Custom domains are now available for Medium writers

Some of the year’s biggest web stories didn’t come from cutting edge journalists or major news corporations—they came from normal people who had an important message to share. Publishing platform Medium is one of the many websites out there that enables this kind of citizen journalism. But now, Medium is doing more: The site is encouraging users to make Medium their main blogging platform by allowing the use of custom domains.

Medium has already seen success in the early stages of this maneuver. During their beta launch several months back, more than 100 sites moved to or launched on Medium under a custom domain. Although certain blogging features (such as Google Analytics integration and the ability to backdate posts) are still unavailable through Medium’s publishing platform, their progress is still a good indication that the website will continue to evolve to meet users’ needs.

Medium is an attractive writing platform for a variety of reasons. First of all, it comes with an audience that is already interested and engaged. Whether you are writing about topic you’re passionate about, responding to a recent controversy, or sharing a personal experience, there are readers on Medium that are going to be interested in your niche. It also offers an easy-to-use writing and editing experience, and has a clean publishing layout that isn’t detracted from by noisy ads or complicated features.

Medium also has an impressive roster of companies and celebrities who rely on the platform to share long form content. Bono, Melinda Gates, and even best-selling author John Green have used Medium to share their thoughts and ideas with the world. But you don’t need power or celebrity to be heard on Medium. Take, for example, Isis Anchalee’s article “You May Have Seen My Face on BART” which went viral and started the #ILookLikeAnEngineer movement. Medium has become known for its prevalence of thought leaders and is a logical choice for the infrequent blogger who creates buzz-worthy content.

Allowing custom domains is just one of the many changes that Medium has debuted on their website. Other notable changes include a publishing API, the ability to tag others with mentions, a significant apps update, and a redesigned logo.

We’re big fans of Medium here at Name.com and we’re excited to see how the platform will continue to transform. Medium has never been one to shy away from innovation, which is why they’ve become a publishing frontrunner in such a short amount of time. We even invited Steven Levy, Editor in Chief of Medium’s Backchannel, to share his thoughts on the changing landscape of journalism in Rightside’s Future of News series.

How do I set up a custom domain for Medium?

If you’re planning on creating a custom domain name to link to your Medium content, we’ve got you covered. From traditional .COMs and .NETS to more innovative choices like .NINJA, .SOCIAL, or .NEWS, you can quickly and easily register a domain name that stands out through Name.com. Once you’ve secured the domain name of your choice, it can be linked to a Medium Publication.

All you have to do is send an email to customdomains@medium.com with “Custom Domain” as the subject line. Include your domain URL and the URL of your Medium Publication in the email body and the lovely folks at Medium will supply you with A and CNAME records as well as further instructions for completing setup. You can learn more about moving your domain to Medium in this helpful post.