What is a teaser post on Substack?

Teaser posts are a Substack Boost feature which offers your free subscribers the ability to unlock a single paid post from your publication to see what they may be missing out on.

How does it work?

When you publish a paid post, free subscribers will see a paywall letting them know that they can unlock the post on the Substack app.

Clicking “Claim my free post” in an email opens a new browser window where the reader can scan a QR code to download the Substack iOS or Android app.

Once they install the Substack app, they may be prompted to verify their phone number with the app to read the unlocked post. They'll also receive a push notification that will allow them to navigate back to the unlocked post and can also check their Activity notifications.

Once the post is unlocked for the reader, they'll be able to view the post on the app and the web for an indefinite time.

Note: Only eligible readers will see the teaser post paywall and be able to unlock the paid content. To be eligible, the reader must be a free subscriber who doesn’t have the Substack app installed and must have never unlocked a paid post. Eligible readers will continue to see the teaser post paywall until they unlock a post.

Can I choose what post can be unlocked?

Yes! If you're publishing a new post, you can uncheck the box next to "Include in teaser posts" on the publish page. After you're finished drafting, click on "Continue" and you'll land on the publish page.

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For published posts, you can retroactively go to an individual post's settings page. Click "Edit post" on a post and click on Settings. Uncheck the box next to "Include in teaser posts" and select "Save".

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Can readers unlock more than one paid post?

Free subscribers can only unlock one teaser post. You will not be notified when a reader unlocks a teaser post.

How do I turn off teaser posts?

Teaser posts will be default on for any publication that has Substack Boost enabled. To disable this feature, head to the Boost section on your publication’s Settings page. Uncheck the box next to “Enable teaser posts”.

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Your publication can have the teaser posts feature and other paywalls enabled simultaneously. In this case, the teaser post paywall will be shown to eligible readers instead of your regular paywalls. Once you disable the teaser post feature, your regular paywalls will resume (7 day free trials, Upgrade to paid).

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