Substack Introduces Reply Rules to Help Creators Manage Comments More Easily
Substack is giving writers and creators more control over their communities with a new feature called Reply Rules. Announced on Wednesday, the tool is designed to help creators shape the way readers respond to posts, Notes, and Chat conversations.
With Reply Rules, creators can set clear expectations for replies across their publication. These rules can be practical, such as asking readers to avoid profanity, spammy responses, or low-quality AI-generated comments. They can also be playful, such as requiring replies to follow a specific format, like a haiku.
The goal is to make community management easier while allowing creators to keep the tone and culture of their audience aligned with their publication.
Substack says the feature can learn from a creator’s moderation choices. For example, when a creator hides certain replies, the system can use that behavior to better understand what kind of comments should be filtered in the future. Replies that do not match the creator’s preferences may be hidden automatically.
Creators will still be able to view hidden replies and restore them if they decide the system made the wrong call. This gives creators control while reducing the amount of manual work required to monitor every response.
Reply Rules are currently available for all English-language publications on Substack.
The feature fits into Substack’s broader approach to moderation. Instead of relying entirely on centralized platform-wide enforcement, Substack has traditionally given writers responsibility for managing their own communities. Creators already have access to moderation tools such as locking posts or discussion threads, deleting comments, banning users, and suspending accounts when needed.
Reply Rules may make that process more efficient, especially for creators with active audiences and busy comment sections. Rather than reviewing every reply one by one, writers can create community standards and let the system help enforce them.
Substack’s moderation model has also drawn criticism over the years, particularly from those who argue that a more hands-off approach can allow harmful content to spread. The company appears to be positioning Reply Rules as a way to support healthier conversations without abandoning its creator-led moderation philosophy.
In its announcement, Substack emphasized that it wants to support many different kinds of online communities. The company said its mission has always been to create conditions where writers, artists, journalists, musicians, and other creators can build independent audiences and earn directly from their work.
Reply Rules are one of several new features Substack has introduced this year as it continues expanding beyond newsletters. The platform recently added a built-in recording studio that allows creators to pre-record and publish videos. It also launched a TV app, giving subscribers a way to watch video posts and livestreams on larger screens.
With the launch of Reply Rules, Substack is strengthening its tools for creators who want more control over audience interaction. For writers and publishers trying to build engaged communities, the feature could make comment moderation faster, more flexible, and less stressful.
