumbnail for the series
- Contain Minimum One Season - The series must contain a minimum of one published season with at least one episode (see Episode required fields)
Seasons
- Visibility - Season must be set to published
- Contain Minimum One Episode: The season must contain least one episode (see Episode required fields)
- Season Number: The season must specify the season number.
Movies
- Visibility - The Movie must be set to published and the Primary video of the Movie must be added to a subscription plan. Movies without plans will not appear in the Roku search.
- Thumbnail: You need to set a 16:9 Thumbnail for the episode
- Media Type: The Media Type field must be set to Movie
- Genre: At least one genre must be assigned. Choose the closest fit to your content type from the pre-defined genre list.
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Rating: You must set a value for each rating sub-field.
- Rating: e.g. ‘TV-PG’
- Location: US or no location
- Rating Board: e.g. ‘USA Parental Rating’
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Release Date: Date the video was released and location.
- Location: US or no location
Enabling the Roku feed
Once you have added the required metadata to your videos, contact your Account Manager and ask them to enroll you in the Roku Feed program. They will coordinate with the Vimeo OTT Apps team who will then update your Roku app to include the feed. App updates and resubmission to Roku typically take ~2-3 weeks. Once your app update is approved and live, search updates typically take 24 hours to start appearing in Roku Search.
Roku search looks across all channels so your videos may not show for generic searches like “yoga” or “horror movies”. The more informative and specific you can make your title and description the more easily your content will be found in Roku’s search feed.