Sometimes, you may want to remove a story you’ve published on Medium.com for various reasons. Whether it’s outdated, irrelevant, or you simply changed your mind, Medium makes it easy to delete your published stories. Follow this step-by-step guide to learn how to delete a published story on Medium.com.
Why You Might Want to Delete a Story
Before we dive into the steps, let’s explore some common reasons why you might want to delete a story on Medium:
- Outdated Information: The content is no longer accurate or relevant.
- Content Quality: You’re not satisfied with the quality of the story.
- Personal Reasons: You’ve decided to retract the information for personal reasons.
- Rebranding: Your content strategy has changed, and the story no longer fits your brand.
How to Delete a Published Story on Medium.com
Here’s how you can delete your published story on Medium:
Log In to Your Medium Account:
- Go to Medium.com and log in with your credentials.
Navigate to Your Stories:
- Click on your profile picture at the top right corner of the screen.
- Select “Stories” from the dropdown menu. This will take you to a list of all your published and draft stories.
Select the Story to Delete:
- Find the story you want to delete from the list of published stories.
- Click on the story to open it.
Open the Story Settings:
- Click on the three-dot menu (ellipsis) at the top right corner of the story.
- From the dropdown menu, select “Story settings.”
Delete the Story:
- In the Story settings, scroll down to the bottom.
- Click on the “Delete story” button.
- A confirmation dialog will appear asking if you’re sure you want to delete the story. Click “Delete” to confirm.
Important Considerations
Before deleting your story, consider the following:
- Irreversible Action: Deleting a story is permanent. Once deleted, you cannot recover it.
- SEO Impact: Deleting a story might affect your SEO rankings if the story had significant traffic and backlinks.
- Backup: Consider saving a backup of the story on your computer before deleting it, in case you want to repurpose the content later.
Alternatives to Deleting a Story
If you’re unsure about permanently deleting your story, consider these alternatives:
- Unpublishing: Medium does not have an "unpublish" option, but you can edit the story to remove sensitive content or update outdated information.
- Updating Content: Revise and update the story to improve its quality or relevance.
- Archiving: Archive the content offline for future reference or repurposing.
Conclusion
Deleting a published story on Medium.com is straightforward and can be done in just a few steps. Whether you need to remove outdated content or make changes to your publication strategy, Medium provides the tools to manage your stories effectively. Remember to consider the impact on your SEO and backup your content before deleting it. Happy writing!