How to Get a Medium Article Information

Using JavaScript and Medium API

Medium is one of the most popular platforms for sharing articles and ideas, ranging from technical content to personal stories.

For developers and data enthusiasts, fetching detailed information about a Medium article can be incredibly useful for analytics, content curation, or simply learning more about the article’s metadata.

This guide explains how to retrieve detailed information about a Medium article such as its title, author, publication date, tags, claps, and more using the medium-api-js package.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have the following:

• Node.js Installed: Ensure you have Node.js installed on your system. Download it from nodejs.org.
• A RapidAPI Key: Sign up on RapidAPI and obtain an API key for accessing the Medium API.
  How to Subscribe to Medium API and Get Your API Key from RapidAPI Platform
• medium-api-js Library: Install the Medium API wrapper for JavaScript by running:

  npm install medium-api-js dotenv

• Set Up dotenv: Create a .env file in your project directory to securely store your RapidAPI key:

  RAPIDAPI_KEY=your_rapidapi_key_here

Code Walkthrough

1. Importing Required Libraries

The code begins by importing the necessary libraries. The medium-api-js package is used to interact with the Medium API, and dotenv is used to manage environment variables securely.

import Medium from 'medium-api-js';
import dotenv from 'dotenv';

dotenv.config();

• Medium: This is the main library to interact with Medium’s API.
• dotenv: Enables loading environment variables from the .env file to keep sensitive data secure.

2. Initializing the Medium Client

Next, initialize the Medium client using your RapidAPI key:

const medium = new Medium(process.env.RAPIDAPI_KEY);

Here, the API key is retrieved from the .env file, ensuring security and ease of configuration.

3. Specifying the Article ID

You need to know the article ID for which you want to fetch information. The ID is typically part of the article’s URL.

const articleId = '67fa62fc1971';

For instance, if the article URL is:

https://medium.com/some-publication/why-its-super-hard-to-be-an-ml-researcher-or-developer-67fa62fc1971

The article ID is 67fa62fc1971.

4. Fetching Article Information

Call the getArticleInfo method with the article ID to fetch detailed information:

medium.getArticleInfo(articleId).then(data => {
    console.log('Article Info:', data);
});

• getArticleInfo: A method provided by medium-api-js to retrieve detailed metadata about an article.
• data: The response object containing article details, which is then logged to the console.

Running the Code

To execute the code, run the following command in your terminal:

node getArticleInfo.js

Ensure that your .env file is configured correctly and that you have a valid article ID.

Output Explanation

When you run the script, you’ll get a detailed response containing various metadata about the article. Here’s an example of the output:

Key Output Fields

• Title and Subtitle: The main title and subtitle of the article.
• Author and Publication ID: Unique IDs for the author and publication.
• Publication and Last Modified Dates: Indicates when the article was published and last updated.
• Tags and Topics: Categories and themes related to the article.
• Claps and Voters: Metrics indicating the article’s engagement.
• Word Count and Reading Time: Useful for understanding the article’s length.
• URL and Unique Slug: Direct link and a human-readable slug for the article.
• Image and Language: URL for the cover image and the primary language.
• Top Highlight: A key highlight or excerpt from the article.

Potential Use Cases

• Curated Article Collections: Build lists of articles based on tags, topics, or popularity.
• Reader Insights: Extract reading time and engagement metrics for personalized recommendations.
• Content Archival: Store metadata for offline or long-term reference.

Summary

Fetching Medium article information is a powerful way to gain insights into the platform’s content.

Whether you’re a developer building analytical tools, a writer analyzing your own work, or a content curator, this guide equips you to interact with Medium’s API effectively.

If you have any questions about the Medium API or this implementation, feel free to reach out to nishu@mediumapi.com.