We provide tools that make it easy to import and share posts from an existing blog (as long as RSS is set up) and that make it safe to do so without the original post losing SEO (i.e. the DEV version should not overtake the original version in search rankings). Let's talk about each!

Following these steps should help your organization effectively use the RSS feed method on DEV Community. Note that if you choose the RSS route, you'll want to check out the information on Specifying a Canonical URL.

Using the RSS Feed on DEV Community

1. Ensure Admin Privileges:

   • Make sure you have admin privileges for your organization.

2. Configure RSS Feed:

   • Navigate to extensions under your settings. https://dev.to/settings/extensions
   • Under "Publishing to DEV Community 👩‍💻👨‍💻 from RSS," enter your blog's RSS feed URL.
   • You will see the option to "Mark the RSS source as canonical URL" or "Replace links with DEV Community links." Check the info below (Specifying a Canonical URL) to help you decide which option to select.
   • Click "submit feed settings."

3. Edit Organization Posts:

   • Go to your user dashboard.
   • Click edit beside the post you want to post.
   • Use the drop-down menu at the top of each post to set them to be posted under your organization.
   • Save each draft after making changes.

4. Switch to Organization Dashboard:

   • Return to your user dashboard.
   • Use the drop-down menu at the top right to switch from "Personal" to your organization.

5. Attribution for Organization Posts:

   • Review the list of posts in your organization.
   • Click the three dots menu beside each title.
   • Use the author drop-down menu to attribute the correct author in your organization for each post.

6. Post Selection and Publishing:

   • You have the ability to publish on behalf of your team members.
   • Click "Edit" to enter the post you'd like to publish or schedule.
   • Click "Publish" to instantly post the article OR click on the hexagon icon to set a schedule date for the article to go live later, then click "Schedule."

7. Tips on Sharing OrganizationBlog Content:

   • Avoid posting all articles at once; gradually publish a few per week for better visibility.
   • We strongly discourage posting purely promotional articles.
   • Please encourage your team to engage with the Community and respond to any comments.

8. Repeat steps 3-6 when new posts are shared on your organization's blo

Note: Currently you can only import a post into our Basic markdown editor; the Rich + markdown is not yet available.

How to Specify a Canonical URL

Organizations reposting content often worry about original posts becoming less discoverable in search engines and their website losing visibility as the newer publishing platform (e.g., DEV) might surpass the original blog.

Fortunately, DEV allows authors to address these concerns. By inputting a canonical URL, contributors can ensure search engines understand the original source. This prevents any penalties for reposting, and search engine crawlers boost the ranking of the original article.

• Option 1 (RSS Import):
  • Check the "Mark the RSS source as canonical URL by default" box upon import.
• Option 2 (Individual Posts):
  • Identify your editor version in /settings/customization.
• Rich + Markdown Editor:
  • Click the gear icon next to "Save draft" and enter the original post's URL in the "Canonical URL" field.
• Basic Markdown Editor:
  • Add canonical_url: X to the post's front matter, specifying the original post's URL.

Following these steps ensures proper attribution and maintains the visibility of your content.