Thanks Mack. Another great post. Was that open rate increase just from substack data or from backend emails? If the former then I really need to prune my list! š
Have you imported a list? Then IMO itās an easy decision, I would prune the emails that have no activity and/or regularly drop emails.
I made a point not to prune any emails that came from Substack users unless there were serious deliverability issues. Thatās because Substack was showing no activity from some of my most active subs, including some of the people who have already commented on this post lol.
In that case, I would look at your subscribers and filter for any with dropped emails, and I would review those individually. You may have a few that need to be pruned but likely not too many.
Dinah, Substacks dashboard tells me you have zero activity lol. So I am super careful about deleting subs that came from Substack. I click on subscriber details and then the three dots on the top right. If I have an option to send them a message, they are on Substack. If I donāt have that option, then they signed up from somewhere other than Substack, likely either my website or from Google.
So what I have learned today is not to trust substack subscriber metrics at all. I have read almost all of Mack's posts for the last 3 months, but his metrics say I have zero activity.
I have added back the subscribers I removed that I thought weren't interacting with me that found me via substack.
This is one excellent reason among many to back up your subscriber list regularly.
Iām not convinced Substack can track open rates accurately for email-centric subscribers. People who protect their privacy in their email clients may not be sending back the signals Substack expects to get when a post email is opened. (And my AI ethics writing probably has a higher-than-average percentage of privacy-conscious readers.)
This is the main reason why I donāt prune my subscriber lists. I donāt trust the data.
Iād rather keep on my list someone who isnāt actually reading (or might be sporadic) than risk cutting off someone who is. People matter more to me than my open rate and its implications.
And if someone kicked me off their list like that, not only would I not resubscribe*, Iād probably mute them and rescind any recommendations I might have made ā because I wouldnāt want that to happen to anyone who might subscribe to them from my recommendation.
If anyone knows of any proof that Substackās activity data on email subscribers can be trusted, Iād love to see it!
* Iām not even sure if itās possible for someone to resubscribe if the publisher removes them. IIRC from dealing with a chronic spammer a few months ago, a removed email address might be blocked for a while.
That's a great idea, sis. Just because someone isn't leaving comments doesn't mean they aren't enjoying your content. Love the personal outreach, I am trying to build a system for doing that as well.
This hits home for me as someone building a newsletter + content business. Itās helpful to see realistic timelines and that growth on Substack (or any platform) often rewards consistency over hype.
Thank you for the support, Kay. I am super excited about 2026, I think we will see solid growth on Substack. Rising tide lifting all boats. Those of us who have been building here for a while will be in great shape to leverage it! clink
Views going up was wild to me. Paid went up and free subs down at the same time lol. Although free subs are doing much better yesterday and today, so the algo may be recalibrated now. Thank you, sis!
Mack, I always appreciate how transparent you are about the behind-the-scenes thinking. It makes the whole ābuilding on Substackā journey feel a lot less mysterious ā and honestly, less lonely.
The pruning effect is wild to see in action. It makes total sense when you explain it, but I never wouldāve guessed views would increase that dramatically after a big list clean. That alone is a reason your work is worth the subscription ā fewer myths, more actual data.
And good on you for announcing the price change early. The clarity plus the ālock it in for lifeā angle feels fair, thoughtful, and very aligned with how you run this place.
Cheering you on as you go all-in in 2026ābig momentum ahead for Backstage Pass.
Thank you, Kelly! I am learning so why not share what I am learning as I go? And the views increasing really surprised me, still not convinced I understand what happens there.
Thanks Mack. Another great post. Was that open rate increase just from substack data or from backend emails? If the former then I really need to prune my list! š
Thank you, Sam. It was just from Substack data. Across the board, I am thrilled with the results, I wish I had done this a year ago.
Mack! You are making this so easy (and therefore hard!!) for me to do. š¬
Have you imported a list? Then IMO itās an easy decision, I would prune the emails that have no activity and/or regularly drop emails.
I made a point not to prune any emails that came from Substack users unless there were serious deliverability issues. Thatās because Substack was showing no activity from some of my most active subs, including some of the people who have already commented on this post lol.
No. All my growth came purely from Substack. No list at all. Ok. That gives me some relief. š
In that case, I would look at your subscribers and filter for any with dropped emails, and I would review those individually. You may have a few that need to be pruned but likely not too many.
Thanks Mack. I really appreciate you always giving such helpful and specific guidance. š
Oh. I think this might have been the mistake I made. Sigh. I just got rid of people with zero activity who subscribed before July 1.
Dinah, Substacks dashboard tells me you have zero activity lol. So I am super careful about deleting subs that came from Substack. I click on subscriber details and then the three dots on the top right. If I have an option to send them a message, they are on Substack. If I donāt have that option, then they signed up from somewhere other than Substack, likely either my website or from Google.
Ah. I see I have backups. I could add them back.
So what I have learned today is not to trust substack subscriber metrics at all. I have read almost all of Mack's posts for the last 3 months, but his metrics say I have zero activity.
I have added back the subscribers I removed that I thought weren't interacting with me that found me via substack.
This is one excellent reason among many to back up your subscriber list regularly.
You can make mistakes.
To prune or not to prune?
I donāt and hereās why.
Iām not convinced Substack can track open rates accurately for email-centric subscribers. People who protect their privacy in their email clients may not be sending back the signals Substack expects to get when a post email is opened. (And my AI ethics writing probably has a higher-than-average percentage of privacy-conscious readers.)
This is the main reason why I donāt prune my subscriber lists. I donāt trust the data.
Iād rather keep on my list someone who isnāt actually reading (or might be sporadic) than risk cutting off someone who is. People matter more to me than my open rate and its implications.
And if someone kicked me off their list like that, not only would I not resubscribe*, Iād probably mute them and rescind any recommendations I might have made ā because I wouldnāt want that to happen to anyone who might subscribe to them from my recommendation.
If anyone knows of any proof that Substackās activity data on email subscribers can be trusted, Iād love to see it!
* Iām not even sure if itās possible for someone to resubscribe if the publisher removes them. IIRC from dealing with a chronic spammer a few months ago, a removed email address might be blocked for a while.
Thanks for the insights dude!
You're welcome, Parves!
Your plan to raise your prices looks good Mack. You offer a lot of value and support! I hope this works well for you.
Thank you, Dinah! I appreciate your constant support. This means more stuff to figure out in our Paid chat, which is honestly a lot of fun :)
Who knew deleting 25% of your list could actually increase views? š
Growth is about having the RIGHT subscribers.
I love supporting and engaging paid members.
I realized half my paid subscribers are only readers, so I use the DMs.
Thank you always for the transparency bro!
That's a great idea, sis. Just because someone isn't leaving comments doesn't mean they aren't enjoying your content. Love the personal outreach, I am trying to build a system for doing that as well.
You learn quickly who wants you to check in and at what cadence.
It is not realistic if you have a ton of subscribers, but I will try for as long as I am able.
This hits home for me as someone building a newsletter + content business. Itās helpful to see realistic timelines and that growth on Substack (or any platform) often rewards consistency over hype.
Thank you for the support, Kay. I am super excited about 2026, I think we will see solid growth on Substack. Rising tide lifting all boats. Those of us who have been building here for a while will be in great shape to leverage it! clink
Views jumped...that's suprising. Can't wait for what's you've got planned for 2026 and happy to be on the ride.
Views going up was wild to me. Paid went up and free subs down at the same time lol. Although free subs are doing much better yesterday and today, so the algo may be recalibrated now. Thank you, sis!
Just what I need to remove some of those inactive accounts so I can celebrate 1K again.
Donāt have the time to because if that day comes it would be Substack all in as well.
Maybe a few at a time and enjoy my time deflating for the right reason.
Congratulations on all of the growth!
Thank you Chason!
Mack, I always appreciate how transparent you are about the behind-the-scenes thinking. It makes the whole ābuilding on Substackā journey feel a lot less mysterious ā and honestly, less lonely.
The pruning effect is wild to see in action. It makes total sense when you explain it, but I never wouldāve guessed views would increase that dramatically after a big list clean. That alone is a reason your work is worth the subscription ā fewer myths, more actual data.
And good on you for announcing the price change early. The clarity plus the ālock it in for lifeā angle feels fair, thoughtful, and very aligned with how you run this place.
Cheering you on as you go all-in in 2026ābig momentum ahead for Backstage Pass.
š Kelly
Thank you, Kelly! I am learning so why not share what I am learning as I go? And the views increasing really surprised me, still not convinced I understand what happens there.
Yeeeah ā definitely counterintuitive and maybe revealing a chink in the algorithmās armor? š¤·āāļø