Does your publication's homepage need a lift? Try upgrading your homepage with the new layouts in just a few clicks.
Example of an old default publication layout
Examples of the new publication layouts
How do I get started?
On your publication's Settings page, click on "Customize" next to Site Design in the Website section.
In the Hero section, select the type of layout you'd like readers to see above the fold.
Hero: Feature
Here, your single most recent or pinned post will be at the top.
Hero: Newspaper
Here, three pinned posts and five top posts will appear at the top.
Hero: Magazine
Here, five of your most recent posts or pinned posts will appear at the top.
Things to note:
- With the Newspaper and Magazine layouts, the image aspect ratio for the center image has changed to 3:2. If your older posts have images with text in them, you may need to adjust their aspect ratio to integrate with the new design.
- Older Substack publications may see a Layout section with "feed of posts" as an option. The new hero options will not work with this layout.
How does the new layouts work?
Pin multiple posts
To pin a post, click on the three dot menu on a post and select "Pin on home page". These will appear "above the fold".
Any un-pinned spots and the rest of your posts are filled reverse chronologically.
Most popular posts
These posts are generated based on views, engagement, and recency.
If selecting the Feature or Magazine view, check the box next to "Show top posts". Your top posts will appear in a hi-lighted bar on your homepage.
If you've selected the Magazine view, the top posts will appear on the right side of your homepage.
Tip: To exclude posts from the Most Popular section, select “Exclude from Top” in the three dot menu of an individual post.
Posts view
Below the fold on your homepage, your posts can appear as a list, grid, or groups.
List view
Grid view
In order to select the Groups view, you'll need to utilize the tags or sections feature. The Groups view will show a grid of posts from a specific tag or section.
On the Themes editor, select "Groups (sections or tags)" in the Posts drop-down menu.
Select which tag(s) you'd like to surface on your homepage. Below the fold, the specific tag(s) will appear alongside recent posts.
Select which section(s) you'd like to surface on your homepage. Below the fold, the specific section(s) will appear alongside recent posts.
Note: You can mix and match tags and sections to appear in the Posts section below the fold. Whichever tag or section you select will be accompanied by a "Recent Posts" row.
