Substack Explore API
The public explore feed of notes and posts, one cursor page at a time.
GET /v1/substack/notes/explore1 credit Failed requests are free
About this endpoint
GET /v1/substack/notes/explore lists the public explore feed. cursor comes from the previous page's page.nextCursor.
data.items[] uses the shared feed item shape: type, id, post, note, publication, profiles, createdAt and parentComments. Check item.type before reading the nested object. data.page reports hasMore and nextCursor. lookupStatus is found or not_found.
Substack Explore API FAQ
Whose feed is this?
The public explore feed. It is not a personalised reader feed.
What kinds of items appear?
Notes and posts share one envelope. Read type to know which nested field holds the item.
How do I page the explore feed?
Follow page.nextCursor while page.hasMore is true. The cursor is opaque and tied to this feed.
How many credits does an explore page cost?
Pricing is documented on the operation in the API registry (shown on this page). Confirm on every response with meta.creditsCharged: that field is the billing source of truth.
Other Substack endpoints
- PublicationGET /v1/substack/publications/{publication}
- PostsGET /v1/substack/publications/{publication}/posts
- Post bodiesGET /v1/substack/publications/{publication}/posts/bodies
- Post indexGET /v1/substack/publications/{publication}/posts/index
- Search postsGET /v1/substack/publications/{publication}/posts/search
- RecommendationsGET /v1/substack/publications/{publication}/recommendations
- Publication feedGET /v1/substack/publications/{publication}/feed
- PostGET /v1/substack/posts/{post}