How to Add a New Blog Post

Quick Start (5 minutes)

Step 1: Create Your Post File

Create a new file in this directory (/content/blog/) with a descriptive slug:

# Naming convention: lowercase-with-hyphens.md
touch content/blog/my-new-post-title.md

Step 2: Add Frontmatter

Copy and paste this template at the top of your file:

---
title: "Your Compelling Post Title"
date: "2025-10-21"
excerpt: "A 1-2 sentence summary that makes people want to read more. This appears in listings and social shares."
author: "Gavin Slater"
tags: ["AI", "Python", "Portfolio Projects"]
featured: false
---

Required fields:

title - Your post title (50-60 characters ideal)
date - Publication date in YYYY-MM-DD format
excerpt - Brief summary (120-160 characters for SEO)
author - Your name
tags - Array of 3-6 relevant tags

Step 3: Write Your Content

After the frontmatter, write your post using markdown:

## Introduction

Your opening paragraph...

## Main Content

### Subsection

Your detailed content...

```python
# Code examples with syntax highlighting
def example():
    return "Hello, World!"

Conclusion

Your closing thoughts...


### Step 4: Test Locally

```bash
# Start development server
npm run dev

# Visit your post
# http://localhost:3000/blog/my-new-post-title

Step 5: Deploy

# Commit your changes
git add content/blog/my-new-post-title.md
git commit -m "Add blog post: My New Post Title"
git push

# Vercel/Netlify will automatically deploy

Common Markdown Patterns

Code Blocks with Syntax Highlighting

```python
def hello_world():
    print("Hello, World!")
```

Supported languages: python, javascript, typescript, bash, json, sql, and more.

Images

![Architecture Diagram](/images/blog/architecture.png)

Important: Place images in /public/images/blog/ first!

Links

[Internal link to project](/projects/personal-ai-infrastructure)
[External link](https://example.com)

Lists

- Bullet point 1
- Bullet point 2
  - Nested point

1. Numbered item
2. Another item

Blockquotes

> Important insight or quote
> that spans multiple lines

Recommended Tags

Choose 3-6 tags from these categories:

Technical:

AI, Machine Learning, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript
System Architecture, API Integration, Automation

Domain:

Risk Management, Financial Services, Career Transition
Portfolio Projects, Quantified Self, Productivity

Content Type:

Tutorial, Case Study, Deep Dive, Learning Journey

SEO Tips

Title:

Keep it under 60 characters
Include your main keyword
Make it compelling and specific

Excerpt:

120-160 characters (optimal for search results)
Answer "What will I learn?"
Include 1-2 keywords naturally

Tags:

Use existing tags when possible (check other posts)
3-6 tags per post
Mix technical and domain tags

Need Help?

Full documentation: See BLOG_README.md
Sample post: sample-post.md
Questions: gavin@slaters.uk.com

Last Updated: October 8, 2025

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