I can’t inform you what number of creators I’ve spoken with who really feel trapped on Substack. It’s extremely straightforward to get began, however that simplicity comes at a value. As quickly as you need to change a font, create a customized touchdown web page, or add extra superior options, the platform’s limitations change into irritating quick.
And people limitations transcend design. The deeper subject is management. On Substack, you don’t personal your content material, can’t management the way you earn, and have restricted entry to your individual subscribers.
That’s why so many creators are making the swap to WP. It offers you much more management over your design, monetization, and subscriber checklist.
After serving to dozens of writers migrate from Substack to WP, I’ve developed a simple course of that makes it manageable. The liberty and adaptability you’ll achieve are properly definitely worth the effort.
On this information, I’ll stroll you thru all the course of: transferring your posts, importing your e-mail checklist, organising a robust e-mail system, and launching your new publication with out shedding momentum.
Why Ought to You Swap From Substack to WP?
Many creators swap from Substack to WP as a result of it affords extra management, flexibility, and monetization choices. With WP, you may totally customise your web site, personal your e-mail checklist, and add options like paid memberships, on-line programs, and digital product gross sales—all with out platform charges.
Substack does an awesome job of promoting itself as the easy, all-in-one answer for publication creators. It enables you to begin publishing in minutes and handles the technical particulars for you.
However that preliminary comfort ultimately turns into a serious restriction. As your publication grows, you’ll attain the boundaries of what Substack can do.
The most important subject is the shortage of management, which implies your publication finally ends up trying like everybody else’s. You possibly can’t customise signup kinds, construct distinctive touchdown pages, or modify the format to match your model.
Plus, there’s the problem of monetization. Substack takes a ten% reduce of each paid subscription, which provides up shortly.
You’re additionally locked into their subscription mannequin, which implies you may’t promote programs, digital merchandise, or add different income streams on to your web site.
And finally, Substack controls your relationship together with your viewers. You possibly can export your checklist, however the platform dictates how your content material is delivered and what analytics you may entry. With WP, you’re within the driver’s seat.
For full particulars, see our comparability of Substack vs. WP.
What to Count on When Migrating From Substack to WP
Migrating your publication may sound intimidating, nevertheless it’s simpler than you suppose. I’ll break it down into clear, manageable steps.
Right here’s a fast overview of what we’ll do collectively:
- Set Up Your WP Basis: We’ll select a dependable host, set up WP, and create the brand new residence in your publication.
- Export and Import Your Copy: I’ll present you how one can obtain your posts and subscriber knowledge from Substack and transfer it safely into WP.
- Construct Your New E-mail System: We’ll join your web site to knowledgeable e-mail advertising service, providing you with full management over your campaigns and automations.
- Finalize the Migration: We’ll import your subscriber checklist, add redirects so that you don’t lose visitors, and customise your web site to match your model.
By the tip of this tutorial, you’ll have knowledgeable publication platform that you simply totally personal and management.
Step 1: Set Up Your WP Online presence
Step one is to arrange the WP web site that can function the brand new vacation spot in your content material.
To do that, you’ll want two issues: a site title and WP internet hosting. Whereas the WP software program is free, internet hosting is the place your web site’s information are saved on-line.
I at all times suggest Bluehost to new customers. They’re an formally really useful WP host, their help is superb, they usually make setup extremely easy. Plus, they provide WPBeginner readers a particular deal that features a free area title for the primary 12 months.
Options: Should you’d reasonably discover different choices, Hostinger and SiteGround are additionally nice selections. I’ve used each on different tasks and had good experiences.
To get began, head over to the Bluehost web site and click on the ‘Get Began Now’ button.
On the following display, you’ll select a internet hosting plan.
For many publication websites, the Primary plan has every little thing you want. You possibly can at all times improve later in case your wants develop.
After that, you’ll arrange your area title, and this half is vital.
Should you’re beginning with a model new area, you may declare your free area now by typing it into the ‘Create a brand new area’ field.
But when you have already got a customized area linked to your Substack web site (like mynewsletter.com), select ‘I’ll create my area later.’ This avoids any downtime when you full the migration.
Why arrange your area later? 🤔 Should you level your customized area to WP too early, your Substack web site will go offline in the beginning is moved over. I’ll present you precisely when and how one can replace it later on this information.
After you end signing up, Bluehost will routinely set up WP for you.
Simply log in to your Bluehost account, discover your new web site, and click on the ‘Edit Web site’ button. That can take you straight to your WP dashboard.
Should you’re utilizing a special host or need extra steerage on this half, take a look at our full information on how one can set up WP.
Step 2: Implement the Vital Importer Plugins
To import your posts from Substack, you’ll want to put in two free plugins. The primary one is the Substack Importer, nevertheless it depends on a core instrument known as the WP Importer to work appropriately.
It’d sound slightly technical, however I’ll stroll you thru the quickest technique to get it arrange.
Put together the WP Importer
Put together the WP Importer
In your WP dashboard, go to Instruments » Import. On the backside of the checklist, you’ll see ‘WP.’ Simply click on the ‘Implement Now’ hyperlink.
As soon as it finishes putting in, the hyperlink will change to ‘Run Importer.’
Right here’s an vital step: click on ‘Run Importer’ now, despite the fact that you’re not importing something but. This prompts the instrument so the Substack Importer works later. Should you skip it, you’ll get an error.
After that, you’ll land on the importer’s add display—however you may ignore that for now. We’re prepared to put in the following plugin.
Implement the Substack Importer
Subsequent, you should set up the Substack Importer plugin, which can deal with the precise format of your Substack export. For detailed directions, you may see our information on how one can set up a WP plugin.
As a result of you’ve already activated the principle WP Importer instrument, this plugin will set up appropriately with none points. Your web site is now totally ready to import your Substack content material, which I’ll present you how one can do in Step 4.
Step 3: Export Your Copy From Substack
Now, we have to return to Substack one final time to obtain your whole content material. This contains your posts, drafts, and your subscriber checklist.
It’s worthwhile to log in to your Substack account and go to your publication’s dashboard. As soon as there, you must click on on ‘Settings’ within the prime menu and scroll down till you discover the ‘Export’ part.
You will note an choice to ‘Export your knowledge’. Go forward and click on the ‘New export’ button.
Substack will create a .zip file so that you can obtain that comprises your whole posts and pictures. This zip file may also comprise a CSV file together with your subscribers’ e-mail addresses and different info. It might take a couple of minutes if in case you have a number of content material.
When the export file is prepared, you’ll be notified by e-mail, and you may click on the ‘Obtain’ button to reserve it to your laptop. This file is certainly one of your Most worthy belongings, so reserve it someplace protected.
Step 4: Import Your Posts into WP
Now for the thrilling half! Let’s transfer your content material onto your new WP web site. Because of the plugin you put in, this course of is generally automated.
Return to your WP dashboard and navigate to Instruments » Import. It’s best to now see ‘Substack’ within the checklist of obtainable importers.
Click on the ‘Run Importer’ hyperlink beneath it.
The plugin will ask you to add the file you bought from Substack. Click on ‘Select File’ and choose the .zip file containing your put up export.
The plugin additionally supplies an elective discipline to enter your Substack URL. This can assist with importing feedback and creator particulars, however you may depart it clean in order for you.
Then, click on ‘Add file and import’.
On the following display, you’ll be requested to assign an creator for the imported posts. You possibly can create a brand new creator or assign them to your current WP consumer account.
Earlier than you proceed, ensure to examine the field subsequent to ‘Obtain and import file attachments.’
This is a vital step that tells WP to avoid wasting all the photographs out of your Substack posts to your new web site, so nothing will get left behind.
Click on ‘Submit’ to start. The importer will now work its magic, creating new WP posts for every article out of your Substack file. This may take a couple of minutes.
As soon as it’s completed, go to Posts » All Posts. It’s best to see your whole Substack articles proper there in WP! Take a second to click on on a couple of and ensure the content material and formatting look right.
Step 5: Set Up Your E-mail Publication System
WP doesn’t ship e-mail newsletters by default, which is a serious distinction from Substack.
As an alternative, you want a devoted e-mail advertising service to handle your subscribers and ship your newsletters. This provides you way more energy and adaptability.
I like to recommend utilizing Fixed Contact. It’s extremely beginner-friendly, integrates completely with WP, and affords highly effective options like automation and analytics that go method past Substack.
With Fixed Contact, you may section your viewers, A/B check your topic traces, create lovely touchdown pages, and see detailed stories on who opens and clicks your emails.
First, you’ll want to join a Fixed Contact account. When you’re in, you should create a brand new e-mail checklist in your subscribers.
Then, you may simply join your WP web site to Fixed Contact utilizing the WPForms plugin. It’s the most effective type builder for WP and allows you to create lovely publication signup kinds that routinely add new subscribers to your Fixed Contact checklist.
We have now an entire, step-by-step information on how one can add e-mail subscriptions to your WP weblog. This tutorial will stroll you thru organising Fixed Contact, making a signup type with WPForms, and putting it in your new web site.
Step 6: Shift Your Subscriber Record
It’s time to maneuver your most vital asset: your subscribers. This step requires care to make sure a clean transition in your readers.
Essential: Earlier than you import any contacts, I strongly suggest sending one ultimate e-mail out of your Substack account. It’s best to let your viewers know concerning the transfer, clarify the advantages, and inform them to look out for emails out of your new system. It is a key step for sustaining belief and guaranteeing your new emails don’t get marked as spam.
It’s worthwhile to log in to your Fixed Contact account. Then, go to the ‘Contacts’ part and search for the ‘Add Contacts’ button.
You’ll see an choice to add from a file, as you see within the screenshot beneath.
First, you’ll have to unzip the export file you downloaded from Substack. Inside, search for the CSV file containing your subscribers. The filename will often be one thing like email_list.your-publication-name.csv.
Fixed Contact will information you thru mapping the columns (like matching the ’e-mail’ column to the e-mail discipline). Add these subscribers to the brand new checklist you created.
Bear in mind, you must solely e-mail individuals who have given you permission. That ultimate e-mail you despatched from Substack is a good way to respect your viewers and remind them they signed up.
As soon as they’re imported, I like to recommend making a easy welcome e-mail sequence in Fixed Contact to re-engage them on the brand new platform.
Step 7: Level Your Area to WP
Together with your content material and subscribers moved, you’re able to make your new WP web site dwell in your official area. The steps rely upon the way you arrange your area in Step 1.
If You Registered a New Area With Bluehost
You’re all set!
Bluehost routinely pointed the area to your WP web site, so that you don’t have to do the rest.
If You Have a Unique Area From Substack
Now could be the time to level it to your new host. You’ll do that by altering the area’s nameservers.
It’s worthwhile to discover the nameservers in your new host (for instance, for Bluehost, they appear to be ns1.bluehost.com and ns2.bluehost.com).
Log in to your area registrar (the corporate the place you acquire the area, like Namecheap or GoDaddy) and discover the DNS or nameserver settings. Now, you should exchange the previous nameservers with the brand new ones out of your internet host.
Our information on how one can change area nameservers reveals you precisely how to do that with screenshots.
After you save your new nameservers, it will possibly take a couple of hours for the change to replace throughout the web. This ready interval is named DNS propagation, and it’s completely regular.
Step 8: Set Up Permalinks and Redirects
This ultimate technical step is essential for preserving your Visibility and stopping guests from hitting ‘404 Not Discovered‘ errors.
Setting Up Visibility-Pleasant Permalinks
First, we need to ensure your new WP URLs are clear and Visibility-friendly.
In your WP dashboard, go to Settings » Permalinks. Choose the ‘Article title’ possibility and click on ‘Save Adjustments’.
This creates easy URLs like yoursite.com/post-title, that are good for WP Visibility.
Now, WP ‘Article title’ permalinks are similar to the URLs that Substack creates in your posts. That can make it a lot simpler to redirect the previous put up URLs to the brand new ones.
Setting Up Redirects for Your Outdated Substack Posts
Subsequent, you should be sure that anybody visiting your previous Substack put up hyperlinks will likely be despatched to the proper web page in your new WP web site. That is known as a redirect, and it’s essential for Visibility and consumer expertise.
The excellent news is that Substack makes use of a constant URL construction for posts, like yourdomain.com/p/post-name. As a result of your new WP posts could have an analogous URL (yourdomain.com/post-name), you may arrange a single rule to redirect your whole previous posts directly.
The best method to do that is with the free Redirection plugin. First, set up and activate the plugin. Then, go to Instruments » Redirection in your WP dashboard.
Now, you simply want so as to add one new redirect rule.
Within the ‘Add new redirection’ part, you should fill out the fields like this:
- Supply URL:
^/p/(.*)$ - Goal URL:
/$1
After you enter the URLs, examine the ‘Regex’ field. It is a essential step that tells the plugin to make use of the particular rule.
Then, simply click on the ‘Add Redirect’ button.
This single rule routinely finds any hyperlink that begins with /p/ and redirects it to the identical URL with out the /p/.
For instance, a hyperlink to yourdomain.com/p/my-first-post will now routinely go to yourdomain.com/my-first-post. This protects you from having to create redirects for each single put up by hand.
Professional Tip: Should you’re utilizing the All in One Visibility (AIOSEO) plugin to spice up your rankings, it has a robust Redirection Supervisor constructed proper in. It makes this course of even simpler and is a must have instrument for any severe web site proprietor.
Discovering and Fixing Any Missed Redirects
Whereas this regex rule will redirect most of your posts, it’s a good suggestion to double-check for any that may have been missed. Typically, WP will change a put up’s URL slug through the import course of to keep away from duplicates.
For instance, should you had two Substack posts with comparable titles, then WP may change one of many new URLs to one thing like /my-post-title-2. The regex rule wouldn’t catch this particular case.
Fortunately, the Redirection plugin makes it straightforward to seek out these damaged hyperlinks.
Out of your WP dashboard, go to Instruments » Redirection after which click on on the ‘404s’ tab. This web page will log any time a customer tries to go to a web page in your web site that doesn’t exist.
Should you see an previous Substack URL on this log, it means the redirect for that particular put up didn’t work. You possibly can merely hover over the 404 error within the checklist and click on ‘Add redirect’ to create a handbook redirect for it.
For detailed directions, see our information on how one can simply observe 404 pages and redirect them in WP.
Step 9: Customise Your Web site and Go Stay
All of the technical work is finished. Now for the enjoyable half: selecting knowledgeable theme to offer your new web site its feel and look.
Selecting and Customizing Your Style sheet
Your WP theme controls all the feel and look of your web site. I like to recommend selecting a theme that’s clear, readable, and quick in order that it supplies an awesome consumer expertise in your readers.
For publication creators, themes like Sydney or GeneratePress are wonderful selections as a result of they’re light-weight and extremely customizable.
Then, simply comply with our information on how one can customise your WP theme to get the precise design you need.
It’s also possible to create a customized homepage to welcome new guests and prominently characteristic your publication signup type.
To construct belief together with your readers, it’s additionally a good suggestion so as to add a couple of important pages to your web site. This makes your publication really feel extra skilled and established.
I like to recommend creating:
- An About Section: That is the place you may share your story and clarify what your publication is about.
- A Contact Section: This provides your viewers a simple technique to get in contact with you, and you must embrace a contact type.
- A Privateness Coverage: This web page is legally required in lots of locations and reveals readers you respect their knowledge. We have now a full information on how one can create a privateness coverage in WP.
As soon as these pages are in place and also you’ve examined that your web site is working appropriately, it’s time for the ultimate step: organising your publication and asserting your transfer.
Step 10: Set Up Your Paid Publication in WP
Top-of-the-line issues about transferring to WP is that you’ve got full management over your revenue. As an alternative of paying Substack’s 10% charge, you solely pay customary cost processor charges, which implies you retain extra of your cash.
To monetize your WP content material, you’ll want a membership plugin. I like to recommend MemberPress as a result of it’s essentially the most highly effective and easy-to-use possibility available on the market. It enables you to prohibit entry to your content material in order that solely paying subscribers can view your premium publication posts.
As soon as you put in MemberPress, you may create completely different subscription ranges, identical to on Substack. For example, you would supply a month-to-month plan and a reduced yearly plan.
To get began, you may comply with our step-by-step information on how one can create a paid publication in WP. It would stroll you thru every little thing from organising MemberPress to creating your subscription plans.
However with WP and MemberPress, you may go far past a easy paid publication. It’s also possible to:
This flexibility permits you to construct a real membership enterprise round your content material, not only a publication.
For extra choices, you may see our information on how one can generate income in WP.
As soon as you might be all arrange, you may ship an e-mail to your subscribers welcoming them to the brand new web site.
You should definitely spotlight the advantages of the transfer, like a greater studying expertise or new options you’ve added. It is a nice technique to rejoice the transition and get your readers enthusiastic about the way forward for your publication.
Studying WP
Congratulations on transferring your publication to WP! You now have a robust platform that may develop proper together with your small business.
Whereas WP is highly effective, you don’t have to be taught every little thing directly. We have now loads of free sources that will help you grasp the fundamentals and get comfy.
Listed here are the most effective free sources our group has created for freshmen:
The extra you utilize WP, the extra comfy you’ll change into. Earlier than you already know it, you’ll be questioning the way you ever managed with Substack’s limitations.
Different: Let an Skilled Shift Your Publication
I’ve walked you thru all of the steps to maneuver from Substack to WP. However I do know this course of can really feel like quite a bit, particularly whenever you’d reasonably deal with creating content material.
If you wish to save time and keep away from the technical particulars, then letting an knowledgeable deal with the migration is a good possibility.
Our group at WPBeginner can do all of the heavy lifting for you. Our Skilled Companies group will deal with all the migration, from transferring your content material and subscribers to organising your new design. This fashion, you may deal with writing whereas we maintain the remainder.
One other wonderful and dependable service for web site migrations is Seahawk Media Companies. Their group of WP specialists may provide help to make a clean transition from Substack.
Utilizing knowledgeable service ensures every little thing is moved over appropriately, providing you with peace of thoughts and a brand new WP web site that’s able to go.
Often Requested Questions About Migrating From Substack to WP (FAQs)
I do know that making a transfer like this could deliver up a number of questions. That will help you out, I’ve compiled solutions to among the commonest questions I hear from creators who’re making the swap from Substack to WP.
Will I lose my subscribers after I migrate from Substack?
No, you’ll not lose your subscribers. Substack permits you to export your complete subscriber checklist as a CSV file, which you’ll then import into an e-mail advertising service like Fixed Contact. It’s vital to e-mail your checklist earlier than you progress to allow them to know concerning the change.
Can I hold my customized area title when transferring to WP?
Sure, completely. You probably have a customized area linked to Substack, you may level it to your new WP internet hosting supplier. Step 7 on this information reveals you precisely how to do this with none downtime.
Is migrating to WP costly?
The preliminary value entails webhosting, which might begin at just some {dollars} per thirty days.
Whereas Substack is free to begin, its 10% reduce of your income turns into far dearer than WP internet hosting as quickly as you begin earning profits. With WP, you management your prices and hold 100% of your income.
Do I should be a technical knowledgeable to make use of WP?
Under no circumstances. Whereas WP is extra highly effective than Substack, it’s designed to be user-friendly. Should you can write a put up in Substack, you may write a put up in WP.
For every little thing else, there are tons of free sources, together with our free WPBeginner movies and our weblog tutorials, to information you.
I hope this tutorial helped you efficiently migrate from Substack to WP. You now have full management over your publication, from design and performance to subscriber relationships and monetization choices.
We even have an final WP migration information, and you may get impressed by looking our knowledgeable checklist of fashionable websites utilizing WP as a CMS.
Should you appreciated this text, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WP video tutorials. It’s also possible to discover us on Twitter and Fb.
