How to add a Donately form to your Substack publication to accept donations for your work

While Substack is a powerful platform for growing your readership and sharing your voice, it currently does not support custom scripts or advanced embed codes—which means you can’t directly embed Donately forms using JavaScript or advanced features like iFrames inside your Substack posts or newsletters.

But good news: you can still easily connect your readers with your Donately donation form using links and buttons. Here's how.

Option 1: Add a Custom Donation Button to a Substack Post

1. Log in to your Substack account.

2. Create a new post or open one you'd like to edit.

3. In the post editor, click the “+” icon and select the “Buttons” option.

4. From the dropdown menu, choose “Custom button”.

5. Enter your button text — for example:
   Support Our Work or Make a Donation.

6. Paste in your Donately donation form link, which may look something like:
   https://donate.yourorg.com/form-name

7. Click OK to save the button.

8. Finish writing your post and hit Publish.

Your readers will now see a clickable button that opens your Donately donation page in a new tab.

Option 2: Add a Donate Link to Your Substack Homepage

1. Go to your Substack Dashboard.

2. Click on Settings → then click Website.

3. Next to Homepage links, click Edit.

4. Add a new link:

   • Link title: “Donate” or “Support Our Work”

   • Link URL: Paste in your Donately donation form link.

5. Click Save.

This adds a prominent link to your homepage navigation so new and returning readers can always find a way to give.

Donately Tips

• Use Your Welcome Email: In your Substack Settings → Email, you can customize your welcome message for new subscribers. Include your donation link here to invite new readers to support your work right away.

• Include the Link in Your Footer: You can manually include a recurring donation link in the footer or signature of your posts and emails for ongoing visibility.