08 · Rules and risks¶
Sources: reference/medium-facts.md. Medium has the final say on what breaks its rules, so stay well inside the line.
What gets accounts suspended or stories hidden¶
| Risk | What Medium says | Do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Stories that exist to promote your product | Content posted primarily to drive traffic to an external product is spam; content marketing and signup-only stories get no distribution | Reader-first article, product once, disclosed |
| Link stuffing | Link farms aren't distributed | One link to your site at the end; other links only to sources |
| Self-promo in responses | Responses whose only point is your link are treated as spam (secondary sources) | Reply to the writer's point; no link unless asked |
| Unedited AI writing | Can't be paywalled; undisclosed AI gets Network-only distribution | Write it yourself; disclose AI help near the top |
| Canonical tricks | Redirecting canonical URLs away from your own URL or medium.com is SEO manipulation | Canonical only to your own original |
| Importing what isn't yours | Only import content you have the right to | Your own posts only |
| Engagement trading | Clap-for-clap and follow-for-follow groups fall under spam and site misuse in practice (we found no rule that names them; treat as risky) | Grow through publications and sharing outside Medium |
| Buying traffic to paywalled stories | Not recommended in Medium's publication guidelines | Share with Friend Links; let paid ads go to your own site |
Disclosure¶
Say "I make {{product}}" in the same sentence as any mention. For affiliate links, say they're affiliate links. In the US the FTC expects clear disclosure (social-credible-posting).
If something goes wrong¶
- A story gets no distribution: read it as a stranger. Is it mostly about your product? Remove the promotion, or leave it for your followers and move on. Don't delete and repost the same text.
- Account restricted or suspended: read the email, check the suspension reasons page, and appeal once through Medium's help center with a calm explanation. Keep your originals on your own blog so nothing is lost.
The platform risk¶
Medium changes distribution and pay rules often, and publications come and go. Keep the original of every article on a site you own, and collect emails on your site, not only Medium followers.