Build a multi-author blogging platform in Bubble with author profiles, a rich text editor, draft and publish workflows, a tagging system, reader comments, and a content discovery feed. This tutorial covers the complete data model and UI for a Medium-style experience built entirely without code.
Overview: Building a Blogging Platform in Bubble
A blogging platform needs author management, rich content creation, publish workflows, and reader engagement. This tutorial builds a Medium-style platform with multi-author support, tagging, comments, and content discovery.
Prerequisites
- A Bubble account with an app ready to edit
- A rich text editor plugin (e.g., Tiptap or Rich Text Editor)
- Basic understanding of Data Types and Repeating Groups
- Familiarity with Privacy Rules
Step-by-step guide
Create the blog data model
Create the blog data model
Create Data Types: Post (title, body, slug, author User, status Option Set Draft/Published, published_date, featured_image, read_time number, tags list of Tag), Tag (name text), and Comment (post Post, author User, body text, created_date). Add Author Profile fields (bio, avatar) to the User type.
Expected result: A complete data model for posts, tags, comments, and authors.
Build the post editor
Build the post editor
Create a page called write with inputs for title, a Rich Text Editor for body, File Uploader for featured image, and Multi-Dropdown for tags. Add Save Draft and Publish buttons. Save Draft creates a Post with status Draft. Publish sets status to Published and published_date to now. Auto-calculate read_time from word count divided by 200.
Expected result: Authors can write rich posts, upload images, add tags, and publish.
Create the blog feed
Create the blog feed
On the index page, add a Repeating Group searching Posts where status is Published, sorted by date descending. Display featured_image, title, author name and avatar, date, and a truncated preview. Add tag filter buttons above the feed using a custom state.
Expected result: A content feed showing published posts with tag filtering.
Build the single post page
Build the single post page
Create a page called post with type Post. Display the full content, author info, and date. Below the post, add a Comments section: a Repeating Group of Comments and a form for adding new comments.
Expected result: Individual post pages with full content and comment section.
Add the commenting system
Add the commenting system
Create a workflow on the comment form: Create new Comment with post, author (Current User), body, and date. Display comments sorted by date. Add Privacy Rules so only comment authors can delete their own.
Expected result: Readers can comment and see others' comments.
Implement author profiles
Implement author profiles
Create a page called author with type User showing name, avatar, bio, and a Repeating Group of their published posts. Link to author profiles from post cards.
Expected result: Each author has a profile page showing bio and posts.
Complete working example
1BLOGGING PLATFORM — WORKFLOW SUMMARY2======================================34DATA MODEL5 Post: title, body, slug, author (User), status (Draft/Published),6 published_date, featured_image, read_time, tags (list of Tag)7 Tag: name8 Comment: post (Post), author (User), body, created_date910PAGE: write11 Save Draft: Create/Update Post, status = Draft12 Publish: status = Published, published_date = now13 read_time = body word count / 2001415PAGE: index (Feed)16 RG: Published Posts, sorted by date desc17 Tag filter: custom state with search constraint1819PAGE: post20 Full content + author info + comments21 Add Comment: Create Comment, link to post2223PAGE: author24 User info + their published postsCommon mistakes when building a blogging platform in Bubble
Why it's a problem: Not generating URL-friendly slugs
How to avoid: Generate slugs from titles using Set a thing's slug action when publishing.
Why it's a problem: Loading full body text in feed Repeating Group
How to avoid: Truncate to 200 characters in feed. Load full body only on single post page.
Why it's a problem: No Privacy Rules on comments
How to avoid: Add rules: users can only modify Comments where author equals Current User.
Best practices
- Generate SEO-friendly slugs for every published post
- Truncate previews in the feed for performance
- Use Privacy Rules for comment management
- Auto-calculate read_time from word count
- Require featured image before publishing
- Index by published_date for efficient feeds
Still stuck?
Copy one of these prompts to get a personalized, step-by-step explanation.
I want to build a Medium-style blogging platform in Bubble.io with multi-author support, rich text, tags, comments, and a feed. What data model and pages do I need?
Create a blogging platform with Post, Tag, and Comment data types. Build a post editor with rich text, a feed page with tag filtering, single post pages with comments, and author profiles.
Frequently asked questions
Which rich text editor plugin should I use?
Tiptap Rich Text Editor and Bubble's built-in Rich Text Input are popular. Tiptap offers more formatting options.
How do I make posts SEO-friendly?
Set dynamic page titles and meta descriptions from post data. Use slugs for clean URLs. Add OG tags.
Can readers follow authors?
Yes. Create a Follow data type linking follower to author User. Add a Follow button on profiles.
How do I moderate comments?
Add an is_approved field. Show only approved comments. Build an admin panel for moderation.
Can RapidDev help build a content platform?
Yes. RapidDev builds full content platforms with editorial workflows, monetization, and analytics.
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