Writing your first post on DEV ✍️

So, you've landed on DEV, created an account, and are exploring the community! You've started hopping around from spot to spot - maybe you peek at the Welcome Thread, maybe you check out the top tags, or maybe you just want to get started writing your posts!

Luckily, we have this resource to guide you through writing your first post on DEV. Here, you'll find the best tips and tricks to create captivating, encouraging, and interesting coding content for your fellow devs.

Let's Get Started!

Step 1: Click on "Create Post"

To begin, you'll want to click on "Create Post" in the upper right-hand corner of any page on DEV:

Step 2: Familiarize yourself with the DEV Editor

The DEV Editor will be your home page for writing posts on DEV. Play around with this space and consider changing out your editor type from your settings; we typically recommend using "Rich + Markdown" but some folks favor the "Basic Markdown" editor.

Note that you can preview your posts to see what they'll look like when they go live. Don't be afraid to experiment and get creative!

Step 3: Markdown and formatting

Markdown is the name of the game on DEV. We have a Markdown toolbar built into the DEV Editor that should make formatting easier for those unfamiliar with Markdown. You can also check out our Editor Guide for more guidance with formatting your post. You can add a lot to a DEV post - learn the tooling and the sky's the limit!

Step 4: Brainstorm and write away!

Write about what interests you! If you're passionate about a certain area of coding, it'll show through in your post. If you're at a loss for what to write about, browse through some DEV posts for inspiration - scrolling through the landing page of a particular tag that interests you may be a good place to start! If you want to check in on how your post looks throughout the writing process, click on the Preview option in the right-hand corner of the page. Don't forget to review your post for grammatical errors and read it through before submitting!

Step 5: Come up with a catchy title

This is an important step! Don't be afraid to think outside the box and get creative, but remember to stay true to the content of your post. You want to avoid click-baiting folks and make sure that you deliver on any expectations you set with your title.

Step 6: Add tags

Adding tags is a key way for other devs to find your post. We recommend choosing a mix of tags that are broadly applicable (e.g. #beginners, #tutorial, #discuss) and those that are more specific to your content (e.g. #java, #git) ! The more tags you use, the better, so try to use all four slots. You can check out a list of our most popular tags on our Tag Page, but first and foremost, we ask that you choose tags that fit your post well.

Step 7: Publish your post or save it as a draft

Once you've finished writing your post, you have three options:

1. You can save your post as an unpublished draft, which gives you the option to post it at a later date. It will be saved in your user dashboard.
2. You can schedule your post to publish on a specific date. Just click the gear icon beside “Save draft” and you’ll see the “Schedule Publication” feature.
3. You can publish your post to make it public instantly.

Whatever way you choose, you’ll find the publish, save, and schedule options underneath the body of your post in the Editor. Note that if you’re working on a draft, you can also choose to revert any new changes you've made to your post since the last time you worked on it.

Congrats on writing your first DEV post!

And there ya have it, your first post on DEV! 🎉 Congrats on becoming a contributing member of an amazing community of developers. 👩🏽‍💻

Eager to Learn More?

Check out this wonderful series on the Best Practices for Writing on DEV, where you can read more on these topics:

1. Creating a Series
2. Formatting
3. Tone of Voice
4. Listicles
5. Topics

That's all for now, folks! Happy writing ✍️