How X Was Hiding My Substack Links And What I Did to Stop It
Recently, I discovered something deeply concerning about X (formerly Twitter): it was quietly suppressing my Substack links and I only realised it when a reader told me they couldn’t even see my post. They thought I hadn’t shared it at all.
That’s when I tested it myself and found that my Substack articles were effectively invisible on X.
No preview. No reach. No engagement.
Not even to people who follow my account and actively want to see my updates.
The Moment I Realised Something Was Wrong
A long-time reader reached out after I’d shared a new Substack post. They asked when I would be posting it but I already had. They simply couldn’t see it.
That was the red flag.
I ran a few tests:
Posted with a Substack link → barely any impressions.
Posted without a link → reach instantly returned to normal.
Posted a screenshot of the article → full visibility.
Put the link in a reply below the post → normal performance restored.
It became very clear: X was hiding my Substack links especially in the main body of the post.
Why X Does This
X has introduced its own blogging feature, X Articles / Notes which creators can access, but only if they pay for it.
The cost? £36.17 per month, excluding VAT.
That means over £430 a year simply to make long-form content visible on their own platform.
For a small, underfunded and overlooked animal welfare organisation, already pushed down by the algorithm, that cost is simply not justifiable.
Because £36.17 per month is not just a content fee.
It’s vaccinations. It’s medication. It’s food. It’s pain relief.
It could be the difference between suffering and recovery for a dog in need.
Paying that just to ensure visibility?
That isn’t innovation. It’s exclusion.
And charitable orgs like ours cannot and will not prioritise algorithms over animals.
The Solution: I Used My Own Domain
I eventually found a way around the suppression:
I connected my own custom domain to Substack.
Once the content was served through my own domain rather than a Substack URL, X treated it like a standard website and the suppression eased dramatically.
It meant:
The link preview returned
Posts regained visibility
The algorithm stopped treating every post like a competitor’s product
And crucially people could finally see our material again
It wasn’t just a workaround it made the organisation appear more established and trustworthy. It improved credibility while restoring reach.
This Goes Beyond Algorithms
When information about vulnerable animals becomes suppressed unless we pay a monthly fee… it becomes more than a technical issue. It becomes an ethical one.
Our job is not to feed algorithms.
Our job is to reach people and help animals.
Every penny counts. Every post counts.
And every suppressed link could be the moment someone didn’t see an animal who urgently needed them.
That is why we adapt. We work around. We keep going.
Because they defend an algorithm.
We defend life.
Have you experienced this too?
If you’ve seen link suppression especially in advocacy, charity, or journalism I’d love to hear your experience. Platform silence thrives in isolation. When we compare notes, we make it visible.
Wow. Powerful truth here. I love animals, too. I also have Substacks to promote. Both X and Facebook have deliberately taken action to prevent the promotion of Substacks on their platforms. Obviously this is a big issue of competition for them. i don't fully understand your fix, but I get that there is one. Thank you for making us all aware and pointing out a different way to beat this problem.