How to Leverage Substack's Algorithm For Growth
Let's use the system to our advantage
As I’ve been experimenting with how I use Substack, I am learning a ton about how the algorithm behaves and what triggers it to boost some content and creators over others.
At the end of the article I’ll include some signals you can use to determine if Substack’s algo is currently boosting your content, and how to improve your chances of triggering a boost.
Let’s dig into what works, and doesn’t:
Substack Rewards Engagement, But Only a Certain Type
Substack’s algo is designed to benefit Substack. Not you.
What does that mean?
It means Substack wants to see you engaging in behavior that helps the larger Substack network.
Think of Substack as a city. Substack’s algo is its city planner.
One of the main functions of a city planner is to analyze traffic patterns. Where are people located, where do they go, how are they getting there, everything. And by extension, funds get allocated to areas of the city that show more traffic (or engagement), in general.
Engagement isn’t optional anymore. The algo is getting smarter, pickier, and more rewards-based. The creators who treat Substack like a city with neighborhoods, relationships, and traffic patterns are the ones who get the real boosts.
You could break engagement in the city down into three levels:
You now understand the “city planner” concept.
But the real advantage comes from knowing exactly how to move through this city in a way the algorithm rewards.
That’s the part most creators never figure out, and it’s where the growth unlocks come from.
If you want the full breakdown of:
The 3 engagement layers the algorithm actually measures
The behaviors that get you boosted daily
The mistakes that quietly suppress your reach
And my step-by-step system for triggering the algo on command
…it’s all in the Paid section below.
Heads up: On February 1st, my rates increase.
Monthly → $10
Annual → $100
If you want to lock in the old rate forever:
👉 Grab Annual now for $60
👉 Or Monthly now for $7.50
As long as your subscription stays active, these lower prices are yours permanently.
Paid members also get:
Direct access to me via DM
Private paid-member chat
Full access to 150+ archived posts
Monthly deep-dive strategy guidance
Every experiment, every insight, every system I test
If you’re serious about growing on Substack in 2025, this is where the real playbook begins.