Substack has been continuously building out its chat feature, which is a way for newsletter creators to chat directly with their subscribers. Now, that functionality is being expanded through a series of new updates.
Substack finally has a DM
The main update includes the possibility of a paywall for chat functionality. Newsletter publishers can now set up paywalls so that chat features are only available to paying subscribers or founding members of said newsletter. Free subscribers or non-subscribers will be asked to upgrade if they want to access the newsletter’s chats.
Credit: Substack
Substack also introduces improved navigation and usability, including chat search on the web and iOS versions of the platform, easier access to notifications, and upgrades to instant messaging so people can instantly participate in chats about real-time events. Search functionality will also be coming to Android soon.
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The purpose of the chat is to interact directly with the newsletter author, allowing the author and their followers to engage in conversation on a range of topics. This is one of the features that allows Substack to expand functionality, such as Notes functionality that mimics X (formerly Twitter) functionality, as well as adding DMs.
