How to turn on Private mode for your Substack

Putting your writing behind closed doors

Ever wanted to try publishing your writing online, but don't want it to be public to the entire internet? Or, just getting started with Substack, and want your publication behind closed doors while you get set up?

Substack’s Private mode lets you put your publication behind a permission wall. As the writer, you choose to approve or decline each subscription request.

To turn on Private mode: from your publication page, click on Dashboard in the top right-hand corner, then click Settings in the top navigation bar. Scroll down to “Private mode”:

Click on the toggle to the right and your publication will immediately become private.

Here’s what my Substack welcome page (what readers see the first time they load my Substack domain) looks like normally:

And, here’s what it looks like when set to Private mode. Readers cannot proceed to read any posts, unless they have been added to the subscriber list by me. All they can see is the cover page image, title, and one-line description.

As shown above, when your publication page is set to Private mode, your welcome page will include a box where people who would like to read it can enter their email address.

When a reader puts their email in this box to request access to your Substack, you'll receive an email notification letting you know.

To view and manage your requests: from your publication page, click on Dashboard in the top right-hand corner, then click Subscribers in the top navigation bar. You’ll see your subscriber requests, with buttons letting you either Approve or Delete:

If you click Approve on a request, the reader will be automatically subscribed and sent a Welcome email, and will then be able to access your Substack and read your posts. If you click Delete, the request will be deleted and they will not get access.

Getting started is easy

Haven’t launched your Substack yet? You can get started for free, and publish for free for as long as you want. The first step is to set up your Substack publication so you can grab your desired domain name. This takes less than a minute:

Want to learn more, or have a question not answered here? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.