WordPress.org

<p>The Substack Importer will import content from an export file downloaded from your Substack newsletter.</p>
<p>The following content will be imported:</p>
<ul>
<li>Posts and images.</li>
<li>Podcasts.</li>
<li>Comments (only for publicly accessible posts).</li>
<li>Author information.</li>
</ul>
<p>In the future, we plan to improve the importer by:</p>
<ul>
<li>Mailing lists.</li>
<li>Enhancing the performance of processing export files with many posts and media.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Development</h3>
<p>For running unit tests and contributing to the plugin, see the <a href="https://github.com/wordpress/substack-importer#development" rel="nofollow ugc">README on GitHub</a>.</p>
<p>Tests can be run with wp-env or with any local WordPress setup paired with a Docker MySQL container. Run <code>composer install</code> first, then <code>vendor/bin/phpunit</code>.</p>
<h3>Hooks</h3>
<p>The Substack Importer provides filters and actions at key stages of the content conversion pipeline.</p>
<h4>Post-level Filters</h4>
<h3>substack_importer_post_meta</h3>
<p>Filter the post metadata loaded from the Substack API before it is used for author, comments, and other post data.</p>
<p>Parameters:<br />
* <code>$post_meta</code> (array|null) – The post metadata from the Substack API response.<br />
* <code>$post</code> (array) – The raw Substack post data from the CSV.<br />
* <code>$id</code> (int) – The Substack post ID.</p>
<h3>substack_importer_raw_content</h3>
<p>Filter the raw HTML content before Gutenberg conversion. Runs after the subtitle has been prepended (if present). Useful for cleaning up Substack-specific HTML, adding custom elements, or stripping unwanted markup.</p>
<p>Parameters:<br />
* <code>$html_body</code> (string) – The raw HTML content from the Substack export.<br />
* <code>$post</code> (array) – The raw Substack post data from the CSV.<br />
* <code>$post_meta</code> (array|null) – The post metadata from the Substack API response.</p>
<h3>substack_importer_subtitle</h3>
<p>Filter the subtitle HTML before it is prepended to the post content. Return an empty string to skip the subtitle entirely.</p>
<p>Parameters:<br />
* <code>$heading</code> (string) – The subtitle HTML (default: an h2 element).<br />
* <code>$post</code> (array) – The raw Substack post data.</p>
<h3>substack_importer_post_content_after_conversion</h3>
<p>Filter the post content after Gutenberg conversion but before it is added to the WXR. Useful for wrapping paywalled content in custom blocks (e.g., membership plugins).</p>
<p>Parameters:<br />
* <code>$post_content</code> (string) – The converted Gutenberg block content.<br />
* <code>$post</code> (array) – The original Substack post data.<br />
* <code>$post_meta</code> (array|null) – Additional post metadata from Substack API.</p>
<h3>substack_importer_post_data</h3>
<p>Filter the final post data array before it is added to the WXR.</p>
<p>Parameters:<br />
* <code>$post_data</code> (array) – The post data.<br />
* <code>$post</code> (array) – The original Substack post data.</p>
<h4>Content Conversion Filters</h4>
<h3>substack_importer_converted_node</h3>
<p>Filter the result of a single node conversion to a Gutenberg block. Allows modification of the block name and attributes. Return a null block_name to skip the node.</p>
<p>Parameters:<br />
* <code>$block_data</code> (array) – Array with ‘block_name’ and ‘block_attributes’ keys.<br />
* <code>$node</code> (DOMElement) – The converted DOM node.<br />
* <code>$node_name</code> (string) – The original HTML tag name (e.g. ‘p’, ‘div’, ‘h2’).</p>
<h3>substack_importer_image_result</h3>
<p>Filter the image node conversion result. Useful for adjusting image sizes, captions, or link destinations.</p>
<p>Parameters:<br />
* <code>$result</code> (array) – Array with ‘block_attributes’ and ‘node’ keys.<br />
* <code>$image_data</code> (array|null) – The decoded image data from the Substack data-attrs attribute.</p>
<h3>substack_importer_pre_embed_conversion</h3>
<p>Short-circuit the embed node conversion before default handling. Return a non-null array to skip the built-in switch statement entirely. Useful for handling unsupported embed types or overriding the default conversion for a specific provider.</p>
<p>Parameters:<br />
* <code>$pre_result</code> (array|null) – Return non-null to short-circuit. Expected keys: ‘node’, ‘block_attributes’, ‘block_name’.<br />
* <code>$node</code> (DOMElement) – The embed DOM node before conversion.<br />
* <code>$parent</code> (DOMElement) – The parent DOM element.<br />
* <code>$first_class</code> (string) – The CSS class identifying the embed type (e.g. ‘youtube-wrap’, ‘tweet’).</p>
<h3>substack_importer_embed_result</h3>
<p>Filter the embed node conversion result after the default conversion. Useful for modifying embed URLs, adding custom attributes, or changing how embeds are represented.</p>
<p>Parameters:<br />
* <code>$output</code> (array) – Array with ‘block_name’, ‘block_attributes’, and ‘node’ keys.<br />
* <code>$first_class</code> (string) – The CSS class identifying the embed type.</p>
<h3>substack_importer_audio_block</h3>
<p>Filter the Gutenberg audio block HTML for podcast posts.</p>
<p>Parameters:<br />
* <code>$block</code> (string) – The Gutenberg audio block HTML.<br />
* <code>$audio_url</code> (string) – The URL of the podcast audio file.</p>
<h4>Paywall Filters</h4>
<h3>substack_importer_paywall_marker_text</h3>
<p>Filter the paywall marker text that appears in the imported content.</p>
<p>Parameters:<br />
* <code>$marker_text</code> (string) – The default paywall marker text.<br />
* <code>$node</code> (DOMElement) – The paywall node being converted.<br />
* <code>$parent</code> (DOMElement) – The parent element.</p>
<h3>substack_importer_paywall_content</h3>
<p>Filter the entire paywall conversion result. Return a non-null value to override the default conversion.</p>
<p>Parameters:<br />
* <code>$result</code> (array|null) – The conversion result, null to use default.<br />
* <code>$node</code> (DOMElement) – The paywall node being converted.<br />
* <code>$parent</code> (DOMElement) – The parent element.</p>
<h4>Actions</h4>
<h3>substack_importer_before_post</h3>
<p>Fires before a single Substack post is processed and converted. Useful for setting up state or performing actions before conversion begins.</p>
<p>Parameters:<br />
* <code>$post</code> (array) – The raw Substack post data from the CSV.<br />
* <code>$post_meta</code> (array|null) – The post metadata from the Substack API response.<br />
* <code>$id</code> (int) – The Substack post ID.</p>
<h3>substack_importer_after_post</h3>
<p>Fires after a single Substack post has been converted and added to the WXR. Useful for logging, progress tracking, or performing cleanup after each post.</p>
<p>Parameters:<br />
* <code>$post_data</code> (array) – The final post data that was added to the WXR.<br />
* <code>$post</code> (array) – The raw Substack post data from the CSV.<br />
* <code>$post_meta</code> (array|null) – The post metadata from the Substack API response.<br />
* <code>$id</code> (int) – The Substack post ID.</p>


Substack Importer


This plugin worked for me, thank you for simplifying my life ♥️


Worked fine for me

The Substack Importer allows you to import content from a Substack newsletter into your WordPress site.

stormhill

<p><strong>Bring your Substack to your WordPress site.</strong></p>
<p>Subsync automatically imports your Substack posts into WordPress, making them searchable, discoverable, and part of your website. Perfect for Substack writers who want to maintain a presence on their own domain.</p>
<h4>Why Subsync?</h4>
<p><strong>Own Your Content</strong><br />
Keep a backup of your posts on your WordPress site. If you ever decide to move platforms, you’ll have all your content ready to go.</p>
<p><strong>Improve Discoverability</strong><br />
Make your posts searchable on Google and accessible to readers who prefer your website over email subscriptions.</p>
<p><strong>Grow Your Audience</strong><br />
Give readers multiple ways to find and engage with your content. Your website visitors can browse your entire archive without needing to subscribe.</p>
<p><strong>Set It and Forget It</strong><br />
Once configured, Subsync runs automatically. New posts appear on your site within 24 hours of publication.</p>
<h4>Key Features</h4>
<ul>
<li><strong>Setup Wizard</strong> — Get started in under 2 minutes with our guided setup process</li>
<li><strong>Automatic Syncing</strong> — Daily or weekly sync keeps your WordPress site updated automatically</li>
<li><strong>Featured Images</strong> — Automatically imports and sets featured images from your posts</li>
<li><strong>Custom Post Type</strong> — Posts appear in their own section, separate from your regular blog</li>
<li><strong>Flexible Display</strong> — Use shortcodes or Gutenberg blocks to display posts anywhere on your site</li>
<li><strong>Smart Content</strong> — Shows post excerpts with “Read More” buttons that link back to your Substack</li>
<li><strong>Responsive Design</strong> — Mobile-friendly display works beautifully on all devices</li>
<li><strong>Missing Post Handling</strong> — Choose what happens when you delete a post (keep or draft)</li>
<li><strong>Clean Uninstall</strong> — Optionally removes all data when you deactivate</li>
<li><strong>Translation Ready</strong> — Fully internationalized and ready for translation</li>
</ul>
<h4>How It Works</h4>
<ol>
<li>Install and activate the plugin</li>
<li>Enter your RSS feed URL (e.g., <code>yourname.substack.com/feed</code>)</li>
<li>Run the initial sync to import your existing posts</li>
<li>Add the <code>[sstack_posts]</code> shortcode or Gutenberg block to any page</li>
<li>Your posts now display on your WordPress site!</li>
</ol>
<p>New posts are automatically synced daily (or weekly, your choice). Manual sync is always available if you want to update immediately after publishing.</p>
<h4>Display Options</h4>
<p><strong>Shortcode Usage:</strong><br />
    [sstack_posts] — Show all posts (default 10, recommended)<br />
    [sstack_posts count=”5″] — Show 5 most recent posts<br />
    [sstack_posts orderby=”title” order=”ASC”] — Sort alphabetically</p>
<p>You can also use <code>[subsync_posts]</code> or <code>[substack_posts]</code> (backwards compatibility).</p>
<p><strong>Gutenberg Block:</strong><br />
Use the “Subsync Posts” block in the editor with live preview and visual controls for number of posts, sorting, and ordering.</p>
<h4>Perfect For</h4>
<ul>
<li>Substack writers who want to maintain a website presence</li>
<li>Newsletter publishers on any platform with RSS</li>
<li>Content creators building a multi-platform audience</li>
<li>Authors keeping a backup of their content</li>
<li>Publications growing their SEO and discoverability</li>
</ul>
<h4>Pro Version Features</h4>
<p>Upgrade to <strong>Subsync Pro</strong> for advanced features:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Multi-Column Layouts</strong> — Display posts in 2 or 3 column grids</li>
<li><strong>Author Info Box</strong> — Display your bio, avatar, and subscribe button alongside posts</li>
<li><strong>Divi Module</strong> — Native integration with Divi Builder for visual page building</li>
<li><strong>Priority Support</strong> — Email support with faster response times</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://stormhillmedia.com/plugins/subsync-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">Learn more about Subsync Pro <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span></a></p>
<h4>Privacy & Data</h4>
<p>Subsync does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data from your site visitors. The plugin only reads publicly available RSS feed data. No tracking, no analytics.</p>
<h4>External Services</h4>
<p>This plugin connects to external services to function properly:</p>
<p><strong>Substack RSS Feeds and Images</strong><br />
* <strong>What:</strong> The plugin fetches your RSS feed from Substack and downloads featured images from Substack’s CDN<br />
* <strong>When:</strong> During sync operations (manual or automatic based on your schedule)<br />
* <strong>Data sent:</strong> Standard HTTP requests to retrieve publicly available RSS feed data and image files<br />
* <strong>Purpose:</strong> To display your Substack posts and their associated images on your WordPress site<br />
* <strong>Terms:</strong> <a href="https://substack.com/tos" rel="nofollow ugc">Substack Terms of Service</a><br />
* <strong>Privacy:</strong> <a href="https://substack.com/privacy" rel="nofollow ugc">Substack Privacy Policy</a></p>
<p>The plugin does not send any personal or sensitive data to external services. All data retrieved is publicly available content from your Substack publication.</p>


Subsync – RSS Sync for Substack

Sync and display your Substack posts on WordPress. Perfect for newsletter publishers.

Substack Importer vs Subsync – RSS Sync for Substack