Substack RSS Integration Guide

Substack RSS Integration Guide

This guide explains how to automatically import blog posts from status.health® to Substack using RSS feeds.

RSS Feed Details

• RSS Feed URL: https://blog.status.health/feed.xml
• Format: RSS 2.0
• Update Frequency: Updates automatically when new posts are published
• Post Limit: Shows latest 20 posts

Setting Up Automatic Import in Substack

Step 1: Access Substack Settings

1. Log into your Substack dashboard
2. Go to Settings → Import
3. Select Set up RSS feed

Step 2: Configure RSS Import

1. RSS feed URL: Enter https://blog.status.health/feed.xml
2. Import as: Choose “Draft” (recommended) or “Published”
3. Add tags: Add relevant tags like “status-health-blog”, “imported”
4. Email subscribers: Toggle based on your preference
   • If ON: Substack will email subscribers when posts import
   • If OFF: Posts import silently as drafts

Step 3: Set Import Schedule

Substack checks RSS feeds every few hours. Options:

• Automatic: Let Substack check periodically
• Manual: Import only when you trigger it

Step 4: Configure Import Settings

Recommended Settings:

✅ Import as drafts
✅ Include excerpts
✅ Preserve formatting
✅ Import categories as tags
❌ Auto-publish (review first)

Post Import Workflow

When a New Blog Post is Published:

1. Blog Publication: Post goes live at blog.status.health
2. RSS Update: Feed updates within minutes
3. Substack Check: Substack checks feed (every 2-6 hours)
4. Import: Post appears in Substack drafts
5. Review: Edit/format as needed in Substack
6. Publish: Send to Substack subscribers

What Gets Imported:

• ✅ Post title
• ✅ Full post content (complete article)
• ✅ Publication date
• ✅ Categories (as tags)
• ✅ Links and formatting
• ✅ All text content and structure

What Needs Manual Addition:

• ❌ Images (need to be re-uploaded)
• ❌ Custom Substack features (buttons, subscriptions)
• ❌ Email-specific formatting
• ❌ Author attribution (add manually if needed)

Best Practices

1. Review Before Publishing

Always review imported posts because:

• Formatting may need adjustment
• Images need to be added
• Email-specific content may be needed
• Links should be verified

2. Timing Considerations

• Blog posts publish Wednesdays
• Review imported drafts within 24 hours
• Send Substack version Thursday/Friday
• This gives exclusive early access to blog readers

3. Content Adjustments

When reviewing imported posts:

Add Email Introduction:

*This post originally appeared on the status.health® blog.*

---

Add Email-Specific CTA:

---

**Enjoyed this post?** Visit [blog.status.health](https://blog.status.health) for more sexual health and privacy content.

**Ready for private health verification?** [Join our waitlist](https://status.health) to be first to experience the future of sexual health verification.

4. Handle Special Content

For Monthly Deep-Dives:

• Consider splitting into 2-3 part series
• Add “Read time: X minutes” at top
• Include table of contents for long posts

For Technical Posts:

• Add glossary or definitions
• Simplify where possible for email audience
• Link to full post for code examples

Troubleshooting

RSS Feed Not Working

1. Verify feed URL: Visit https://blog.status.health/feed.xml in browser
2. Check feed validity: Use W3C Feed Validator
3. Ensure posts are published: Only published posts appear in feed
4. Wait for cache: Feed may cache for up to 1 hour

Posts Not Importing

• Check Substack import history for errors
• Verify RSS feed has new content
• Ensure import is not paused
• Check spam/filters in Substack

Formatting Issues

Common fixes:

• Remove special characters from titles
• Simplify complex HTML
• Re-add images manually
• Break up long paragraphs

Manual Import Process

If automatic import fails:

1. Copy post content from blog
2. Create new post in Substack
3. Paste and format content
4. Add images and links
5. Set categories and tags
6. Review and publish

Monitoring

Weekly Checklist:

• Monday: Verify new blog post is live
• Wednesday: Check Substack draft imported
• Thursday: Review and edit imported post
• Friday: Publish to Substack subscribers

Monthly Analytics:

• Compare blog vs Substack engagement
• Track subscriber growth
• Monitor click-through rates
• Adjust timing if needed

Support

• Blog issues: Check GitHub repository
• RSS problems: Verify at feed URL
• Substack help: support@substack.com
• Integration questions: Document in team knowledge base

Last updated: June 2025