TL;DR

I automated content generation for multiple platforms, including Dev.to, using a Node.js script. The goal was to streamline the process of posting updates across various platforms, reducing manual effort and minimizing errors.

The Problem

The problem I faced was the tedious task of manually generating and posting content on multiple platforms, including Dev.to, Medium, and Substack. This process was not only time-consuming but also prone to errors, as I had to ensure consistency across all platforms.

What I Tried First

Initially, I attempted to use a third-party library to handle the posting process. However, I encountered issues with authentication and rate limiting, which led to failed posts and errors.

The Implementation

To solve this problem, I decided to create a custom Node.js script using the fs and axios libraries. I started by defining a configuration file (metadata.json) that contained the necessary metadata for each platform.

// content/2026/06/26/VS/metadata.json
{
  "title": "Automating Content Generation",
  "description": "A technical deep-dive into automating content generation",
  "tags": ["automation", "content-generation", "devto"],
  "platforms": ["devto", "medium", "substack"]
}

Next, I created a script (generate-content.js) that read the configuration file and generated the necessary content for each platform.

// content-automation/generate-content.js
const fs = require('fs');
const axios = require('axios');

const metadata = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('metadata.json'));

const generateContent = async () => {
  try {
    // Generate content for each platform
    const platforms = metadata.platforms;
    platforms.forEach((platform) => {
      switch (platform) {
        case 'devto':
          // Generate Dev.to content
          const devtoContent = {
            title: metadata.title,
            description: metadata.description,
            tags: metadata.tags,
          };
          // Post to Dev.to using the API
          axios.post('https://dev.to/api/articles', devtoContent)
            .then((response) => console.log(`Posted to Dev.to: ${response.data.id}`))
            .catch((error) => console.error(`Error posting to Dev.to: ${error.message}`));
          break;
        case 'medium':
          // Generate Medium content
          // ...
          break;
        case 'substack':
          // Generate Substack content
          // ...
          break;
        default:
          console.log(`Unsupported platform: ${platform}`);
      }
    });
  } catch (error) {
    console.error(`Error generating content: ${error.message}`);
  }
};

generateContent();

Key Takeaway

The key takeaway from this experience is the importance of automating repetitive tasks to improve productivity and reduce errors. By creating a custom script, I was able to streamline the content generation process and ensure consistency across multiple platforms.

What's Next

In the future, I plan to expand this script to support additional platforms and features, such as scheduling posts and handling errors more robustly. I also aim to explore using more advanced tools, such as machine learning algorithms, to generate high-quality content.

vibecoding #buildinpublic #automation #content-generation #devto

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Part of my Build in Public series — sharing the real process of building SaaS projects from Playa del Carmen, México.

Repo: zaerohell/content-automation · 2026-06-27

#playadev #buildinpublic