Is Substack Down? How to Check Status & What to Do

Quick Answer: If Substack won’t load, posts won’t publish, or subscribers aren’t receiving emails, check apistatuscheck.com/api/substack for independent, real-time monitoring. Then verify updates from Substack’s official channels like @SubstackInc on X or the Substack Help Center. If multiple sources report issues, it’s likely a Substack outage.

Substack is a newsletter publishing platform that lets writers and publishers create posts, manage subscribers, and send email or web-based newsletters. When Substack goes down, creators can’t publish, subscribers miss scheduled posts, and paid newsletters may fail to deliver. This guide explains how to confirm Substack’s status quickly, troubleshoot local issues, and keep your publishing workflow moving during an incident.

How to Check Substack Status in Real Time

1) API Status Check (fastest signal)

Visit apistatuscheck.com/api/substack to see live uptime and latency data. It provides:

• Real-time availability checks
• Response-time spikes that indicate degradation
• Independent verification if official updates lag
• Alerts via email, Slack, or Discord

2) Official Substack Channels

Substack does not run a dedicated public status page, so its official channels matter more:

• X/Twitter: @SubstackInc for incident updates or acknowledgments
• Help Center: substack.com/help for service notifications and common fixes

If there’s a widespread issue, you’ll usually see posts or updates there before a full resolution.

3) Quick Manual Checks

To rule out local problems:

• Try loading your newsletter in an incognito window
• Log in from a different browser or device
• Check if public posts load on the web (not just in the editor)
• Test sending a draft to yourself
• Switch networks (office Wi-Fi vs mobile hotspot)

Common Substack Issues and Symptoms

When Substack is degraded, users usually report:

1) Posts Not Publishing

You click publish, but the post hangs, errors out, or never appears for subscribers. This often indicates a publishing pipeline issue.

2) Subscribers Not Receiving Emails

Posts publish on the web but never arrive in inboxes, or delivery is delayed for hours. This suggests email delivery or queue problems.

3) Editor Not Loading

The editor shows a blank page, infinite spinner, or draft content disappears. This points to an editor or backend service issue.

4) Login or Authentication Errors

Login loops, 500 errors, or unexpected logouts can indicate account or auth disruptions.

5) Analytics and Subscriber Counts Missing

Stats pages show “no data” or fail to update. This can signal analytics pipeline delays rather than a full outage.

6) Comments or Notes Not Loading

Reader comments fail to appear or won’t post. This is often a partial outage within the social features.

What to Do When Substack Is Down

Immediate Actions

1) Confirm the outage

• Check apistatuscheck.com/api/substack
• Look at @SubstackInc and the Help Center

2) Preserve your draft

• Copy your draft into a local doc or Google Docs
• Save images and links you plan to include

3) Avoid risky publishes If Substack is unstable, hold off on major publishes to avoid duplicate sends or partial delivery.

Short-Term Workarounds

1) Publish a web-only update If the editor is unstable but you need to communicate, consider a short web-only post once the site loads, then email subscribers later when delivery stabilizes.

2) Use an external email send For urgent announcements, consider sending a one-off email from another platform (e.g., your CRM or Gmail) while the platform is degraded.

3) Communicate with subscribers Let readers know a delivery delay is possible and you’ll resend once service returns. Transparency reduces confusion and churn.

Long-Term Prevention

1) Keep an offline draft workflow Write in a separate editor (Docs, Notion, Obsidian) so you can publish quickly when Substack recovers.

2) Maintain a backup mailing list Export your subscriber list periodically so you can reach readers if needed.

3) Set up monitoring Subscribe to API Status Check alerts to detect issues before readers report them.

Troubleshooting Steps (If Substack Seems Down Only for You)

If status pages look green but you’re still seeing issues, try these local fixes:

1) Clear Browser Cache and Cookies

Cached scripts can break the editor. Clear site data for substack.com and log in again.

2) Disable Browser Extensions

Ad blockers, privacy tools, and Grammarly-like extensions can interfere with the editor. Test with extensions disabled.

3) Try a Different Browser

Substack’s editor can behave differently across browsers. Use Chrome or Firefox as a control.

4) Check Account Permissions

If you’re a contributor or admin on multiple newsletters, confirm you’re logged into the correct account.

5) Verify Email Delivery Settings

If emails aren’t sending, check whether your post was set to “web only” or “email + web.” Also verify any subscriber filters or segments.

6) Test a Minimal Publish

Create a short test post with a simple subject and no media. If it fails, the issue is likely platform-level.

Why Substack Outages Happen

Substack relies on multiple systems: the editor, publishing pipeline, email delivery infrastructure, and subscriber database. A disruption in any layer can affect publishing or delivery. Common causes include:

• Publishing queue bottlenecks that delay sends
• Email delivery service issues that prevent messages from reaching inboxes
• Editor service outages that block draft saving or publishing
• Auth service errors that cause login loops
• Third-party infrastructure disruptions affecting storage or CDN delivery

Understanding which component is failing helps you decide whether to wait, retry, or use a fallback channel.

Substack Alternatives If You Need a Backup

If Substack is mission-critical, keep a fallback option in mind:

• Beehiiv — newsletter platform focused on growth, analytics, and monetization
• Ghost — open-source publishing with memberships and newsletters
• ConvertKit — creator marketing platform with powerful automations
• Buttondown — minimalist newsletter tool with simple workflows

You don’t need to migrate immediately. A backup option is mainly for continuity during extended outages.

Post-Outage Checklist

Before resuming normal publishing, verify stability:

1) Confirm editor access Open multiple drafts and confirm autosave works.

2) Publish a test update Send a short update to a small segment or to yourself first.

3) Check delivery and analytics Confirm emails reach inboxes and analytics update normally.

4) Review subscriber activity Look for spikes in unsubscribes or bounces caused by delayed delivery.

5) Communicate resolution Let readers know service is back and confirm the correct post went out.

How Substack Downtime Impacts Creators

A Substack outage can affect more than just a single post. Writers lose momentum, paid newsletters risk churn, and time-sensitive commentary may miss its window. Businesses that rely on newsletters for product launches or updates can face lost revenue and trust issues.

Common ripple effects include:

• Missed publishing windows for time-sensitive posts
• Paid subscriber churn if delivery repeatedly fails
• Revenue delays when paid posts don’t reach readers
• Support load spikes from confused subscribers

Because newsletters are a direct relationship channel, even brief outages matter. Having a small incident plan keeps the relationship intact.

Reader Experience Checklist (During or After an Incident)

If your audience is reporting issues, use this quick checklist to pinpoint impact:

1) Confirm whether emails arrived
Check multiple inbox providers (Gmail, Outlook, iCloud) to see if the problem is global or specific to a provider.

2) Validate web access
Open the web version of your post and verify that paywalled content renders correctly.

3) Review send settings
Ensure the post wasn’t published as “web only” or sent to a limited segment by mistake.

4) Check unsubscribe or bounce spikes
High bounce rates after an incident can signal delayed delivery or spam filtering.

5) Prepare a short recovery note
A brief follow-up that explains the delay and links to the web version can reduce confusion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an official Substack status page?

Substack doesn’t operate a dedicated status page. For official updates, check @SubstackInc on X and the Substack Help Center.

Why did my Substack post publish but not send?

This usually means the web publishing pipeline worked but email delivery failed or queued. Check for widespread reports and retry when service stabilizes.

Can I send emails if the editor is down?

If the editor won’t load, you may not be able to send directly. In urgent cases, use an external email tool to communicate, then publish once Substack recovers.

How do I know if the issue is just on my account?

Try a different browser, check your other newsletters (if any), and test a simple draft publish. If only your account is affected, it could be a permissions or account issue.

Should I migrate if Substack has repeated outages?

Occasional incidents happen with any platform. If outages are frequent or long, consider a backup provider like Beehiiv or Ghost to reduce risk.