How to Get Article Responses from Medium

(Using Medium API Javascript Package)

Fetching responses of a Medium article is a powerful way to analyze audience engagement. Using the Medium API JS package, developers can easily retrieve data about article responses, helping authors and analysts understand their readers' perspectives.

In this guide, you'll learn how to set up and use code that fetches the responses for a specific Medium article, step by step.

Prerequisites

Ensure the following are in place:

• Node.js Installed: Install Node.js from nodejs.org.
• Medium API Key: Obtain an API key by signing up on RapidAPI and subscribing to the Medium API.
  How to Subscribe to Medium API and Get Your API Key from RapidAPI Platform
• medium-api-js Installed: Install the Medium API JS package using:

  npm install medium-api-js dotenv

• Environment File (.env): Create a .env file in the root directory of your project and include your RapidAPI key as:

  RAPIDAPI_KEY=your_medium_api_key

Step-by-Step Code Explanation

1. Setting Up the Environment

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

• Medium: This is the main library used to interact with the Medium API.
• dotenv: Used to securely load environment variables, such as API keys, from a .env file.

2. Loading Environment Variables

dotenv.config();

This function loads the .env file content into the environment variables. It ensures the API key is securely accessed in the code.

3. Initializing the Medium API Object

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

Here, the Medium object is instantiated, enabling API operations by passing your API key stored in process.env.RAPIDAPI_KEY.

4. Defining the Target Article

const articleId = '67fa62fc1971';

The articleId identifies the Medium article for which responses need to be fetched. Replace this with the ID of the article you want to analyze.

5. Fetching and Logging Responses

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

• medium.getArticleResponses(articleId): This method fetches the responses for the specified article ID.
• .then(data => { ... }): Handles the API response, logging the fetched data to the console.

Running the Code

Execute the script using the following command:

node getArticleResponses.js

Output and Explanation

• id: Indicates the article ID for which the responses are fetched.
• responses: Displays an array of response IDs representing individual comments.
• count: The total number of responses retrieved for the specified article.

Potential Use Cases

• Audience Insights: Analyze the type and frequency of responses to understand reader interaction.
• Feedback Collection: Gather valuable feedback for improving content or addressing audience queries.

Summary

The Medium API makes it simple to fetch article responses, offering developers a direct way to analyze audience engagement and feedback.

By using the getArticleResponses method, you can gather actionable insights to refine your content strategy or enhance user interaction.

Whether you're building analytics tools or moderating responses, this API integration provides the foundation for meaningful insights.

For further support or inquiries, contact nishu@mediumapi.com.

Keep coding and exploring! 🚀