# Substack MCP

> Substack MCP Server connects your AI agent directly to Substack's backend. You manage entire newsletter publications—from drafting posts to tracking detailed subscriber growth and open rates—without ever opening the main website editor. It lets you query audience demographics, list content drafts, or pull deep analytics purely through conversation.

## Overview
- **Category:** marketing-automation
- **Price:** Free
- **Tags:** newsletter, publishing, subscriber-analytics, content-drafting, monetization

## Description

**Substack MCP Server** lets your AI agent talk straight to Substack's backend. You manage your entire newsletter operation—from drafting a killer post to checking deep subscriber metrics—without ever having to touch the main web editor. It’ll let you pull audience demographics, list draft content, or run detailed analytics purely by talking to your agent."

"### Audience Tracking and Growth Reports

You wanna know who's reading your stuff? The `list_subscribers` tool gives you a raw report of every person subscribed to the publication. You can use that data to build out segments or check the total count at any time. For bigger picture info, `get_publication_info` pulls core metadata, letting you see high-level settings like what categories you're using and if you’ve set up a custom domain for your newsletter."

"### Content Workflow: From Draft to Published

Need to check what articles are sitting there waiting? The `list_posts` tool pulls titles, statuses, and basic details on all the recent pieces published under the account. If you need the full write-up—the actual content or a draft version—you use `get_post`, which fetches everything for one specific article. You can also check out how well that single piece did by calling `get_post_stats`. This tool doesn't just give you a number; it retrieves detailed performance metrics, like the exact open rate and click-through rates for that post."

"### Deep Dive Analytics and Ranking

Figuring out what works is everything. The `get_post_stats` mechanism calculates key engagement numbers—open rates, click rates—for any specific article you point it at. You can run these checks repeatedly to spot trends or see which topics really hit home with your readers. Beyond single-post analysis, the `get_leaderboard` tool retrieves a leaderboard ranking, usually based on how engaged people are with certain content pieces. This lets you instantly know what's performing best against everything else published."

"### The Workflow In Action

You don't have to jump between five different tabs to get this stuff done. You just ask your agent: 'List the titles of my last ten posts, then pull the subscriber count, and give me the open rate for the article titled *The Big Shift*.' It uses `list_posts` first, grabs the total number via `list_subscribers`, and hits `get_post_stats` all in one go. You'll get a clean report back without any manual copy-pasting or clicking around.

If you need to see what your whole newsletter setup looks like—the overall categories, the custom domain name, and other high-level settings—you run `get_publication_info`. It gives you the structural data for your entire platform. This server lets you treat Substack like a database, allowing your AI client to query it just like talking to a teammate over coffee: direct, specific, and actionable.

## Tools

### get_leaderboard
Retrieves a leaderboard ranking, likely based on engagement or popularity metrics.

### get_post
Fetches the full content and details for one specific published article.

### get_post_stats
Retrieves detailed performance metrics (open rate, click rates) for a single post.

### get_publication_info
Gets core metadata and settings information about the entire Substack publication.

### list_posts
Lists titles, statuses, and basic details for a set of recent articles published on the account.

### list_subscribers
Generates a list or summary report of all current subscribers to the publication.

## Prompt Examples

**Prompt:** 
```
How many subscribers does my Substack have?
```

**Response:** 
```
Your publication has 4,250 total subscribers. Breakdown: 3,890 free (91.5%) and 360 paid (8.5%). Growth this month: +185 new subscribers (4.5% growth rate). Churn: 12 unsubscribes.
```

**Prompt:** 
```
Draft a new newsletter post titled 'The Future of AI in Sales'.
```

**Response:** 
```
Draft created: 'The Future of AI in Sales'. Status: Draft (unpublished). You can ask me to add body content, set a subtitle, or schedule it for publication.
```

**Prompt:** 
```
What was the open rate on my last newsletter?
```

**Response:** 
```
Your last newsletter 'Q1 Market Insights' had a 52% open rate (2,210 opens out of 4,250 sent), 8% click rate on embedded links, and generated 23 new subscribers from shares.
```

## Capabilities

### Audience Management
Lists current subscriber counts and pulls raw lists of members based on the `list_subscribers` tool.

### Content Discovery & Drafting
Retrieves a list of recent posts using `list_posts`, or gets full details and draft content for specific articles via `get_post`.

### Performance Analysis
Calculates metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and subscriber growth trends by invoking the `get_post_stats` tool.

### Publication Metadata Retrieval
Pulls high-level details about your entire newsletter platform using `get_publication_info`, including categories and custom domains.

## Use Cases

### Figuring out why Q2's post flopped
The marketing manager notices engagement dipped after the last piece. Instead of digging into confusing dashboards, they prompt their agent: 'Check `get_post_stats` for the article from June 1st.' The agent runs the tool and reports back that while the open rate was fine, the click rate on internal links dropped by 15%, pinpointing exactly where the content fell short.

### Batch checking drafts before launch
A newsletter creator has five articles ready to go. They don't want to manually check each one. They ask the agent to use `list_posts` first, getting all five IDs. Then they tell the agent to run `get_post` on each ID and summarize them, making sure all titles are correct and no body content is missing.

### Calculating monthly growth rates
The thought leader needs to report quarterly metrics. They prompt: 'Run `list_subscribers` for this month and compare it to the last one.' The agent gathers the raw data, calculates the percentage change, and provides a clean summary ready for their presentation.

### Verifying publication settings
Before running an ad campaign, the marketer needs confirmation that the correct custom domain is active. They call `get_publication_info` via the agent. The tool confirms the status and details immediately, preventing them from wasting time on a broken link.

## Benefits

- Stop context switching. You can draft a post or check analytics directly through your agent; no need to open the Substack editor just to copy data.
- Deep performance insight: Instead of guessing, you get hard numbers on click rates and open rates by calling `get_post_stats` for any article.
- Audience visibility: Easily pull subscriber lists using `list_subscribers`. You can ask your agent who signed up this month or how many paid members you have.
- Holistic overview: Use `get_publication_info` to check if your custom domain is set up correctly, or verify what the current category structure looks like before publishing.
- Workflow control: The combination of `list_posts` and targeted calls lets your agent find specific content drafts so you can edit them immediately.

## How It Works

The bottom line is: you treat your entire newsletter backend like another conversation topic for your AI client.

1. First, subscribe to the Substack integration on Vinkius. Then, secure your API token from your publication's backend settings.
2. Next, you give that token and context to your AI agent (e.g., 'Check the open rate for my last post').
3. The agent uses the specific tools—like `get_post_stats`—to pull real-time data, which it then synthesizes into a natural language report.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**How do I get my Substack API token?**
Log in to your Substack publication at **yourdomain.substack.com**. Navigate to **Settings** from the left sidebar. Look for the **Publication API** or **Developer** section. Generate an API token and copy it. Paste it into the configuration field below. Note: Substack's API is currently in limited availability — check Substack's developer page for the latest access information.

**Can I draft and schedule newsletter posts?**
Yes. Your AI agent can create draft posts with title, body content, subtitle, and metadata. You can then schedule them for a specific date and time — managing your entire editorial calendar conversationally.

**Can I track how many subscribers I gained this month?**
Yes. Ask your AI agent for subscriber growth metrics and get total subscribers, new subscribers this month, churn rate, and free vs. paid subscriber breakdown.

**Does this work with paid Substack publications?**
Yes. The integration supports both free and paid publications. You can manage paywalled content, check paid subscriber counts, and analyze revenue metrics through your AI agent.

**How do I use get_post_stats to analyze detailed performance metrics?**
It provides granular stats beyond just open rates. You can check click rates on specific links, view total impressions, and see the number of shares for a post. This lets you figure out exactly which content resonates most with your audience.

**What information do I get when I run list_posts?**
You retrieve metadata for all recent posts, including their current status (draft, published, scheduled). You can use this to quickly audit your publication history without navigating the Substack editor. It's great for checking drafts before you send them out.

**Can get_publication_info tell me about my overall settings?**
Yes, it pulls core metadata like your custom domain and established categories. This tool helps verify the current setup of your publication without requiring you to log into the dashboard manually. It's a quick way to validate configurations.

**How does list_subscribers work for audience segmentation?**
It lists individual subscribers and provides key demographic data points. You can use this raw data feed to segment your audience by location or sign-up source within your agent workflow. This makes targeted marketing much easier.