To vet a podcast guest, check one piece of their recent work, listen to about 10 minutes of them speaking, confirm they are who they say they are, and ask plainly what they want to promote. If something still feels off, a 15 minute pre-interview call clears up most doubts before you give them an episode.
Most guests are fine. The point of vetting is to make sure the person fits your listeners and that the episode you imagine is the one you will get. A short, repeatable process does that without turning every booking into an investigation.
Why should you vet podcast guests at all?
An episode is a promise to your listeners. If a guest turns out to be a 45 minute sales pitch, or cannot answer basic questions about their own work, the listeners pay for it with their time.
There is also more noise than before. Gergely Orosz, who runs The Pragmatic Engineer Podcast, wrote that he gets 10 to 20 pitches a week and that the typical one is AI-written. Smaller shows see the same pattern at a smaller scale. A simple filter saves you hours.
How do you vet a podcast guest in 15 minutes?
Run the same four checks every time. Together they take about 15 minutes.
1. Check one piece of recent public work
Find something they made in the last year: a talk, a post, a paper, a product release, an open source project. Read or skim it. Does it match the expertise in the pitch? Is it their own work or a reshare?
No public work is not an automatic no. Plenty of good people work quietly. It just means the pre-interview call becomes more important.
2. Hear them speak
Listen to 10 minutes of a past podcast, talk or video. You are checking three things:
- Can they explain an idea clearly out loud?
- Do they teach, or do they keep steering back to their product?
- Do they have stories with detail, or only general advice?
If there is no recording anywhere, the pre-call is your speaking sample.
3. Confirm who they are
Check that their name, role and company line up across their profiles and their employer's site. Look at whether the work in the pitch is linked to them somewhere you trust. On Prends, guests can link their LinkedIn and GitHub so hosts can check their work before replying.
Job titles change and side projects are messy, so small gaps are normal. What you want is a person whose story holds together.
4. Ask about conflicts and payments
Ask directly: "Is there anything you want to mention on air, and is anyone paying for this appearance?" A guest promoting their own book or product is normal. A guest whose company or agency is paying to place them is a different arrangement, and listeners should hear about it. We cover disclosure rules in do podcasts pay guests.
What are the red flags in a podcast guest pitch?
None of these alone means no. Two or three together usually do.
| Signal | What it might mean | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Pitch could go to any show | Mass outreach, no research | Ask which episode they liked and why |
| Focus on your download numbers | They care about reach, not your listeners | Ask what your listeners will learn |
| No public work and no recording | Hard to judge | Book a pre-call |
| Avoids a short call | Low commitment or a script to protect | Ask once more, then pass |
| Wants approval of the final edit | Expects an ad, not an interview | Explain your editing policy up front |
| Topic list is all about their product | Promotion first | Ask for one topic with no product in it |
| Vague about who is paying | Possible undisclosed sponsorship | Ask in writing before booking |
How do you spot PR agency mass pitches?
Agency pitches are common, and many represent good guests. The ones that waste your time share a pattern: a generic subject line, three topics that fit any business show, a long bio, and no mention of a specific episode.
A simple test is to reply with one question only a person who listened could answer, such as "Which recent episode is closest to what you have in mind?" A real fit gets a real answer. A mass pitch usually goes quiet or sends the same bio again.
If the guest looks good, ask the agency for a short call with the guest directly. You want to hear how the guest talks, since they are the one on the episode.
How do you spot an AI-generated pitch?
Plenty of people use AI to help draft a pitch, and that is fine. Trouble starts when no person checked the details. Signs include praise for your show that could apply to any show, an episode title that does not exist, your name or show name slightly wrong, and topics that repeat what you already covered last month.
Treat it like the agency test. Ask one specific question. If a person replies with something thoughtful, judge the guest on their merits.
What questions should be on a podcast guest application form?
A form saves you back and forth and gives every guest the same fair shot. Keep it to about five minutes. Good podcast guest screening questions:
- Name, role and where you work.
- Links to your work: website, LinkedIn, GitHub, portfolio or publications.
- One link to a past interview, talk or video of you speaking.
- Two or three episode angles you could cover for our listeners.
- One specific story you could tell, in two or three sentences.
- What do our listeners get wrong about your topic?
- Is there anything you want to mention or promote on the episode?
- Is anyone paying, sponsoring or compensating anyone for this appearance?
- Anything you prefer not to discuss?
- Your time zone and general availability.
Question 6 does a lot of work. Guests with a real point of view answer it fast.
What should you cover on a pre-interview call?
A pre-interview call is a 15 minute chat before you commit a recording slot. It also makes the real episode better because you both know the plan. A simple script:
- Open (1 minute). "Thanks for making time. I just want to make sure we build the right episode for both of us."
- Angle (3 minutes). "Here is the angle I have in mind. Does that fit what you would want to talk about?"
- Test a question (4 minutes). Ask one real question from your list. Listen for a story, a clear point and an ending.
- Promotion and conflicts (2 minutes). "What would you like to mention? Is anyone paying for this appearance? Anything off limits?"
- Setup (2 minutes). Check their microphone, headphones and room. Ask if they can record video if your show does.
- Close (1 minute). "I will send a date and prep notes within a few days."
If the call has no energy, you can say so kindly. "I do not think this is the right episode for my listeners right now, but I would like to stay in touch." Most people appreciate a clear answer.
How do you stay fair while vetting?
Use the same checks for every guest so you are not harder on people who are new, quiet or outside your network. Judge the person on fit, clarity and honesty, not on follower count. Some of the best episodes come from people nobody else has interviewed yet.
Write down why you said no in one line. It keeps you consistent and helps if the same person pitches again later with a better angle.
Where to start
If you are building your list now, our guide on how to find podcast guests covers where to look. You can also browse people by topic on Prends' find podcast guests page, or start with AI guests.
Today, copy the ten form questions above into whatever form tool you use and send the link to the next guest who pitches you.