There is provided a substrate mounting method of bringing a substrate close to a mounting table to mount the substrate on the mounting table by reducing a protrusion amount of a plurality of projections configured to protrude from a substrate-mounting surface of the mounting table and to support the substrate, the protrusion amount being defined to protrude from the substrate-mounting surface. The method includes: after at least a portion of the substrate is brought into contact with the substrate-mounting surface, halting an operation of bringing the substrate close to the mounting table; and after the halting the operation of bringing the substrate close to the mounting table, resuming the operation of bringing the substrate close to the mounting table.