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brand Substack
tagline Start a newsletter. Subscription-based publishing platform where writers own their audience.
category Newsletter
website https://substack.com

Substack — Information Architecture

Overview

A subscription newsletter platform where independent writers publish directly to their email subscribers. Substack's mental model is "your own publication" — each writer runs an independent newsletter/blog with free and paid tiers, and Substack handles payments, delivery, and hosting. Key differentiators: writer-owned mailing lists (portable), a 10% revenue cut model (no ads), Substack Notes (short-form social feed), Substack Chat (community), podcast/video hosting, Substack Reads (reader app), and the Leaderboard showcasing top publications.

Site Map

├── Substack Home (substack.com)
│   ├── Discover / Browse
│   │   ├── Categories
│   │   │   ├── Culture, Politics, Technology, Business, Finance
│   │   │   ├── Science, Health, Sports, Food & Drink
│   │   │   └── Faith, Music, Art, Comics, Fiction, Crypto...
│   │   ├── Leaderboard (top free + paid publications)
│   │   ├── Staff Picks / Featured
│   │   ├── Trending Posts
│   │   └── Recommendations from writers you follow
│   ├── Substack Reads (reader inbox)
│   │   ├── Inbox (latest from subscriptions)
│   │   ├── Activity (likes, comments, restacks from network)
│   │   └── Filter: All / Free / Paid
│   ├── Notes (short-form feed)
│   │   ├── Timeline (from subscriptions + recommendations)
│   │   ├── Create Note (text, images, links, quotes)
│   │   ├── Restack (like retweet)
│   │   ├── Like / Comment
│   │   └── Discover tab
│   └── Search (writers, publications, posts)
├── Individual Publication (writer.substack.com or custom domain)
│   ├── Home
│   │   ├── Hero (publication name, tagline, subscribe CTA)
│   │   ├── Latest Posts
│   │   ├── Popular Posts
│   │   └── About / Bio
│   ├── Archive
│   │   ├── All Posts (chronological, paginated)
│   │   ├── Filter: Free / Paid
│   │   └── Search within publication
│   ├── About Page
│   │   ├── Writer Bio
│   │   ├── Publication Description
│   │   └── Subscribe CTA
│   ├── Post / Article
│   │   ├── Title, Subtitle
│   │   ├── Author, Date
│   │   ├── Body Content
│   │   │   ├── Rich Text (headings, paragraphs, quotes)
│   │   │   ├── Images
│   │   │   ├── Embedded Audio Player (podcast)
│   │   │   ├── Embedded Video
│   │   │   ├── Footnotes
│   │   │   ├── Buttons / CTAs
│   │   │   ├── Paywall Break (content below is paid-only)
│   │   │   └── Pullquotes
│   │   ├── Like (heart) Count
│   │   ├── Comments Section
│   │   │   ├── Threaded Comments
│   │   │   ├── Writer Pinned Comment
│   │   │   └── Like on Comments
│   │   ├── Share (copy link, Twitter, email)
│   │   ├── Restack (share to your own Substack Notes)
│   │   ├── Gift Link (bypass paywall for friends)
│   │   └── Subscribe CTA (end of post, sticky bar for non-subscribers)
│   ├── Podcast Player (if podcast publication)
│   │   ├── Episode List
│   │   ├── Audio Player (persistent mini player)
│   │   └── RSS Feed Link
│   ├── Chat (community)
│   │   ├── Threads (topic-based)
│   │   ├── Real-time Messages
│   │   └── Subscriber-only access
│   └── Subscribe
│       ├── Free (email newsletter)
│       ├── Paid (monthly / annual price, set by writer)
│       ├── Founding Member (higher tier, optional)
│       └── Group Subscriptions
├── Writer Dashboard
│   ├── Home (stats overview)
│   ├── Posts
│   │   ├── Published
│   │   ├── Drafts
│   │   ├── Scheduled
│   │   └── Editor
│   │       ├── Title + Subtitle
│   │       ├── Rich Text Body (block editor)
│   │       ├── Image Upload
│   │       ├── Audio Upload (podcast)
│   │       ├── Video Upload
│   │       ├── Add Paywall Break
│   │       ├── Add Button / CTA
│   │       ├── Preview (email + web)
│   │       ├── Send Options
│   │       │   ├── Section (if multiple sections)
│   │       │   ├── Audience: Everyone / Free only / Paid only
│   │       │   ├── Publish: Now / Schedule
│   │       │   ├── Social preview (title, subtitle, image)
│   │       │   └── Email subject line override
│   │       └── Import (from WordPress, Ghost, etc.)
│   ├── Notes (create/manage)
│   ├── Chat (manage threads)
│   ├── Subscribers
│   │   ├── List (name, email, type, subscribed date)
│   │   ├── Import Subscribers (CSV)
│   │   ├── Export Subscribers (portable mailing list)
│   │   ├── Growth Analytics
│   │   └── Segments (free, paid, comp, founding)
│   ├── Stats
│   │   ├── Subscriber Growth (chart)
│   │   ├── Revenue / MRR
│   │   ├── Post Performance (opens, clicks, views)
│   │   ├── Email Open Rate
│   │   ├── Web Views
│   │   ├── Top Posts
│   │   └── Churn Rate
│   ├── Settings
│   │   ├── Publication Details (name, description, logo, colors)
│   │   ├── Custom Domain
│   │   ├── Sections (multi-section newsletter)
│   │   ├── Payments (Stripe connect, pricing, free trial)
│   │   ├── Recommendations (cross-promote other Substacks)
│   │   ├── Email Settings (sender name, reply-to)
│   │   ├── Comments Policy
│   │   ├── Homepage Layout
│   │   ├── SEO / Social Preview
│   │   └── Import / Export
│   └── Payments
│       ├── Stripe Dashboard Link
│       ├── Earnings History
│       ├── Substack Fee (10% of paid revenue)
│       └── Payout Schedule
├── Reader Settings
│   ├── Account (email, password)
│   ├── Subscriptions (manage all)
│   ├── Billing (paid subscriptions list)
│   ├── Notifications (email frequency, app push)
│   ├── Reading Preferences
│   └── Privacy
└── Substack App (mobile)
    ├── Inbox (subscriptions feed)
    ├── Notes (short-form feed)
    ├── Search / Discover
    ├── Activity
    └── Profile

Navigation Model

Layer Pattern Behavior
Substack Home Top Bar Fixed Substack logo, Search, "Start writing" CTA, Sign In, user avatar
Substack Home Tabs Horizontal tabs Inbox, Notes, Discover
Publication Top Bar Fixed, publication-branded Publication name/logo, Home, Archive, About, Subscribe button
Sticky Subscribe Bar Fixed bottom (for non-subscribers on post page) "Subscribe to [Publication]" + email input or Sign In
Post Engagement Bar Below post, or floating Like (heart), Comment, Share, Restack
Writer Dashboard Nav Left sidebar Home, Posts, Notes, Chat, Subscribers, Stats, Settings
Mobile Tab Bar Bottom (Substack app) Inbox, Notes, Search, Activity, Profile

Content Model

Entity Key Attributes Relationships
Publication name, slug, description, logo, cover_image, custom_domain, author, pricing (monthly/annual), subscriber_count, sections[], recommendations[] belongs to Writer; has many Posts, Subscribers
Post title, subtitle, body (rich text/html), slug, type (newsletter/podcast/video/thread), audience (everyone/free/paid), published_at, scheduled_at, email_subject, section, likes_count, comments_count, web_views, email_opens belongs to Publication; has Comments, Likes
Note body (short text), media[], restack_of, likes_count, comments_count, created_at belongs to User
Subscriber email, name, type (free/paid/comp/founding), subscribed_at, source belongs to Publication
Comment body, created_at, likes_count, pinned (bool) belongs to Post and User; can be nested
Like created_at belongs to User and Post/Note/Comment
Restack note (optional commentary), original_post belongs to User (sharing mechanism)
ChatThread title, body, created_at, replies_count belongs to Publication (community)
Section name, slug, description belongs to Publication (multi-section newsletter)
GiftLink post, token, created_at, views belongs to Post (bypass paywall)

Post Delivery

Write → Publish → Email sent to subscribers + Post appears on web
Post visibility: Free (all subscribers) | Paid (paid subscribers only)
Paywall break: Content above is free preview, below requires subscription

Subscriber Types

Free subscriber → receives free posts via email
Paid subscriber → receives all posts (free + paid)
Founding member → paid at higher optional price (supporter tier)
Comp subscriber → free paid access (gifted by writer)

User Flows

Reader: Discover and Subscribe

Substack Home → Discover → Category → Publication → Read Free Post → Subscribe (free) → Upgrade to Paid

Reader: Daily Reading

Open Substack App → Inbox → Latest Posts → Tap to Read → Like → Comment → Next Post

Reader: Notes Browsing

Notes Tab → Timeline → Read Note → Restack → Comment → Discover New Writers → Subscribe

Writer: Publish Newsletter

Dashboard → New Post → Write Title + Body → Add Paywall Break → Preview Email → Set Audience → Publish Now → Email Delivered + Web Published

Writer: Podcast Episode

Dashboard → New Post → Add Audio Upload → Write Show Notes → Set as Podcast Post → Publish → Available via RSS + Email + Web

Writer: Grow Audience

Dashboard → Recommendations → Add Substacks to Recommend → Cross-promotion → New Subscriber Joins → Welcome Email Sent

Paid Subscription

Read Post → Hit Paywall → "Subscribe" CTA → Choose Plan (monthly/annual) → Stripe Payment → Unlock All Content

URL / Route Structure

# Substack Home (substack.com)
/                              → Home / Discover
/inbox                         → Reader Inbox
/notes                         → Notes Feed
/search?q=:query               → Search
/discover                      → Discover / Browse
/leaderboard                   → Top Publications
/category/:name                → Category Page
/profile/:userId               → User Profile
/settings                      → Reader Settings

# Individual Publication (writer.substack.com)
/                              → Publication Home
/about                         → About Page
/archive                       → All Posts Archive
/archive?sort=new              → Archive sorted by new
/p/:slug                       → Post / Article
/p/:slug/comments              → Post Comments
/podcast                       → Podcast Episodes
/chat                          → Community Chat
/subscribe                     → Subscribe Page
/manage-subscription           → Manage Your Subscription

# Writer Dashboard (writer.substack.com/publish)
/publish                       → Dashboard Home
/publish/posts                 → All Posts
/publish/post/:id              → Edit Post
/publish/post/new              → New Post Editor
/publish/notes                 → Manage Notes
/publish/chat                  → Manage Chat
/publish/subscribers           → Subscriber List
/publish/stats                 → Stats / Analytics
/publish/settings              → Publication Settings
/publish/domain                → Custom Domain Settings
/publish/payments              → Payments / Earnings

Search & Filter

Context Search Scope Filter Dimensions Sort Options
Global (substack.com) Publications, Posts, People Category Relevance
Inbox (reader) Subscribed posts All / Free / Paid, Publication Date
Publication Archive Posts within publication Free / Paid, Section Newest, Oldest, Popular
Subscriber List Subscribers Type (free/paid/comp/founding), Source, Date Date, Name, Type
Notes Notes from network — Latest

Responsive Behavior

Breakpoint Header Post Body Navigation
Desktop (≥1080px) Full nav bar Content centered (max 728px) Top nav, sidebar on dashboard
Tablet (768–1079px) Condensed nav Full-width content (max 728px) Top nav
Mobile (<768px) Simplified header + app banner Full-width, optimized typography Bottom tab bar (app), hamburger (web)

Reading Experience

  • Post body: max-width 728px, centered
  • Typography: serif body text, clean line height (~1.7)
  • Email-first design: posts render well in email clients
  • Images: contained or full-width
  • Footnotes: clickable inline
  • Paywall break: visible divider + subscribe CTA
  • Audio player: inline for podcast posts
  • Read time: not shown (Substack philosophy: no metrics pressure on readers)

Mobile Adaptations

  • Substack Reader app: native reading experience
  • Push notifications for new posts
  • Offline reading (cached posts)
  • Background audio for podcast posts
  • Share sheet integration
  • Deep links from email to app

Access Control

Role Read Free Read Paid Comment Write Dashboard Manage Subs
Unauthenticated ✅ (web) Preview + paywall — — — —
Free Subscriber ✅ Preview + paywall ✅ — — —
Paid Subscriber ✅ ✅ ✅ — — Own subscription
Founding Member ✅ ✅ ✅ — — Own subscription
Writer (Free Publication) ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ (subscribers)
Writer (Paid Publication) ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ + payments, earnings
Substack Admin ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Platform moderation, featuring

Ownership Model

  • Writer owns the mailing list (exportable CSV at any time)
  • Writer sets pricing (Substack takes 10% of paid subscriptions)
  • Stripe handles payments directly (writer's Stripe account)
  • Custom domain supported (DNS CNAME)
  • No ads — revenue comes only from subscriptions