Substack to WordPress migration checklist

WordPress gives you more control than Substack, but that extra flexibility means the migration needs a tighter checklist. If you want the destination site to rank, convert, and feel trustworthy, you need more than a raw export.

Start with the archive, not the theme

A lot of teams waste time tweaking design before they know the content landed safely. Start with archive integrity first.

Pre-migration checks

• Export the full Substack archive
• Confirm the total number of published posts
• Separate original posts from reposts or syndicated material
• Decide what the WordPress permalink structure should be before import
• Identify any custom post formatting that needs manual cleanup

Match the new URL strategy to SEO goals

If your new site will become the long-term content home, plan URLs intentionally. That usually means:

• Clear category structure for editorial topics
• Consistent slug formatting
• No random date prefixes unless the publication truly benefits from them
• Redirect planning if legacy URLs will point somewhere new later

Prepare the WordPress side before import

Your destination should be ready to receive the archive cleanly.

1. Set the preferred permalink format
2. Install the minimum content plugins you actually need
3. Create the core categories used by the migrated archive
4. Make sure featured images and uploads have a sane storage path
5. Confirm the theme can handle long-form editorial content gracefully

Import QA that actually matters

After import, do not just count posts and call it done. Review:

• Heading structure across several articles
• Inline image placement
• Callout, quote, and embed rendering
• Internal links pointing to old Substack URLs
• Category assignment consistency

The right post-import cleanup pass

Once the content is in WordPress, run a fast editorial cleanup on the top posts first. Focus on pages that already drive traffic, backlinks, or conversions.

Priority order:

1. Highest-traffic evergreen guides
2. Best linked articles
3. Core sales-adjacent posts
4. The remainder of the archive

Where Stackr fits

Stackr helps you get a cleaner export package before the WordPress import work begins. That reduces confusion around archive counts and makes the QA pass much faster.

Final takeaway

A Substack-to-WordPress migration goes well when the archive is treated like a product asset, not just a file transfer. Backup first, import second, QA third, then polish the site around the content that matters most.