Apps & Consumer
Substack launches Reply Rules to automate comment moderation
Substack has launched "Reply Rules," an automated moderation feature for English-language publications that may reduce the need for creators to manually sift through comments.
Substack announced on Wednesday a new feature called “Reply Rules” to give creators control over how audiences respond. The feature allows creators to establish specific guidelines for comments on their publications, including Notes—the platform’s social feed—and Chat, its messaging feature. These guidelines can include requests to eliminate low-quality AI-generated content, often referred to as “AI slop,” or profanity. Currently, Reply Rules are available for all English-language publications.
Under this new system, the platform learns from user actions, such as when creators hide replies, to automatically filter comments that do not match the creator’s preferences. Creators maintain visibility over these hidden replies and have the option to unhide them if they change their minds. The new feature may reduce the need for manual comment sifting, offering an automated layer to the platform’s traditional decentralized moderation approach. Previously, writers have been solely responsible for policing their own communities using manual tools, such as the option to lock posts or threads to prevent additional comments, delete comments, or ban and suspend users when necessary.
The update arrives as the platform navigates ongoing scrutiny. Specifically, Substack has faced criticism regarding its content moderation practices, especially regarding far-right newsletters. Critics have argued that the platform’s decentralized approach allows harmful rhetoric to thrive.
In its announcement, Substack addressed its moderation philosophy, stating, “Since its founding, Substack has sought to create the best possible conditions for cultures of many varieties to flourish online. Achieving this often involves difficult trade-offs, but alongside our core model — where we only earn when writers, artists, journalists, musicians, and others earn — we’ve managed to carve out a unique path relative to other platforms.”
Why it matters
Substack is introducing automated moderation tools to help creators manage their communities, addressing a long-standing criticism regarding the platform’s decentralized moderation approach.