How to Get the Top Articles of a Medium User

Using Medium API JS Package

Accessing the top articles of a Medium user can provide valuable insights, whether you're conducting an analysis of popular content or curating top-performing posts for promotional purposes.

This guide walks you through a simple JavaScript implementation to fetch the top articles of a Medium user using the medium-api-js package.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the code, ensure you have the following set up:

Node.js Installed: Ensure Node.js is installed on your system.
RapidAPI Key: Obtain an API key from RapidAPI to authenticate requests to Medium's API.

How to Subscribe to Medium API and Get Your API Key from RapidAPI Platform
medium-api-js Package: Install the medium-api-js package by running:
```
npm install medium-api-js
```
dotenv Package: Install dotenv to manage environment variables securely:
```
npm install dotenv
```
Environment File: Create a .env file in the root of your project and add your RapidAPI key:
```
RAPIDAPI_KEY=your_rapidapi_key_here
```

Code Explanation

The implementation involves importing the necessary modules, initializing the Medium API client, and fetching the user's top articles. Here's a step-by-step breakdown:

1. Importing Required Modules

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

Medium: This module from medium-api-js provides methods to interact with Medium's API.
dotenv: Enables secure management of environment variables by loading them from the .env file.
dotenv.config(): Loads the environment variables into the application.

2. Initializing the Medium API Client

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

process.env.RAPIDAPI_KEY: Fetches the RapidAPI key from the .env file.
new Medium(...): Creates an instance of the Medium API client for making authenticated requests.

3. Defining the User ID

const userId = '1985b61817c3';

userId: Represents the unique identifier of the Medium user whose top articles you want to fetch. Replace this with the desired user ID.

4. Fetching the Top Articles

medium.getUserTopArticles(userId)
    .then(data => console.log('User Top Articles:', data));

medium.getUserTopArticles(userId): Makes an API request to retrieve the user's top articles.
.then(data => ...): Processes the returned data and logs it to the console.

Running the Code

To execute the script, open your terminal and run:

node getUserTopArticles.js

Output Explanation

Upon successful execution, the console displays the top articles of the specified user in a JSON format:

id: The user ID of the Medium profile.
top_articles: An array of article IDs representing the top-performing articles of the user.

Potential Use Cases

Content Analysis: Analyze the top-performing content of a Medium user to understand trends and reader preferences.
Curation: Create a list of the best articles for sharing, reposting, or archiving.
Audience Engagement: Identify high-impact articles to guide promotional strategies and audience outreach.

Summary

By using the medium-api-js package and following this simple implementation, you can effortlessly fetch the top articles of any Medium user. This functionality can be a powerful tool for content creators, marketers, and researchers aiming to leverage Medium data effectively.

If you have any questions or need further assistance with Medium API, feel free to reach out to nishu@mediumapi.com.