If you're ready to move from Beehiiv to Substack and experience growth with Recommendations, engage with other writers and readers in Notes, or start a paid podcast, this guide will show you what you need to do to transition your subscribers and posts to your new publication seamlessly.
In this guide, we'll explain:
- What you need from your Beehiiv account
- How to get started on Substack
- Moving your premium subscriptions to Substack
What do I need to do on Beehiiv?
To get started, you'll need to export your Beehiiv subscribers and find your Beehiiv URL.
Exporting all subscribers
On your Beehiiv dashboard, select Settings and then Publication. Click on the "Export Data" tab and then "Export Subscribers (Quick).
Once the export is complete, you can download a .csv file of your Beehiiv subscribers in the Recent Export section on the same page.
Finding your Beehiiv URL
On your Beehiiv dashboard, select Settings and then Publication. Click on the "Domains" tab and copy the address under "Website URL".
If you're using a custom domain on Beehiiv, make sure to grab the website URL that has your Beehiiv root domain such as the one in the picture below (subdomain.beehiv.com).
How do I get started on Substack?
Start your move to Substack here: https://substack.com/signup/import
You'll be prompted to import your Beehiiv subscribers. Alternatively, you can import your subscribers directly on your Subscribers tab on Substack.
How to import your Beehiiv subscribers
Upload the .csv file of subscribers you downloaded from your Beehiiv account and select "Import".
Tip: After you've added your Beehiiv subscribers, you can view them on your Substack Subscribers page.
How to import your posts
Head to your Substack publication's Settings page and scroll to the Imports section. Select the "Import posts" button.
Enter your Beehiiv URL and click "Get started". Once the Substack importer has found your Beehiiv archive, select "Import" and confirm ownership of your posts when prompted.
Once your Beehiiv archive has been imported to your Substack publication, you can view the posts in the Home or Archive tabs.
Note: If you try to import more than 20 posts, you may be prompted to upload a .csv of your Beehiiv archive. From your Beehiiv dashboard, select Settings and then Publication. Click on the "Export Data" tab and then "Export All Posts".
Can I import premium articles from Beehiiv to Substack?
Option 1: Manually copy and paste your Beehiiv premium articles as a new post on your Substack publication. Before you publish the post on Substack, set the audience to "Paid subscribers only" and uncheck the box next to "Delivery- Send via email and the Substack app". This will only publish the post to the web version of your publication.
If you'd like to change the date of a post, click "Edit post" and select "Settings". Scroll to the date picker under Displayed publication date and change it to your preferred date.
Option 2: Make your Beehiiv premium articles available to free subscribers and start the import posts process on Substack. Once your posts have been imported, you can automatically paywall your archive. If you paywall your archive on Substack but would like to offer some free posts, you can just head to the post's settings and remove the paywall.
How to move your premium subscriptions over from Beehiiv
You can transfer your premium subscriptions from Beehiiv and set them up as paying subscribers on Substack in one click.
When you're signed into your Substack account, head to your publication's Settings page. In the Payments section, click on the "Connect with Stripe" button.
Using this tool, you'll be able to connect your Beehiiv Stripe account to Substack and transfer any premium subscriptions.
1. Sign in to Stripe using the same login details you use for Stripe on your Beehiv account and select "Continue". You do not need to create a new Stripe account. On the next page, select your Beehiiv Stripe account and then "Connect".
2. Once connected, you'll return to your Substack account and be able to set up subscription plans for your Subtack publication as well as opt into other offerings such as Substack Boost and the referrals program.
3. Select "Enable Payments" and we'll begin scanning your Stripe account to see how many paid subscriptions can be brought over to Substack.
4. Once the scan is complete, which can take up to 30 minutes, you'll receive a confirmation email letting you know how many paid subscriptions can be imported. In the Payments section, you can begin the import process by selecting, "Import paid subscriptions".
5. Before the import begins, you'll need to disconnect Beehiiv from your Stripe account. This ensures that your newly transferred Substack subscribers aren't double charged for their subscriptions.
In a new internet tab, head to the Installed apps page on your Stripe account: https://dashboard.stripe.com/settings/apps
Click on the Revoke access button and you'll see a confirmation that "Access for Beehiiv has been revoked".
6. Once you've revoked Beehiv's access to your Stripe account, return to your Substack account and check the box next to "I've disconnected other services from the Stripe account".
7. Once the import is finished, you'll receive another confirmation email. You can now view your paid subscribers on your Subscribers dashboard.