Unlock questions as listeners play a podcast or audio story

When a page has an audio player, such as a podcast episode, an interview or the article read aloud, the gated card writes questions from the recording itself. Each one opens when the listener reaches the moment that answers it. Lexy reads the questions aloud as well, so listeners can play by ear.

How Lexy finds the recording

Lexy looks for the recording in this order, and uses the first it finds:

1. Your article's structured data. An audio entry on the page's Article JSON-LD: an AudioObject with a contentUrl or url.
2. A meta tag. og:audio, og:audio:url or twitter:player:stream in the page's head.
3. The player itself. Any audio player on the page whose source is an ordinary web address, starting https:// or http://.

With the first two you name the recording yourself, which helps on a page with several players. For example:

<meta property="og:audio" content="https://example.com/audio/episode-12.mp3">

Lexy has the recording transcribed and writes the questions from what is said, each pinned to the second where its answer is heard.

What you need on the page

• An auto widget in the article, showing the gated card. See How the gated card unlocks questions.
• The player on the page itself. Lexy follows the listener's place from the player, including inside its own components. It can't see into a frame from another site.
• An address anyone can open. If it needs a login, or has expired, there are no questions from it.
• A few paragraphs of text, such as show notes. The card doesn't show on a page with very little text.

How questions unlock

• The furthest point counts. Pausing keeps it, and so does coming back later.
• The right player counts. It is the one you named, or one at least a minute long, not muted, and played.
• Listening is reading too. The listener's place in the recording also moves the reading mark, so the article's questions open as they listen.
• The card says so. Above the headline it says From this story and its audio. The count says 6 questions unlock as you read or listen, and part way, 3 more unlock as you listen.

The six questions are shared by which carries more of the story: a long episode with short show notes gets more from the recording.

Lexy reads the questions

Voice is on by default. When the reader taps Play the quiz, Lexy:

1. Introduces the game.
2. Reads each question aloud while the words light up, then listens for the answer. Readers answer out loud or tap.
3. Reacts to each answer. After a wrong one, she says the right answer and the line that gives it.
4. Reads the score at the end.

Readers can mute her, and the words still light up. Without a microphone, or if the reader says no to it, they tap.

Tapping the source above a question plays the recording from just before the moment that answers it.

Common questions

Does the recording have to be playing for Lexy to find it?

No. A recording you name, or a player with its address already set, is found when the page opens. A player that only sets its address when someone presses play is found at that moment.

Why are there no questions from my recording?

Check that the player sits on the page itself, that its address opens without a login, and that the recording has speech in it. Until then, the card asks about the text only.

Does Lexy keep a copy of my audio?

No. The address goes to be transcribed, and only the words come back.