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ZainAldin
ZainAldin

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The "Copy-Paste" Solution: How I Built an AI-Powered React Blog in One Afternoon

Have you ever wanted to build a blog with your own custom React website, but didn't want to deal with complex databases, content management systems, or repetitive manual work? What if I told you there's a way to use AI to write content and have it automatically appear on your site with almost no backend code?

I discovered a beautifully simple approach that leverages free platforms as my blog's engine. It's so straightforward that I call it the "Copy-Paste Method," and today, I'm going to show you exactly how I built it.

The Secret: Why Build a Backend When APIs Exist?

Most tutorials start with setting up a database, creating content models, and building admin panels. I realized I didn't need any of that. Platforms like Dev.to (for developers) and Notion (for everyone) already have excellent content editors and powerful APIs. Why not use them as my content backend?

My winning formula became:

  • AI (ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini) for writing and ideation
  • Dev.to as my free, API-powered content management system
  • React/Next.js for my custom frontend

The workflow is beautifully simple:

  1. Write a blog post using AI (with human editing, of course!)
  2. Copy and paste the final version into Dev.to
  3. Watch it automatically appear on my custom React site

My Tech Stack: Minimal & Effective

Here's what I used to build my blog in just a few hours:

Tool Purpose Why I Chose It
Next.js React framework Server-side rendering for SEO, simple routing
Dev.to API Content source Free, reliable, excellent documentation
Tailwind CSS Styling Rapid UI development without context switching
AI Writing Tools Content creation Overcoming writer's block, generating ideas

Building the Blog: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Step 1: Setting Up My Content Hub on Dev.to

First, I created a free Dev.to account. This platform isn't just a publishing site—it's a fully-featured CMS with a REST API. After writing and polishing my AI-assisted articles, I publish them normally on Dev.to. The key here is that every article becomes available through their public API instantly.

Step 2: Creating the Blog Listing Page

In my Next.js project, I created a Blog.jsx component that fetches all my Dev.to articles:

import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';

export default function Blog() {
  const [articles, setArticles] = useState([]);

  useEffect(() => {
    // Replace 'yourusername' with your actual Dev.to username
    fetch('https://dev.to/api/articles?username=yourusername')
      .then(response => response.json())
      .then(data => setArticles(data));
  }, []);

  return (
    <div className="container mx-auto px-4 py-8">
      <h1 className="text-4xl font-bold mb-8">My AI-Powered Blog</h1>
      <div className="grid md:grid-cols-2 gap-6">
        {articles.map(article => (
          <article key={article.id} className="border rounded-lg p-6 hover:shadow-lg transition-shadow">
            <img 
              src={article.cover_image || article.social_image} 
              alt={article.title}
              className="w-full h-48 object-cover rounded mb-4"
            />
            <h2 className="text-2xl font-semibold mb-2">
              <a href={`/blog/${article.id}`} className="hover:text-blue-600">
                {article.title}
              </a>
            </h2>
            <p className="text-gray-600 mb-4">{article.description}</p>
            <div className="flex justify-between text-sm text-gray-500">
              <span>{article.readable_publish_date}</span>
              <span>{article.reading_time_minutes} min read</span>
            </div>
          </article>
        ))}
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}
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Step 3: Creating the Individual Post Page

For individual articles, I created a dynamic route pages/blog/[id].jsx:

import { useRouter } from 'next/router';
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';

export default function BlogPost() {
  const router = useRouter();
  const { id } = router.query;
  const [article, setArticle] = useState(null);
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);

  useEffect(() => {
    if (id) {
      fetch(`https://dev.to/api/articles/${id}`)
        .then(response => response.json())
        .then(data => {
          setArticle(data);
          setLoading(false);
        });
    }
  }, [id]);

  if (loading) return <div className="container mx-auto px-4 py-8">Loading...</div>;

  return (
    <div className="container mx-auto px-4 py-8 max-w-3xl">
      <h1 className="text-4xl font-bold mb-4">{article.title}</h1>
      <div className="flex items-center text-gray-600 mb-8">
        <span>{article.readable_publish_date}</span>
        <span className="mx-2">•</span>
        <span>{article.reading_time_minutes} min read</span>
      </div>
      <img 
        src={article.cover_image} 
        alt={article.title}
        className="w-full h-64 object-cover rounded-lg mb-8"
      />
      <div 
        className="prose prose-lg max-w-none"
        dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: article.body_html }}
      />
    </div>
  );
}
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A quick note on security: The dangerouslySetInnerHTML attribute sounds scary, but it's safe here because we're trusting content from Dev.to's API. If you were pulling content from unknown sources, you'd want to sanitize the HTML first.

The AI Advantage: My Content Creation Workflow

Here's how I integrate AI into my writing process without sacrificing authenticity:

  1. Ideation Phase: I ask ChatGPT for blog post ideas related to my niche. "Give me 10 blog post ideas about modern web development trends" often yields excellent starting points.

  2. Outline Creation: Once I pick an idea, I have the AI create a structured outline. This gives me a solid skeleton to work with.

  3. Section Writing: I write each section myself but occasionally ask the AI to help elaborate on specific points or provide examples.

  4. Editing Pass: I always edit thoroughly—AI text often needs humanization, personal anecdotes, and my unique voice added.

  5. SEO Optimization: I use AI tools to suggest keywords and meta descriptions, but final decisions are always mine.

Why This Approach Beats Traditional Methods

I've tried several blogging approaches over the years, and this "copy-paste" method stands out for several reasons:

Aspect Traditional CMS Dev.to API Method
Setup Time Days Hours
Maintenance Regular updates needed Handled by Dev.to
Content Editor Need to build or customize Excellent built-in editor
API Availability Need to build Already exists and documented
Cost Hosting, database fees Free

Advanced Tips I Discovered Along the Way

  1. Add Caching: To improve performance, consider implementing a caching layer. I use Next.js's built-in data fetching with getStaticProps for the blog listing and getStaticPaths with getStaticProps for individual posts to generate static pages at build time.

  2. Fallback Images: Not all articles have cover images. I added a fallback image in case article.cover_image is null.

  3. Error Handling: My production code includes proper error handling for failed API requests and loading states.

  4. Style the Content: Dev.to returns HTML with specific CSS classes. I used Tailwind's typography plugin (@tailwindcss/typography) to style the content beautifully with minimal effort.

  5. Consider Notion as an Alternative: If you prefer Notion's editor, their API works similarly. You create a database for blog posts and fetch them using the Notion SDK.

The Results: What I Gained

In just one afternoon, I had a fully functional blog that:

  • Loads incredibly fast (static generation + CDN)
  • Has excellent SEO (server-rendered content)
  • Requires zero backend maintenance
  • Lets me write in a familiar, powerful editor
  • Costs nothing to host (Vercel's free tier is amazing)
  • Can be completely styled to match my personal brand

The most surprising benefit? My writing consistency improved. Removing the friction of complex publishing meant I could focus on creating content rather than managing infrastructure.

Your Turn: How to Get Started

  1. Create your Dev.to account if you don't have one
  2. Set up a Next.js project: npx create-next-app@latest my-blog
  3. Create the two components I shared above
  4. Write your first AI-assisted post and publish it on Dev.to
  5. Deploy to Vercel: Connect your GitHub repo for automatic deployment

That's it! You now have a production-ready blog that combines the power of AI content creation with the flexibility of a custom React frontend.

Final Thoughts: Embracing Simplicity

In a world of increasingly complex tech stacks, sometimes the most elegant solutions are the simplest ones. By leveraging existing platforms as APIs, I bypassed months of backend work and created something maintainable, scalable, and enjoyable to use.

The "copy-paste" method might sound almost too simple, but that's its beauty. It works, it's free, and it lets you focus on what matters most: creating valuable content for your audience.

What's your experience with building blogs? Have you tried similar approaches, or are you considering giving this one a try? I'd love to hear about your journey in the comments below!

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