Last week we talked about thinking of your Substack as an ecosystem instead of simply a newsletter. This week I wanted to make that idea practical by showing you how I build a homepage that helps readers find their way through that ecosystem.
Instead of my usual written article, I wanted to create a practical walkthrough of one of the questions I’ve been asked most often recently: How do you actually use the Website Editor to create a well-organized Substack homepage?
Over the past few weeks we’ve been talking about your Substack as an ecosystem, the importance of your About page, Hero Post, welcome email, and creating a clear journey for your readers. This video brings those ideas together by showing you how to put them into practice.
Using one of my own Substack publications as an example, I stripped it back to a very basic setup and rebuilt it from scratch. Along the way I cover branding, colours, fonts, logos, navigation, homepage layouts, tags, sections, footer design, and some of the newer customization options available in the Website Editor. I also explain when it makes sense to start customizing your homepage and when it’s better to simply focus on writing and building your archive first.
One of the biggest ideas throughout the video is that your homepage isn’t just something to make look attractive. It’s one of the primary ways readers understand what your publication is about, where they should begin, and how to continue exploring your work. A thoughtful homepage creates clarity and helps reduce friction for new readers.
I also spend some time talking about visual consistency. Your homepage doesn’t have to look highly branded or professionally designed, but using consistent images, colours, and layouts can help create a publication that feels intentional and easy to navigate.
I hope this walkthrough helps you feel a little more confident exploring the Website Editor and making your Substack feel like your own.
One final question for you:
I’m considering running a Canva workshop later this summer on creating simple, consistent graphics for your Substack posts and homepage. If that’s something you’d be interested in, I’d love to know. Leave a comment below and let me know—if there’s enough interest, I’ll add it to my summer workshop schedule.
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