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How to move your Twitter followers to Substack

Substack is a great alternative to Twitter for users with a lot to say.
By Elizabeth de Luna  on 
An illustration of a blue twitter bird sitting on a telephone wire. Behind it is a pink sunset and white cloud, one of which has the Substack logo on it.
Eyeing Substack? It may be the right Twitter alternative for you. Credit: Bob Al-Greene / Mashable composite

Given Twitter's change of management, you may be considering flapping your tired little wings over to another platform. There's no one-for-one copy of Twitter, but apps like Mastodon have been trying to fill in the gap.

Substack has tried to position itself as an alternative, and have even set up a page at substack.com/twitter to help you move your Twitter following to Substack. The site has a history of free speech and misinformation controversies (sounds familiar?) but is an especially apt alternative for journalists, writers, and super-users who tweet their takes multiple times a day.

The Twitter-focused signup process isn't too different from the normal one, but there are some key differences. Here's a step-by-step breakdown of how it works:

Step 1: Grant access to your Twitter account

Give Substack limited access to your Twitter account so that it can see your followers and tell them about your new posts.

A screenshot of the sign up process.
Credit: Substack

Step 2: Create your Substack account

Create your account by signing up with your email address.

It's important to note that you have the option to keep your Substack from being shared with your Twitter followers at this step. Simply uncheck the blue box below the email address field. If you don't, an email will be sent to Substack readers who follow you on Twitter alerting them that you now have a Substack they can subscribe to. You can learn more about that feature by clicking this link.

A screenshot of the sign up process.
Credit: Substack

Step 3: Set up your profile

Add your display name and a brief bio that will live on your Substack.

A screenshot of the sign up process.
Credit: Substack

Step 4: Create your publication

Choose a name for your newsletter and pick a URL.

A screenshot of the sign up process.
Credit: Substack

Step 5: Tell your Twitter followers about your Substack

Substack will offer you the option to tweet out your new newsletter to followers. Click "tweet" and a draft tweet will open in a new tab.

A screenshot of the sign up process.
Credit: Substack
A screenshot of the sign up process.
Credit: Twitter

Now you're all set! Write up and publish your first post to have it shared with followers,

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Elizabeth de Luna

Elizabeth is a culture reporter at Mashable covering digital culture, fandom communities, and how the internet makes us feel. Before joining Mashable, she spent six years in tech, doing everything from running a wifi hardware beta program to analyzing YouTube content trends like K-pop, ASMR, gaming, and beauty. You can find more of her work for outlets like The GuardianTeen Vogue, and MTV News right here


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