Import your content from Substack

You can import content and subscribers from Substack. This guide will show you how to import your Substack content (posts, images, and podcasts) to WordPress.com. Learn how to import subscribers here.

You can download a copy of your posts on Substack by following these steps:

1. Log into Substack.
2. Select “Settings” in the Publisher Dashboard menu.
3. Select “Exports” in the left-hand Settings menu, or scroll down to the “Exports” section.
4. Select the “New export” button next to “Export your data.”
5. Once your export completes, click the “Download” button next to the export with today’s date and time:

For more, see the How do I export my posts? guide from Substack.

Now that you have exported your posts from Substack, follow the steps below to import them into your WordPress.com website:

1. From your site’s dashboard, navigate to Tools → Import.
2. Select the Substack importer.

If you do not have the specific importer in the list, look for the option to use WordPress.com’s guided importer located at the top of your screen.

3. Add your Substack Newsletter URL in the box provided to import your author information and click “Continue”.
4. Upload the Substack ZIP file to the Import your content to WordPress.com section.
5. Once the file is processed, you can review the number of posts and other media items as well as the author mapping.
   • If multiple authors are detected on your Substack site, you will be presented with an option to assign each author’s content to the equivalent users on your WordPress site. Otherwise, your Substack content will be automatically assigned to your WordPress.com account user.

6. Click the “Import” button to import the content to your WordPress.com site.
7. Next, either import your Substack subscribers or click the “Skip for now” button to start the content import.

Once the import of your Substack content is complete you will see a success screen with options to:

• Customize your newsletter – customize your newsletter settings
• View content – view and edit the posts you’ve created or imported
• Check subscribers – manage the subscribers to your WordPress.com site

Some images may not transfer during import. This happens because Substack stores certain images on servers that block external downloads.

If you notice missing images in your imported posts:

1. Open the original post on your Substack site (keep your Substack account active until you’ve verified that all images have been transferred).
2. Right-click each missing image and save it to your computer.
3. In your WordPress.com dashboard, go to Media → Add New and upload the saved images.
4. Edit the affected post, remove the broken image block, and insert the newly uploaded image.

Tip: After importing, review your posts before deactivating your Substack to catch any missing images while they’re still accessible.