Substack's NEW Categories in 2026 (Full List from A to Z)
and how to actually pick the "right" one
Substack categories sound boring. I get it.
When most writers start a Substack, they want to write, publish, grow, and maybe even get paid. They do not want to stare at a settings drop-down and wonder,
“Am I Culture? Am I Business? Am I Education? Am I having an identity crisis?”
But your category matters more than most beginners think.
Your category helps Substack understand where your publication belongs. It helps your writing show up in the right neighborhood. It helps readers, collaborators, and other writers understand what kind of publication you are building.
And in 2026, this matters even more because Substack’s leaderboards are now a bigger discovery surface.
Something fun is happening on Substack this week
Publications are rising. Mine included. (Yes, doing a little happy dance.)
Me rising in #International
Kay Walten rising in #Travel - Wonderful!
Melanie Goodman rising in #Education - Super!
And here’s what I love even more, writers from the Online Writing Club are rising in all kinds of corners. Travel. Education. International. Different writers, different topics, all finding their people.
Readers can browse category tabs in the app, where they can see…
Rising publications,
Top Bestseller publications,
plus posts and Notes from that category.
So today, I want to make this simple.
This is your beginner-friendly, no-stress, “explain it to me like I’m new here” guide to Substack categories in 2026.
Substack has shipped 2 new categories
And yes, we now have 2 newer categories to pay attention to. Just like that!
I talked with a Substack employee who confirmed it. Substack’s team does this all the time, they watch how writers use the platform, they listen, and then they ship and suddenly there’s a new shelf in the bookstore.
So today I’m doing what I always do: pulling the latest Substack news together so you don’t have to dig and add my two cents from coaching hundreds of writers to their first 1000 subscribers, $1,000 or $10,000 and more. One is almost earning $90,000 now.
Picking the “right” category was how it all started when we were meeting.
Now they belong to the category:
“I knew him when we were picking their Substack category. Now they have a flourishing communitity and healthy and sustainable email list.”
I know how many of you have whispered to me:
“Kristina, none of these categories fit.” “Where does my publication even belong?” “I picked something random and now I’m scared to change it.”
So my online writing friend, let’s sort this out together.
👇🏻”Substack for Beginners” Class 2026👇
This post is part of the build-up to my Substack for Beginners Class, which kicks off with a LIVE session this Friday.
We’re covering the Substack status quo in 2026, the role categories play in getting discovered, and I’ll be sharing a list with the ranked categories so you can see which ones are saturated, which are crowded, and where the real untapped potential is hiding. (Spoiler: it’s not where most people think.)
The class is included as a THANK YOU in the annual membership of the Club, or you can grab it standalone.
+6 weeks of live coaching. All the things I wish someone had told me when I started, part-time with one and then two kids in the house.
Let’s now get to the good stuff first.
Here’s what we’ll cover today:
What Substack categories actually are (in plain English)
Why they matter (and where people get it wrong)
The full A to Z list of Substack categories in 2026
The 2 brand new categories
How to choose the “right” one without crying
A shor FAQ
