Medium Posting Skill

Platform Overview

Medium is a popular blogging platform with strong Google SEO (domain authority 96). Articles can reach millions through Medium's internal recommendation engine and external search traffic. 100M+ monthly readers. Great for thought leadership and reaching audiences beyond the developer community.

IMPORTANT: Vietnam Access Limitation

Medium is BLOCKED in Vietnam. The browser agent will NOT be able to access medium.com without a VPN.

Workarounds

1. VPN Required: User must enable VPN before the agent attempts to post
2. Pre-check: Before posting, navigate to

   https://medium.com

   and verify it loads
3. If blocked: Save the article content to

   posts/drafts/medium_post.md

   and instruct the user to:
   • Enable VPN
   • Open medium.com manually
   • Copy-paste the content
4. Alternative: The agent can retry after the user confirms VPN is active

Automation Flow with VPN

1. Ask user: "Medium is blocked in Vietnam. Is your VPN active?"
2. If yes: proceed with browser automation
3. If no: save draft and inform user to enable VPN first

Posting Method: MANUAL PASTE (Recommended)

Due to VPN requirement and potential bot detection, Medium uses Manual Paste mode. The agent generates content and saves it to

posts/drafts/medium_post.md

.

Platform Constraints

• Length: No character limit — 5-10 minute reads perform best (1,500-3,000 words)
• Format: Rich text editor, supports code blocks, images, embeds
• Tags: Up to 5 tags per story
• Paywall: Can publish behind Medium's paywall (Partner Program) for earnings
• Publications: Can submit to publications for 10x-100x wider reach
• Canonical URL: Set canonical URL when cross-posting from your blog

Content Format

# {Title -- compelling and keyword-rich}

{Subtitle / deck -- 1 sentence summary}

{Opening hook: personal story, surprising stat, or bold claim}

---

## {Section 1: Context/Problem}
{Content explaining the background}

## {Section 2: Solution/How-To}
{Main content with code blocks, images, examples}

## {Section 3: Results/Analysis}
{Data, outcomes, lessons}

## Conclusion
{Summary + what the reader should do next}

---

*If you found this useful, follow me for more articles on {topic}.*

Tag Strategy (Max 5 Tags)

Topic Area	Recommended Tags
AI/ML	Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, AI, Technology, Programming
Web Dev	JavaScript, Web Development, Programming, Software Development, React
Startup	Startup, Entrepreneurship, Business, Technology, Product Management
Career	Career Advice, Software Engineering, Technology, Self Improvement, Productivity
Data	Data Science, Analytics, Python, Big Data, Statistics

The first tag is the most important — it determines the primary distribution channel.

SEO Optimization

• Title: Include primary keyword (becomes the URL slug on Google)
• First 150 words: Critical for Google snippet — include main keyword
• Subheadings: Use H2 with keyword variations
• Alt text: Add to all images for accessibility and SEO
• Reading time: 5-10 minutes is the sweet spot (longer = more engagement signals)
• Medium's domain authority is 96 — articles rank exceptionally well on Google

Content Strategy

• Personal stories with lessons: Most shared content type on Medium
• Technical tutorials: Step-by-step guides with code examples
• Listicles with depth: "7 Things I Learned..." with real substance
• Data-driven analysis: Benchmarks, comparisons, original research
• Contrarian takes: Bold opinions backed by evidence
• Cross-post from your blog: Use canonical URL to avoid SEO penalties

Algorithm / Discovery Tips

• Claps: Medium shows articles to more people based on "claps" (0-50 per reader)
• Reading time: Articles people actually finish get boosted more
• Publications: Submitting to large publications gives 10x-100x reach
• Consistency: Weekly publishing builds follower momentum
• Early engagement: First 24 hours are critical for distribution
• Internal links: Link to your other Medium articles for reader retention
• Email distribution: Medium emails articles to followers

Top Medium Publications to Submit To

Publication	Topic	Followers
Towards Data Science	AI/ML/Data	600K+
Better Programming	Software Dev	200K+
The Startup	Startups	700K+
UX Collective	Design/UX	400K+
Level Up Coding	Programming	100K+
JavaScript in Plain English	JS/Web	150K+
Towards AI	AI/ML	100K+

Best Practices

• Write a compelling subtitle (it appears in Google results as meta description)
• Use section images to break up long content
• Include code blocks with syntax highlighting
• End with a clear CTA (follow, clap, or link to your other work)
• Submit to a publication for maximum reach
• Respond to comments within 24 hours

What to Avoid

• Clickbait titles that don't deliver
• Articles under 800 words (rarely get distributed)
• Publishing without tags
• Ignoring the subtitle field (it's valuable SEO real estate)
• Only publishing behind the paywall (limits reach)

Related Skills

• content-writing

  — Article templates and SEO integration

• image-generation

  — Medium cover image specs (1400x788)