On Substack, an orange checkmark signifies that a creator has achieved thousands of paid subscribers. It's a key indicator within Substack's system of recognizing successful newsletters and publications.
Understanding Substack's Badge System
Substack employs a visual badge system to acknowledge the growth and success of its creators. These badges serve as a quick way for readers and other writers to identify highly successful newsletters.
The orange checkmark is part of a progression that highlights a creator's expanding audience and revenue on the platform. Substack has a hierarchy of badges, typically starting with an unbadged status and progressing through various levels of subscriber count.
Here's a breakdown of the known badge tiers:
- Orange Checkmark: Awarded when a publication reaches thousands of paid subscribers. This demonstrates significant monetization and a dedicated audience.
- Purple Badge: Represents an even higher tier of success, indicating that a creator has scaled their newsletter business to tens of thousands of paid subscribers. This is the next major milestone after achieving the orange checkmark.
This system encourages creators to grow their audience and provides clear milestones for success within the Substack ecosystem. Achieving these badges, especially the orange checkmark, often means a publication has established a strong community and a sustainable business model through its content.
Why Badges Matter on Substack
These visual indicators are important for several reasons:
- Credibility: Badges lend credibility to a publication, signaling to potential new subscribers that the content is valuable enough for many others to pay for.
- Visibility: Publications with badges may gain more visibility within Substack's platform, potentially appearing in discovery features or "leaderboards."
- Motivation: For creators, these badges serve as a tangible reward and motivation to continue growing their audience and delivering high-quality content.
By recognizing creators' achievements through this badge system, Substack helps both creators and readers navigate its vast content landscape, highlighting publications that have resonated widely and successfully monetized their work.
