Automate Medium Publishing via Python

Automating Your Writing: A Comprehensive Guide to Publishing on Medium with Python and the Medium API

As writers, we’re always looking for ways to streamline our workflow and focus on what matters most – creating high-quality content. One effective way to achieve this is by automating your writing process using Python and the Medium API.

In this article, we’ll explore how to use Python to automate your publishing on Medium, including setting up a new account, authenticating with the Medium API, and publishing articles programmatically. By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to create a fully automated content pipeline that saves you time and effort.

Setting Up Your Environment

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

Python 3.6 or later installed on your system
A Medium account (we’ll cover how to set one up in the next section)
Basic understanding of Python programming concepts

Creating a New Medium Account and Authenticating with the API

To get started, you’ll need to create a new Medium account and authenticate with the Medium API. This step is crucial as it allows us to interact with the platform programmatically.

Create a New Medium Account

Head over to medium.com and sign up for an account if you haven’t already. Make sure to choose the “Developer” plan, as this will give us access to the API.

Register for a Client ID and Client Secret

Visit the Medium API dashboard and register for a new client ID and client secret. These credentials will be used to authenticate our Python script.

Authenticating with the Medium API

Now that we have our client ID and client secret, let’s write some Python code to authenticate with the Medium API:

import requests

# Replace these values with your own
client_id = "YOUR_CLIENT_ID"
client_secret = "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET"

# Set up the authentication endpoint
auth_endpoint = "https://api.medium.com/v1/oauth/access_token"

# Set up the headers and data for the request
headers = {
    "Content-Type": "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
}
data = {
    "grant_type": "client_credentials",
    "client_id": client_id,
    "client_secret": client_secret
}

# Make the request and get the access token
response = requests.post(auth_endpoint, headers=headers, data=data)
access_token = response.json()["access_token"]

print("Access Token:", access_token)

Publishing an Article Programmatically

With our access token in hand, let’s write some Python code to publish a new article on Medium:

import requests

# Replace these values with your own
article_title = "Automating Your Writing with Python and Medium"
article_content = "This is a sample article about automating your writing with Python and the Medium API."

# Set up the endpoint for publishing an article
endpoint = f"https://api.medium.com/v1/articles"

# Set up the headers and data for the request
headers = {
    "Authorization": f"Bearer {access_token}",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}
data = {
    "title": article_title,
    "body_markdown": article_content
}

# Make the request and publish the article
response = requests.post(endpoint, headers=headers, json=data)

print("Article Published:", response.status_code)

Conclusion

Automating your writing process using Python and the Medium API can save you a significant amount of time and effort. By following this guide, you’ll be able to set up a fully automated content pipeline that helps you focus on what matters most – creating high-quality content.

What’s next?

Experiment with different authentication methods and error handling strategies
Explore other APIs and tools for automating your workflow
Share your experiences and tips in the comments below!

This is just a starting point, and there are many ways to improve and expand upon this guide. The possibilities are endless, and we can’t wait to see what you create!