Substack Launches Reply Rules to Help Creators Manage Audience Responses

Substack announced a new feature on Wednesday called “Reply Rules,” aimed at helping creators better manage how users interact with their content across the platform.

The feature allows creators to set specific guidelines for replies on posts, Notes, and Chat discussions. These rules can be practical, such as filtering profanity or AI-generated spam, or more creative, such as requiring responses only in haiku form.

According to Substack, the system learns from a creator’s moderation actions over time. When creators repeatedly hide certain types of replies, the feature can automatically identify and filter similar comments that do not align with their preferences. Hidden replies remain visible to creators, who can review and restore them if they choose.

Reply Rules is currently available for all English-language publications on the platform.

Substack has long relied on a decentralised moderation model, giving writers responsibility for managing their own communities. Existing moderation tools include the ability to lock posts and discussion threads, delete comments, and suspend or ban users when necessary.

The company says the new feature is designed to reduce the amount of manual moderation required, making it easier for creators to maintain productive conversations while spending less time reviewing every reply.

The launch also comes as Substack continues to face criticism over its moderation practices, particularly regarding controversial and far-right newsletters. Critics have argued that the platform’s lighter moderation approach can allow harmful rhetoric to spread more easily.

In announcing Reply Rules, Substack reiterated its commitment to supporting a wide variety of online communities and viewpoints.

“Since its founding, Substack has sought to create the best possible conditions for cultures of many varieties to flourish online,” the company said. “Achieving this often involves difficult trade-offs, but alongside our core model — where we only earn when writers, artists, journalists, musicians, and others earn — we’ve managed to carve out a unique path relative to other platforms.”

The feature joins several updates Substack has introduced this year, including a built-in recording studio for creating videos and a TV app that allows subscribers to watch video posts and livestreams on larger screens.