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| 0 | Terms of Use Resources Creators Explore Start publishing Sign in Explore Substack App Discover Featured Substacks around the world Creators Switch to Substack Go paid Grow your audience For live video For video For podcasts For bloggers For finance writers For authors For food writers For local news For media founders Resources How to start a Substack Going paid guide Resource center Community & programs Help center Brand assets Documents Terms of Use Privacy Policy Publisher Agreement Content Guidelines Copyright Dispute Policy Copyright Repeat Infringer Policy CCPA Policy Support Chatbot Terms Terms of Use Effective date: April 21, 2025 Welcome to Substack! | 0 | Terms of Use Resources Creators Explore Start publishing Sign in Explore Substack App Discover Featured Substacks around the world Creators Switch to Substack Go paid Grow your audience For live video For video For podcasts For bloggers For finance writers For authors For food writers For local news For media founders Resources How to start a Substack Going paid guide Resource center Community & programs Help center Brand assets Documents Terms of Use Privacy Policy Publisher Agreement Content Guidelines Copyright Dispute Policy Copyright Repeat Infringer Policy CCPA Policy Support Chatbot Terms Terms of Use Last Updated: October 6, 2026 Changes in the Latest Update Update to indirect tax remittance services Additional terms for political contributions Clarify dispute resolution procedures Clarify content moderation procedures Welcome to Substack! |
| 6 | These Terms include everything in this document, as well as those in the Privacy Policy , Publisher Agreement , Content Guidelines , Support Chatbot Terms , and Copyright Dispute Policy . | 6 | These Terms include everything in this document, as well as those in the Privacy Notice , Publisher Agreement , Content Guidelines , and Copyright Dispute Policy . |
| 25 | There are a few rules that apply to all Posts: Don’t Infringe: Your Posts should not violate someone else’s (including Substack’s) rights. | 25 | There are a few rules that apply to all Posts: Don’t Infringe Your Posts should not violate someone else’s (including Substack’s) rights. |
| 27 | Limited License to Us: In order to display your Posts on Substack, and to allow other users to enjoy them, you grant us certain rights in your Posts: Operating Substack: You hereby grant Substack a license to translate, modify, reproduce, and otherwise act with respect to your Posts to enable us to provide, improve, and notify you about new features within Substack. | 27 | Limited License to Us In order to display your Posts on Substack, and to allow other users to enjoy them, you grant us certain rights in your Posts: Operating Substack You hereby grant Substack a license to translate, modify, reproduce, and otherwise act with respect to your Posts to enable us to provide, improve, and notify you about new features within Substack. |
| 30 | Public Posts: If you share a Post with other users on Substack, then you grant us the license above, as well as a license to display, perform, and distribute your Post. | 30 | Public Posts If you share a Post with other users on Substack, then you grant us the license above, as well as a license to display, perform, and distribute your Post. |
| 32 | Term of License: You agree that the licenses you grant are royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and worldwide. | 32 | Term of License You agree that the licenses you grant are royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and worldwide. |
| 46 | Other Users and Third-Parties Posts: Posts posted to Substack – including Creator publications – are the sole responsibility of the person or organization from whom such content originated. | 46 | Includes communications or other activity for, by, on behalf of, at the direction of, or which provides material support to a party that is the target of trade and economic sanctions enforced by the government of the United States, including persons enumerated on the List of Specially Designated Nationals, another applicable list maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, or of another applicable sanctions list of a country in which Substack operates or does business. |
| 47 | Content Moderation We use a combination of automated tools and human review to detect and act on content that may violate these Terms, our Content Guidelines , or applicable law. | ||
| 48 | Automated tools we currently use include: hash-matching technology to detect child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and other known illegal imagery; keyword and URL filtering to identify potentially illegal content; and automated scanning of direct messages for spam, malicious content, and child abuse material. | ||
| 49 | Where automated tools flag content, a human reviewer will assess the content before any enforcement action is taken, except where immediate action is necessary to prevent serious harm or where applicable law requires otherwise. | ||
| 50 | If we determine that content violates our policies or applicable law, we may remove it, restrict its visibility, suspend or terminate the account responsible, or take other proportionate action. | ||
| 51 | Where we restrict or remove your content or suspend your account for policy or safety reasons, we will notify you of the action taken and the reason for it, unless doing so would compromise an investigation, risk harm to another person, or is otherwise prohibited by law. | ||
| 52 | If you believe we have incorrectly removed your content or restricted your account, you may appeal by contacting us at tos@substackinc.com. | ||
| 53 | We will review your appeal and respond within 3 business days. | ||
| 54 | This internal appeal process does not affect any rights you may have to seek independent redress, including through your national regulators. | ||
| 55 | You can report content you believe violates these Terms or our Content Guidelines using the report tool on each post or profile page. | ||
| 56 | Reports must be made in good faith. | ||
| 57 | We may decline to act on reports that are frivolous or manifestly unfounded. | ||
| 58 | Repeated misuse of the reporting tool may result in restrictions on your account. | ||
| 59 | To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Substack’s liability in connection with any content moderation decision, including the application or removal of any AI-detection label, is limited to the fullest extent permitted under the limitation of liability provisions of these Terms. | ||
| 60 | Other Users and Third-Parties Using Substack will mean engaging with people and organizations other than Substack Inc., as well as content provided by third-party sources who are not affiliated with Substack Inc. | ||
| 61 | The following terms outline your responsibility for interactions with these third parties. | ||
| 62 | Posts Posts posted to Substack – including Creator publications – are the sole responsibility of the person or organization from whom such content originated. | ||
| 49 | Other Users on Substack: Your interactions with organizations and individuals found on or through Substack, including payment for Creator publications, and any other terms, conditions, warranties or representations associated with such dealings, are solely between you and such organizations and individuals. | 65 | Other Users on Substack Your interactions with organizations and individuals found on or through Substack, including payment for Creator publications, and any other terms, conditions, warranties or representations associated with such dealings, are solely between you and such organizations and individuals. |
| 52 | Third-Party Content: Substack may contain links or connections to third party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by us. | 68 | Third-Party Content Substack may contain links or connections to third party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by us. |
| 55 | In the event that you have a dispute with one or more other users of Substack or with a third party, you release us, our officers, employees, agents, and successors from claims, demands, and damages of every kind or nature, known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, disclosed or undisclosed, arising out of or in any way related to such disputes and/or Substack. | 71 | Creator Terms and Policies Because Creators on Substack control their own publications, Creators may post their own terms and policies, including privacy policies that disclose those Creators’ own privacy practices. |
| 72 | If you, as a Creator, post your own terms and policies, you shall ensure that such terms and policies do not conflict with these Terms and, further, that such terms and policies provide that these Terms prevail in the event of any conflict. | ||
| 73 | Readers subject to your Creator terms and policies are intended third-party beneficiaries of this obligation. | ||
| 74 | When you agree to a third-party Creator’s terms, you understand that any such agreement is directly between you and the issuing Creator, and that Substack is not a party to any such terms. | ||
| 75 | You agree that Substack shall not be a party to any Creator terms and policies unless we provide written agreement to the contrary, and that Creator terms and policies do not amend these Terms. | ||
| 60 | Accordingly, we do not: Make any representations or warranties about any content contained in or accessed through Substack, and we will not be responsible for the accuracy, copyright compliance, legality, or decency of material contained on our products and services. | 80 | Accordingly, we do not: Make any representations or warranties about any content contained in, accessed through, or generated by AI on Substack, and we will not be responsible for the accuracy, copyright compliance, legality, or decency of material contained on our products and services. |
| 83 | Automated content detection tools, including AI-detection features, are provided on an “as is” basis. | ||
| 84 | Substack makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any automated detection result or label. | ||
| 87 | Substack enables Readers to subscribe to, or follow, a Creator’s Substack content. | ||
| 88 | Substack does not sell or provide any Creator’s content. | ||
| 89 | All Creators are independent content creators and offer their subscriptions directly to Readers. | ||
| 90 | For the avoidance of doubt, Substack is not a party to any agreement or transaction between a Creator and Reader for the subscription purchased by Readers. | ||
| 92 | Beginning December 1, 2026, local VAT, GST, sales or use tax may be added to the purchase price for Paid Subscriptions on Substack. | ||
| 93 | In such cases, Substack will charge and collect these taxes from the Reader and remit them to the applicable taxing authority, where Substack’s third-party service provider is able to do so. | ||
| 95 | Although refunds are generally made only at the Creator’s discretion, Substack facilitates refunds from Creators consistent with our Refund Policy as may be updated from time to time. | ||
| 96 | Paid Subscriptions as U.S. Political Contributions A Creator that is a United States candidate or political committee (“Political Creator”) may offer their publications for a subscription fee that is deemed a political contribution to the Political Creator’s campaign or political committee under applicable campaign finance law. | ||
| 97 | By signing up for a paid subscription for a Political Creator’s publication (i.e., making a political contribution to the Political Creator), Reader acknowledges and agrees to the following: Reader is a natural person who is at least 18 years of age and a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident residing in the U.S. (i.e., green card holder). | ||
| 98 | Reader is not a federal government contractor. | ||
| 99 | Reader will pay for the subscription (i.e., make the political contribution), using Reader’s personal funds, and not with a corporate or business credit card or a card issued to another person. | ||
| 100 | Reader will not pay for the subscription with funds advanced by another person or entity, and will not be reimbursed by another person or entity for the subscription. | ||
| 101 | When signing up for a paid subscription that is a political contribution to a Political Creator, Reader will be asked to provide their first and last name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer. | ||
| 102 | Reader will provide complete and accurate responses to such requests. | ||
| 103 | Campaign finance law may require a Political Creator to disclose your first and last name, mailing address, occupation, name of employer, and date(s) and amount(s) of your political contribution(s) to the Political Creator on publicly available campaign finance disclosure reports. | ||
| 104 | Reader is solely responsible for ensuring that their political contributions to Political Creators comply with applicable campaign finance laws, including any contribution limits. | ||
| 74 | Please refer to our Privacy Policy to understand how we treat information you provide to us after you have stopped using Substack. | 112 | Please refer to our Privacy Notice to understand how we treat information you provide to us after you have stopped using Substack. |
| 78 | Privacy on Substack Substack takes your privacy very seriously. | 116 | Child Privacy on Substack The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) requires that online service providers obtain parental consent before they knowingly collect personally identifiable information online from children. |
| 79 | For the current Substack Privacy Policy, please click here . | — | Removed |
| 80 | The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) requires that online service providers obtain parental consent before they knowingly collect personally identifiable information online from children. | — | Removed |
| 120 | Artificial Intelligence Services on Substack We may offer you generative artificial intelligence (“AI”) functionality, for example, by providing tools that allow you to generate images or text from written prompts. | ||
| 121 | You acknowledge and agree that: Use of AI services is at your own risk and is fully subject to the disclaimer of warranties of these Terms; You are solely responsible for ensuring that your AI prompts and outputs are lawful and otherwise comply with these Terms and our Content Guidelines ; Our AI services are facilitated by third-party service providers, together with those vendors’ own subprocessors and service providers. | ||
| 122 | Our Privacy Notice applies to all AI services and speaks to how we and our service providers may access and use related data; and Using our AI services on our platform to generate outputs does not give us any rights to your outputs beyond the licenses we otherwise take under these Terms in order to provide our services. | ||
| 123 | The following terms apply to your use of our automated support chatbot: Chatbot limitations Our support chatbot is an automated service provided as a convenience. | ||
| 124 | You understand that support chats may provide inaccurate or incomplete information, and are not a substitute for reviewing Substack’s terms and policies. | ||
| 125 | You understand that the support chat cannot speak for Substack, modify our terms or policies, or make any binding promises to you. | ||
| 126 | Privacy Notice You understand that support chats are facilitated by and provided to a third-party service provider, Decagon.ai, together with that vendor’s subprocessors and service providers. | ||
| 127 | Our Privacy Notice applies to all support chat data and governs how we and our service providers may access and use support chat data. | ||
| 87 | You can learn more about our use of phone numbers and SMS messages in our privacy policy . | 131 | You can learn more about our use of phone numbers and SMS messages in our Privacy Notice . |
| 102 | Miscellaneous Terms The above covers most of the questions that we typically receive about Substack. | 146 | Miscellaneous Terms Indemnification To the fullest extent allowed by applicable law, you agree to indemnify and hold Substack, its affiliates, officers, agents, employees, and partners harmless from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages (actual and consequential), losses and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) arising from or in any way related to any third party claims relating to (a) your use of Substack (including any actions taken by a third party using your account), and (b) your violation of these Terms. |
| 103 | We have grouped provisions that come up less frequently below: Indemnification: To the fullest extent allowed by applicable law, you agree to indemnify and hold Substack, its affiliates, officers, agents, employees, and partners harmless from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages (actual and consequential), losses and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) arising from or in any way related to any third party claims relating to (a) your use of Substack (including any actions taken by a third party using your account), and (b) your violation of these Terms. | — | Removed |
| 105 | Assignment: You may not assign, delegate or transfer these Terms or your rights or obligations hereunder, or your Substack account, in any way (by operation of law or otherwise) without our prior written consent. | 148 | Assignment You may not assign, delegate or transfer these Terms or your rights or obligations hereunder, or your Substack account, in any way (by operation of law or otherwise) without our prior written consent. |
| 107 | Choice of Law: These Terms are governed by and will be construed under applicable federal law and the laws of the State of California, without regard to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof. | 150 | Choice of Law These Terms are governed by and will be construed under applicable federal law and the laws of the State of California, without regard to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof. |
| 108 | Arbitration and Class Action Waiver: Any dispute arising from or relating to the subject matter of these Terms shall be finally settled by arbitration in San Francisco County, California, in accordance with the Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures of Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. | 151 | Arbitration and Class Action Waiver Any dispute arising from or relating to the subject matter of these Terms shall be finally settled by arbitration in San Francisco County, California, in accordance with the Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures of Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. |
| 116 | No Third-Party Beneficiaries: We agree there are no third-party beneficiaries intended under these Terms. | 159 | No Third-Party Beneficiaries Except as otherwise expressly provided in these Terms, these Terms do not, and are not intended to, confer any rights or remedies upon any person other than you and Substack. |
| 117 | No Joint Venture: You hereby acknowledge and agree that you are not an employee, agent, partner, or joint venture of Substack Inc., and you do not have any authority of any kind to bind us in any respect whatsoever. | 160 | Notwithstanding the foregoing, Substack reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate these Terms (including any third-party beneficiary rights granted herein) at any time without the consent of any third-party beneficiary. |
| 118 | Waiver: The failure of either you or us to exercise, in any way, any right herein shall not be deemed a waiver of any further rights hereunder. | 161 | No Joint Venture You hereby acknowledge and agree that you are not an employee, agent, partner, or joint venture of Substack Inc., and you do not have any authority of any kind to bind us in any respect whatsoever. |
| 119 | Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated, to the minimum extent necessary, so that these Terms shall otherwise remain in full force and effect and enforceable. | 162 | Waiver The failure of either you or us to exercise, in any way, any right herein shall not be deemed a waiver of any further rights hereunder. |
| 120 | Entire Agreement: You agree that these Terms are the complete and exclusive statement of the mutual understanding between you and us, and that it supersedes and cancels all previous written and oral agreements, communications and other understandings relating to the subject matter of these Terms. | 163 | Severability If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated, to the minimum extent necessary, so that these Terms shall otherwise remain in full force and effect and enforceable. |
| 164 | Entire Agreement You agree that these Terms are the complete and exclusive statement of the mutual understanding between you and us, and that it supersedes and cancels all previous written and oral agreements, communications and other understandings relating to the subject matter of these Terms. | ||
| 122 | Patreon Company About Help Jobs Blog Vulnerability Policy Contact Sitemap Resources Resource center Guide to going paid Help center Community and programs Brand assets Features Brand Partnerships Substack is the home for great culture © Substack Inc. | 166 | Patreon Company About Help Jobs Blog Vulnerability Policy Taxes Contact Sitemap Resources Resource center Guide to going paid Help center Community and programs Brand assets Features Brand Partnerships Substack is the home for great culture © Substack Inc. |
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