Can readers see my Substack publication in a different language?

In an effort to improve the international reader experience and help writers increase free and paid subscription growth, localization support for certain languages is available on all Substack publications.

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Here's what to expect with the localization feature:

  • For subscribers and visitors: Reader-facing surfaces will appear in the language that you select on your publication's Settings page. These surfaces may include but are not limited to post emails that you send out, buttons on your posts and Substack publication, subscriber plans and benefits, paywalls on paid posts, and many more.
  • For you: Anything you see on your dashboard will be translated. This includes anything you see on your publication's Settings page to what appears on the Subscribers dashboard.

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Note: If you've changed any customizable fields on your publication such as your subscriber benefits, welcome emails for free or paid subscribers, or your welcome page, then these will not be translated. Any custom content that you've written such as a custom subscribe button, a poll, or text in a post will not be touched. We will not try to translate something that’s written in your voice.

A reader's point of view

When readers visit the web version of your publication, it's as if the whole publication (besides the content you've written in English or in a different language) will be in the translated language. From the "Subscribe" buttons to the navigation bar, new subscribers can easily subscribe in the primary language of your publication, providing a better reader experience for non-English readers.

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Tip: Readers will not be able to select what language they'd like to view your publication in. Their Substack account will not be translated and aspects such as their Account settings will remain in English.

Emails that come from Substack such as password reset links will not be translated. However, transactional emails from your publication such as a payment confirmation email or a pledge thank you email will be translated. 

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How do I enable translations of my publication?

To enable localization of your Substack publication, head to your publication's Settings page. In the Basics section, scroll to "Language". From the drop-down menu, select from the following languages: German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, or English. Your publication will immediately appear in the selected language.

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If you'd like your publication to appear in English, head back to the Basics section on your publication's Settings page and select "English" from the drop-down menu.

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