How Substack's Algorithm Actually Works (And How To Make It Work For You)
Every week, someone publishes a post claiming to have cracked the Substack algorithm. Most of them are guessing.
Every week, someone publishes a post claiming to have cracked the Substack algorithm.
Most of them are guessing.
A handful are drawing on real data. And almost none of them are explaining it in a way that’s actually useful to a writer who is just starting out. Someone without 10,000 subscribers, without a viral Note to their name, without years of platform experience to draw from.
This post is different.
It’s built entirely from what Substack’s own team has publicly shared, including a rare behind-the-scenes explanation from the platform’s head of machine learning and co-founder. (Plus I curated the documented results of writers who have tested what works!)
Here is what the algorithm actually does, why it is genuinely different from every other platform you’ve used, and exactly how to use it to grow a brand-new newsletter from zero.
First: Substack’s algorithm has a completely different goal from every other platform
Most social media algorithms are built to keep you scrolling.
Their success metric is time spent on the platform, because more time means more ad impressions and, in turn, more revenue. Substack has no ads.
Which means the algorithm has no reason to trap you. Unlike Instagram or LinkedIn, Substack does not optimize for time spent on the platform or ad clicks. It is focused entirely on driving subscriptions.
The algorithm looks for audience overlap and shows your content to people who actually care about your topic, such as those who read newsletters like yours and those who would genuinely subscribe.
This changes everything about how you should think about growth.
You are not fighting an algorithm designed to keep people distracted. You are working with one that is actively trying to connect your work with readers who want it.
Karen Cherry of PubStack Success has a deep dive on this if you’d like to check it out: → The Notes Algorithm Explained (By Its Actual Creator)
How the algorithm actually decides who sees your Notes
The Notes feed is where most new Substack writers focus their growth energy and rightly so. Substack’s own data shows that 32 million new free subscribers and nearly half a million paid subscribers came from inside the app in just three months.
Not from LinkedIn, not from Instagram, but from readers discovering writers directly on the platform.
The algorithm looks at three things: who you already follow, what topics you engage with, and most importantly, which publications share overlapping audiences.
When you consistently engage with three or four writers in your niche, the algorithm starts showing your Notes to their audiences (even people who have never heard of you). You do not need a large following to get reach. You need the right engagement behavior.
Here’s a great breakdown from Wes Pearce of Escape the Cubicle → Substack Keeps Shifting. Here’s the New Way To Build a Profitable Newsletter in 2026.
The one thing the algorithm rewards more than anything else
Notes that explicitly recommend subscribing to another writer get a meaningful algorithmic boost. The platform is literally built to reward creators who help other creators.
This is the single most counterintuitive thing about Substack and the most important. Writers who come from Instagram or LinkedIn are conditioned to think of growth as zero-sum. Someone else’s win is your loss.
Substack works the exact opposite way. The more genuinely you support other writers, the more the algorithm supports you.
Substack’s own team has stated publicly that signal-boosting other publishers and joining wider conversations are both directly linked to noticeable growth.
Restacking and genuinely engaging with writers you admire is not just good community behavior. It is one of the MOST effective ways to grow.
The 10-5-1 Rule: The simplest daily habit for working with the algorithm
Understanding how the algorithm works is one thing. Having a system for acting on it daily is another.
The most practical framework I’ve found is the 10-5-1 rule, created by Philip Hofmacher, at Write • Build • Scale. This is the daily Substack routine he suggests:
· like 10 Notes from writers in your niche,
· leave 5 genuinely thoughtful comments on other people’s Notes or posts,
· and send 1 DM to a writer you genuinely admire.
Each of these actions performs a specific task. Likes and comments generate algorithmic signals that connect your profile to overlapping audiences. Comments in particular are free visibility, so everyone who reads that Note also sees your comment, and some will click your profile.
The DM builds real relationships that eventually lead to recommendation swaps, collaborations, and organic word of mouth that no algorithm can manufacture.
Notes are not just about posting.
It is about building a real community. Writers who treat it as a broadcast channel post and disappear see minimal returns. Writers who treat it as a daily conversation see compounding growth.
The 10-5-1 framework was developed by Philip Hofmacher from Write • Build • Scale → 3 Lessons I Learned From Publishing Substack Notes for 365 Days Straight
It remains the most practical engagement system I’ve come across for writers at any stage.
What the algorithm cannot do for you
Here is the part that most algorithm explainer posts leave out.
The algorithm can put your Notes in front of the right people. It cannot make those people subscribe if your profile is confusing, your About page is vague, or your pinned post does not immediately communicate why someone should follow you.
Most publications lack a clear value proposition.
The more specific your writing, the faster your audience grows. Ideally, you can communicate the target audience and the value of your publication in one single sentence.
Discovery without conversion is wasted effort. Before you invest heavily in Notes and engagement, make sure the destination is ready.
Your profile description, your About page, and your pinned Hero Post should all tell the same clear story: who this is for, what they get, and why it is worth their time.
The algorithm will bring people to your door. Your profile has to do the rest.
The bottom line on the Substack algorithm
It is not mysterious. It is not random. And it is not working against you.
It is a subscription engine that rewards consistent publishing, genuine community engagement, and cross-publication generosity.
Every writer who has cracked meaningful growth on this platform has done so by working with those three principles (not by finding a hack around them)
Publish consistently. Engage genuinely. Support other writers publicly and specifically. Do those three things for ninety days, and the algorithm will do its job.
Inside the Stack tracks what is changing on this platform every week including algorithm updates, new features, and the strategies that are actually working right now.
I believe good advice should reach every writer, that’s why Inside the Stack will always be free. If anything here helped you, pass it on to a friend who’s figuring Substack out. That’s how this grows. And hey, if you want to say thanks, I’m always up for a coffee. ☕