avatarCasey Botticello

Summary

The provided content discusses the use of TK Notes, a lesser-known feature on Medium that allows writers to mark sections of their articles with "TK" as a placeholder for content to be added later, ensuring they remember to revisit and complete those parts before publishing.

Abstract

Medium's TK Notes feature is highlighted as a valuable tool for writers to flag parts of their articles that need further attention or additional content. The feature is activated by typing "TK" within the text, which generates a visual reminder that is particularly useful for long or complex articles. Medium also prompts authors to review any TK Notes before publishing to avoid missing important edits. The content emphasizes the importance of using "TK" precisely, with both letters capitalized and without spaces, to ensure proper recognition by Medium's system. The article also provides visual examples of how TK Notes appear within a Medium draft and the warning that pops up if TK Notes are present upon attempting to publish. Additionally, the article encourages readers to engage with the author on various platforms and sign up for a newsletter for more writing tips.

Opinions

  • The author, Casey Botticello, suggests that the TK Note is one of Medium's most elusive formatting features, indicating its relative obscurity among writers.
  • Botticello implies that TK Notes are especially useful for writers who are working on lengthy or intricate articles, or for those who wish to ensure they do not overlook necessary edits.
  • The article conveys that the TK Note system is designed to be distinct and noticeable, with the requirement of capitalized "TK" without spaces, to prevent confusion with actual text content.
  • The author provides a subjective opinion on the usefulness of the feature by stating that Medium will warn writers of remaining TK Notes before publishing, underscoring the feature's utility in the writing and editing process.
  • By sharing his expertise and insights on Medium's features, Botticello positions himself as a knowledgeable source in the field of online writing and content creation.

Medium Formatting

TK Notes — Medium’s Little Known Feature Used When Editing Articles

How to add TK notes to your Medium articles (and why they are useful)

Source: Casey Botticello of Blogging Guide

There are many obscure Medium formatting features. However, based on my interactions with other writers and publishing an entire publication on Medium tips, Medium’s TK Note is one of the most elusive.

What is a TK Note?

“TK” is a printing and journalism reference used to signify that additional material will be added later. TK as an abbreviation may originally have come into use because very few words feature this letter combination. The phrase “to come”, by contrast, could potentially be mistaken as a deliberate part of the text.

How Do I Use TK Notes on Medium?

Write “TK” anywhere in your Medium article as a placeholder. Typing “TK” will generate a yellow “TK” symbol beside the associated paragraph.

This will serve as a reminder to come back to a certain part of your Medium story and make the necessary edits. An example of when you might use the TK Note is shown below:

Example of Medium TK Note

Additionally, Medium will warn you if you have any TKs left before you hit publish, so it is especially useful if you are writing long or complex articles or if you just want to make sure that you do not overlook any necessary edits.

Medium TK Note Warning

A Few Notes on TK Notes:

  • In order for Medium to recognize your note, you must type “TK” exactly. No space between the letters T and K. Both letters must be capitalized.
  • To remove a TK Note, simply delete the letters TK from your Medium Story draft.
  • The TK Note only appear once per paragraph. Using TK more than once in the same paragraph will not produce multiple TK annotations.

— Casey Botticello

Thanks for reading this article! Leave a comment below if you have any questions. Be sure to sign up for the Blogging Guide newsletter, to get the latest tips, tricks, and news about writing on Medium and to join our Facebook group, Medium Writing, to share your latest Medium posts and connect with other writers.

If you liked this article, here are some other articles you may enjoy:

Casey Botticello is a partner at Black Edge Consulting. Black Edge Consulting is a strategic communications firm, specializing in online reputation management, digital marketing, and crisis management. Prior to founding Black Edge Consulting, he worked for BGR Group, a bipartisan lobbying and strategic communications firm.

Casey is the founder of the Cryptocurrency Alliance, a Super PAC dedicated to cryptocurrency and blockchain advocacy. He is a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania, where he received his B.A. in Urban Studies.

You can connect with him on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or by visiting his website, Blogging Guide.

Medium
Medium Format
Writing Tips
Writing Tools
Rough Draft
Recommended from ReadMedium
avatarErin Anne Lynch
What I wish I’d known about unemployment

Have you ever watched a friend spend months unemployed?

8 min read
avatarJeffrey Harvey
Kendrick Lamar Started a Battle, Won a War, and Lost His Way

Grown men with daddy issues

7 min read
avatarSufyan Maan, M.Eng
What Happens When You Start Reading Every Day

Think before you speak. Read before you think. — Fran Lebowitz

6 min read
avatarPaulo A. José
Delete Your Blog Immediately. Focus on These Sites

You may not get SEO traffic to your blog

8 min read
avatarThomas Smith
Users Will Fall in Love With OpenAI’s New GPT-4o Model. Literally.

The company’s new GPT-4o can understand and mimic human speech and emotion

7 min read
avatarJim Clyde Monge
5 FREE Ways To Try OpenAI’s New GPT-4o Model

Here are five ways to try the latest AI model from OpenAI, GPT-4o.

5 min read