Substack Bestseller badges are for writers and are based on the number of paid subscribers a publication has at that time. Unlike a verification badge seen on other platforms, the only way to earn one of these bestseller badges is to start and grow a paid publication to hundreds of subscribers. Free trials and comped subscriptions are not included in the count for a bestseller badge.
You may notice different colored badges next to a writer's name:
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Purple: tens of thousands of paid subscribers
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Orange: thousands of paid subscribers
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White: hundreds of paid subscribers
A badge can appear on multiple surfaces such as a publication's welcome page, post byline, a Substack profile, or in the comments section.
How do I hide a bestseller badge from my name and Substack profile?
If you don't want a Substack Bestseller badge to appear next to your name, you can hide this in your Profile settings.
1. Sign into your Substack account, click on your profile icon, and select your name in the menu.
2. Click on the pencil icon on your profile.
3. Scroll to the Privacy section and slide the toggle next to "Bestseller badge".
- If the toggle is green, the badge will appear next to your name
- If the toggle is gray, the badge will not appear next to your name
Tip: To hide your badge, slide the toggle next to "Bestseller badge" on profile page from the right to the left. You cannot show the badge without the corresponding number of subscriptions attached to the badge.