How do I move my Substack to VeloCMS?

Substack made it easy to start a newsletter. But at some point — maybe you hit the payment fee ceiling, maybe you want custom design, maybe you just want a real website alongside your newsletter — you need to move. Substack lets you export your data, and VeloCMS can import it. Here's exactly how.

Step 1 — Export from Substack

Go to your Substack dashboard, click your publication name in the top-left, then Settings → Export data. Substack emails you a download link within a few minutes. The tarball (yourpublication_export.zip) contains: posts as HTML files in a posts/ folder, a subscribers CSV (subscribers.csv), a metadata JSON with post dates and slugs, and a paid_subscribers.csv if you have Substack paid subscribers.

Substack export does not include post images as separate files — images are still hosted on Substack's CDN and referenced by URL in the HTML. They'll keep loading as long as your old Substack publication is live. Plan to re-upload images to VeloCMS R2 before you delete your Substack publication.

Step 2 — Import posts into VeloCMS

In VeloCMS admin, go to Admin → Tools → Import → Substack. Upload the .zip file directly. VeloCMS reads the metadata JSON to get slugs and publish dates, then imports each HTML post into the editor. Formatting is preserved reasonably well — headers, bold, links, and images (as URL references) all come through. Substack footnotes and custom embeds (Spotify, Twitter cards) may not render and need manual cleanup.

Step 3 — Import free subscribers

The subscribers.csv from Substack has at minimum: email, first_name, last_name, and created_at. In VeloCMS admin, go to Admin → Members → Import CSV. Map columns to VeloCMS fields. Free subscriber status carries over for everyone in this CSV who isn't in paid_subscribers.csv. Substack's 'comp' subscribers (free access to paid tiers) can be imported as free members — there's no direct equivalent in VeloCMS unless you manually flag them.

Step 4 — Handle paid subscribers

Paid Substack subscribers are managed through Stripe, but through Substack's Stripe account — NOT yours. This is the part everyone stumbles on: you can't just port their subscriptions over because you were never the merchant. What you can do: export paid_subscribers.csv from Substack, import them into VeloCMS as members with a 'paid' flag manually set, and email them asking to resubscribe at your new VeloCMS membership page. Substack allows you to email subscribers with an off-platform migration notice.

You cannot silently migrate paid Substack subscribers' billing to a different Stripe account. They agreed to pay Substack, not your direct Stripe. Send a transparent migration email. Many paid subscribers will follow you — especially if you offer them a short free period as appreciation.

Step 5 — Set up your VeloCMS Stripe BYOK

Go to Admin → Settings → Membership → Connect Stripe and paste your own Stripe secret key (not Substack's). Set up your paid membership tiers: monthly and annual prices. Share the link to your new /member/subscribe page with your migrated audience. VeloCMS automatically handles checkout, receipt emails, and member portal access.

Step 6 — Maintain RSS continuity

Substack's RSS feed lives at yourpublication.substack.com/feed. VeloCMS generates its own RSS at yourdomain.com/feed.xml. If you had readers using RSS readers or podcast apps pointed at your Substack RSS URL, they'll get a broken feed after migration. To maintain continuity: add a Cloudflare redirect rule that points substack.com/feed requests to your new domain's feed. Alternatively, post one final Substack issue pointing readers to your new feed URL.

# Your new VeloCMS RSS feed URL
https://yourdomain.com/feed.xml

# If you keep your Substack account live temporarily,
# add a redirect post with the new feed URL for RSS subscribers

Step 7 — Notify subscribers via email

Before you cut over DNS, send a migration announcement email through Substack — yes, use Substack's own email tool for this last message. Explain where you're moving, why, and what readers need to do (usually: just keep reading, nothing changes for free subscribers; paid subscribers need to resubscribe). Include your new domain, your new RSS URL, and a direct link to your VeloCMS membership subscribe page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep my Substack active during migration? Yes — run both simultaneously. New issues can be cross-posted manually while you transition.
Will my Substack SEO rankings transfer? Not automatically. You'll need 301 redirects from your old Substack URLs to your new domain.
Does VeloCMS have a Substack-style paywall pop-up? VeloCMS shows a member paywall on premium posts — similar experience, fully customisable.
How do I handle Substack's recommendation network? VeloCMS doesn't have a native recommendation network; that feature stays Substack-specific.
What about Substack Notes? Notes are separate from posts and aren't exported — treat them as social content you leave behind.